4 clicking then 2 then 1 ???

[eggy5404]

So what do I have a Mantis or a Pistol? I haven't been able to see it yet. Are they that smart that they won't make a sound when I'm close by? When I sit in front of the tank to try and get a direction of the sound, nothing.... as soon as I walk away, I hear the clicking.. I don't have any fish in my tank yet as it's still cycling. I did my aquascaping 3 times and it took me a couple of days to get it right.. now I guess I have to tear it down again to look for this hitchhiker..
Do I do the 1.30 salinity or the seltzer water?
Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

 

[cb]

I've seen people post on here that they have done freshwater dips to get the shrimp to come out of hiding.

 

[lesa]

You can do a high salintydrip also 1.030 or the seltzer which ever works for you. The freshwater did not work when I was trying to catch a unknown crab. ( I think that method made him meaner )

 

[lobstergrabber]

I jsut caught a mantis in my tank. I freshwater dipped the rock aroun 2-5 minutes then set it out on top of a bucket for around 5 minutes then put it back in the tank. Out of sheer luck the mantis's lair was just under the sand and I saw him digging it back out. So Don't waste the time with the freshwater. Some one told me salinity above 1.030 would do the trick and probably be less detrimental to the bacteria. HTH
Rich

 

[eggy5404]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully I'll be able to pinpoint which rock it's in and try the high salinity... Do they usually come out at night to eat? I will look for it tonight and have the water ready to dip it in. Wish me luck.. I guess I can't get a clean up crew until I find this pest.

 

[dpdiver]

I just found the rock it was in and hung it over a bucket of water. The mantis went for the water in about 5 min. But that is if you know which rock it is in...

 

[leigh]

yeah, once you find out which rock it's in the rest is pretty easy--you just really want to figure out which rock it is--i caught mine as i saw it bolt out of the rock in the light of day to grab some bites of frozen plankton! (scared the bejezuz outta me!)

 

[bergshawn]

I'd be afraid to even touch the rock its in fearing it would come out and take my finger off, lol.. Has this happened to anyone?

 

[leigh]

No not me--I'm super tough...
yah right
I first called my boyfriend and pleaded with him to leave work and remove the rock for me. I then called the fishstore and he told me I'm a silly girl. Not to be outdone by that comment I used 2 nets to remove the rock. Thank goodness it was pretty light from all the tunneling the mantis had done

 

[bergshawn]

I with ya there. I'm not a "Silly Girl" but I sure as hell like my fingers exactly the way they are. I'd definitely use something besides my hands to remove the rock if I had one.

 

[eggy5404]

You guys have now scared me.. I am a girl/women and I like my fingers however I do usually grab the rock with nothing on..
I will use those long arm gloves, I hope this helps.. If he gets the best of me, I'll be sure to post a picture of my missing finger..

 

[leigh]

he he...unless he's huge the worst he'll do is a nasty cut to the bone type thing--nothing a few stitches wouldn't fix up. and i definitely found mine to be nearly as scared of me as i was of him...

 

[eggy5404]

My lr came from an established tank... my luck the mantis is fully grown and waiting for action.. Well I can't go any futher until I get it out of my tank so I guess it's survival of the fittest and I plan on winning..

 

[stillfrodo]

Guys got me nervous now. i just added my LR today 135 lbs worth. It came "cured". I gave it a quick high salinity dip then placed it in the tank. House smells like low tide but hopefully only beneficial hitch hikers.

 

[leigh]

Eggy--don't worry--full grown can be one-many feet long in all liklihood you still have a relatively weeny one
Stillfrodo--also don't worry. Manti come in as hitchikers on a lot of quality rock. It's just a part of the hobby--and they're really not nearly as bad to track down and remove as some folk make them out to be...

 

[lobstergrabber]

I saw mine once and the darn thing was quick so I didn't get a look at where he was going. @ weeks later I still hadn't seen him again and I tried everything I could think of. I didn't feed for 3 days then fed at night and not even that would bring him out. I truly wish you good luck because I still believe that is the only reason I found mine.
Rich

 

[dburr]

I heard of useing a jar. Build the rock up around it with bait in the jar. They can't clime out. Your tank is new, should be a piece of cake.

 

[phil1964]

4 knocks then 3 then 2 then 1
That was our secret knock on out tree fort when I was a kid 2 million years ago.
Maybe it just wants in

 

[sohalwutang499]

I wouldnt try to get the rock out by hand because ive found out that mantis' are alot more agressive than you would think. i had a mantis in my tank a few months ago. he wouldnt go for the trap i set for him, so i decided i would find out where he lives and take the rock out and dip it. when i finally figured out where he lived, i got a stick to see if i could

[hr]
him cause i was pretty pissed after he killed my baby cherub angelfish. i poked the stick in the hole in the rock where he lived, and then i felt him hitting the stick. he must have hit it pretty hard cause it broke the wood stick. after that i pretty much decided not to put my hands in the tank to get him. so i got a couple of nets and fished the rock out. i dumped him in some carbonated water and out he came. surprisingly he survided for over 5 mins in the water, so i ended up putting him in his own tank.

 

[mommafish]

Can someone post a picture so I can see what a Manti looks like? (Obviously I'm a newbie )