catching the elusive mantis

lradlbeck

lradlbeck

Member
OK so I have this dirty little fish napping bugger in a rock in a bucket - he finally showed himself and we got him - now... how do I get him out of the rock without killing everything else on the rock? I have the rock in a bucket of saltwater with a ph.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - I have tried the trap method - he is too crafty...
Thanks!
Liz
 
fishmamma

fishmamma

Active Member
I have read on these boards to pour watr over the rock- freshwater or I think I even read sparkling water once in hopes he will evacuate. If not there is always the freshwater dip. Happy to hear you caught the bugger. Do you have an LFS that will take him for a nice store credit?
 
lradlbeck

lradlbeck

Member
nobody wants him - so if anyone here does - I can try and save him for you - I was just going to send him to meet the old Porclain God since he killed so many of my fish!
Thanks for the suggestions - I will try to get him after work...
 
vanquish

vanquish

Member
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!
lol
But seriously, just get a 10gal and just stuff him in there by himself. It would be fun to watch, you could throw feeder fish and such in and watch him pounce! Haha. If you cant tell, I like mantis shirmp, but to be honest I couldnt keep one.
 
coachklm

coachklm

Active Member
be careful........I,m not sure what all you have on the rock fragile but i just gave mine a quick freshwater rinsing 30sec. just to piss him off then i l;eft the rock in an empty box 2 min. and he was out i grabbed the rock checked it over and tossed it in the tank and the mantis when lawn surfing (comes from nature goes to nature)
i hadno other choice guys dont flame.
 
lradlbeck

lradlbeck

Member
OK - Great I will try that - I just know that there is a peanut worm in there - not a great loss if something has to die to get the mantis - and there is a fair amount or coraline algae I would like to save.
I can't say I blame you for sending the mantis out to pasture - he killed my fish so I see it as the death penalty - he is guilty of 4 counts of first degree murder!
 
vanquish

vanquish

Member
If you really don't care for his life, you could just stab him with a fondue fork and pull him out. That leads me to wonder if you can boil a mantis shrimp like a crawfish... they do look real meaty in the abdomen! Just be careful, I got attacked by one when I attempted to pick it up about a year ago on a Marine Science trip and they can really do some damage with those lightning fast claws. Tore my hand up pretty good. If you're going to pick it up, make sure its dead first.
 
lradlbeck

lradlbeck

Member
ok well now I get to re-stock my tank....
I have a black domino damsal (one of my favorite little fishes)
royal gramma, and a lawnmower blenny in my 55 gallon reef...
Anyone have any suggestions of things to add - I would like a pair
of gold stripe maroon clowns.... but I know they are quite aggressive...
Liz
 
lradlbeck

lradlbeck

Member
ok so the bugger still has me at bay -
I can't get him out of the rock -
I did the pouring freshwater over the rock for a while then let it sit in an empty bucket for at least an hour.
still no luck!

I guess tonight I will try submerging it in freshwater...
I am getting frustrated!
Liz
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by lRadlbeck
ok so the bugger still has me at bay -
I can't get him out of the rock -
I did the pouring freshwater over the rock for a while then let it sit in an empty bucket for at least an hour.
still no luck!

I guess tonight I will try submerging it in freshwater...
I am getting frustrated!
Liz
I'm not suggesting this Liz, but I read on here one time that someone poured seltzer water over the rock and out it came. Of course there was a debate on if it was harmful to the rock etc. Just giving ya what I read. Good luck. You could always try busting the rock in two with a hammer. No harm to the rock as far as life goes and it all can go back into the tank.
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
I say fill the bucket with freshwater and watch him squirm...LOL
Of course thus far I have no experiance with these little guys and hope I never do. Although they do look very cool. I don't want one.
 
milomlo

milomlo

Active Member
Originally Posted by lRadlbeck
He is about 2" and one nasty little bugger - not very pretty - just a sandy color

Oh - all the pictures I have seen they are very colorful. Sorry for all your losses and your grief with this little nut. Good luck.
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
Originally Posted by lRadlbeck
OK so I have this dirty little fish napping bugger in a rock in a bucket - he finally showed himself and we got him - now... how do I get him out of the rock without killing everything else on the rock? I have the rock in a bucket of saltwater with a ph.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - I have tried the trap method - he is too crafty...
Thanks!
Liz
You could ship the rock to me. I will take the mantis off your hands........
 
uberlink

uberlink

Active Member
I have heard that gradually adding warmer and warmer water to the bucket containing the rock with the mantis shrimp can work. I'd guess you could even warm saltwater on your stove for this purpose, which might allow you to preserve more of the live stuff on your live rock. Just a thought.
 
lradlbeck

lradlbeck

Member
Thanks
I am willing to try anything at this point - I am really only trying to save the coraline - it is my prettiest piece of rock (and the largest)
I will try the warmer water.
Thanks everyone!
I will be sure to post some pics as soon as I get them!
Liz
 
trainfever

trainfever

Active Member
Dip the rock into a bucket of fresh water, when he leaves the rock, take it out and put the rock back into the saltwater. I'd still be willing to take it off your hands.
 
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