Lost a fish

[TBLightningFan]

I had been asking you guys about the clicking and I figured you would like an update. We went ahead figuring it was likely a pistol shrimp. We went out and got a Pearly Jawfish and another small wrasse. They both were doing fine together. The jawfish did his burrow search exactly as all the literature said he would. He finally settled into one. Its been 2 days and now he is dead. Just before he died he refused to go into a burrow... it was almost like he was afraid to and stayed as far away from the rock as possible.

His middle looked like it may have been hit because it almost resembled a bruise. So maybe the click is not a pistol after all...but a mantis. I know the water quality is fine because my peppermint shrimp and cleanup crew and the other fish are still alive and acting healthy.

What do you guys think. Could the fish have possibly taken a hit?

 

[Navarre]

Its possible. MInd you mantis strike like lightening so im suprised teh fish got away.
Ok then you need to create a trap for it and this wont be easy because they are incredibly intelligent

 

[leon]

try this (if it works), to see how fast!

mantis strike!!

 

[TBLightningFan]

try this (if it works), to see how fast!

mantis strike!!

See now that video is swaying me the other way. That shows me that a mantis will make it very blatently obvious of its precence. Unless its a little one the rock has no way of carrying a mantis thats very big at all.

I will get a trap. If the trap gets my peppermint shrimp I can move him to another QT for now. I'm tired of guessing what it is... its time to find out.

 

[parker313]

That sucks that you had to lose a fish I hope you catch the "mantis" and it really is just a pistol!

 

[TBLightningFan]

I would like to get this thing out and check it out ASAP. Is there a way I can pull out the rock and chase out the culprit without damaging the rock all too much? Keep in mind my rocks are blessed with about 10-12 clams on them total. I hear that trapping does not work all to well. I'd rather get right to the problem rather than tip-toe around like I have been doing.

BTW... I was at my LFS today and they said this tank should hot have had two fish introduced at once and that contributed to the jawfish dying. I dont buy that because he was acting fine the first day. And the other fish is fine too. They also mentioned that the live sand needs be be established for months before I try to introduce a Jawfish again. What do you guys think about that advice? I figured the tank cycling as it should for a month or so and the fact my shrimp and cleanup crew survived after that just fine, was a sign that 2 small fish shouldnt have been a problem. Any thoughts?

 

[Navarre]

hmm.. sorry but i think your lfs is not giving the best advice.. If you put in starile sand and leave it a couple of months then it will turn live! Why on earth must you leave so called live sand for the same amount of time?

As long as you have plenty of liverock then you should be ok. mind you the smaller the tank the faster its balance can change.

 

[TBLightningFan]

hmm.. sorry but i think your lfs is not giving the best advice.. If you put in starile sand and leave it a couple of months then it will turn live! Why on earth must you leave so called live sand for the same amount of time?

As long as you have plenty of liverock then you should be ok. mind you the smaller the tank the faster its balance can change.

I agree, c'mon if a couple bristleworms are living in it... it doesnt get much more live than that!!!

 

[Navarre]

Im afraid to say that catching a mantis shrimp is very hard indeed
I know a person who has a mantis problem. it made its home right in the middle of some base rock. It would not be outsmarted by any traps laid for it and to get the rock out ment a complete rebuild of the tank as the rock it lived in was actually the kingpin base rock for the entire structure of the reef. )

He watched the shrimp dart into its hole. he then proceeded to remove all the rocks to get to the base rock. this rock was then placed in a seperate tank and the salinity increased. nothing happened. He poured boiling water down the hole and nothing happened. He then prcedded to close up the holes with milliput and replaced all the liverock back in the tank.

Confident he had won the battle he went out only to come back to see the matis watching him from its new home in another rock which was equally innaccessable!
So far its not caused any trouble in his tank but he is so frustrated that this mantis has so far outsmarted him