Mantis shrimp killing everything?

[glenda]

Every time I put a new cleaning crew in my reef tank, they all end up dead (hermit crabs, turbo snails, cucumbers, sally lightfoot, ermerald, coral banded shrimp, peppermint shrimp). The length of time for them all to die has been getting less, so it has been suggested to me that the live rock I put in 2 years ago had a hitch hiking mantis shrimp that has grown. I hearing popping noises from the tank which has been suggested is a sure sign that it is a mantis shrimp. I've read though that the sound more likely comes from a pistol shrimp which is supposedly not harmful to the things that keep dying. My fish are fine. The local fish store tested my water and it's fine. How do I know for sure if I have a Mantis Shrimp and if I do, how do I get rid of it? If that's not what it is, what is it? The algae in the tank is getting out of control, but I'm afraid to put anything new in the tank.

 

[demosthenes]

I know that one sure-fire way to get rid of a Mantis Shrimp is to use a Mantis Shrimp Trap. SWF has some for sale I believe, or you can go the DIY route. You might ask around or search in the DIY forum on ways to make one yourself. If you do have one, and you catch it, please don't kill it. Send it to me, I'll pay shipping and then some. I have been looking for one for a 6-gallon, but haven't been able to get one. GL

 

[glenda]

I will send it to you if I can catch it...assuming there even is one in there. I got a trap, but so far no sign. Only thing I caught was my royal gramma.

 

[hunterdaddy]

Pistol shrimp ARE preadtors. They use their claw to stun shrimp and crabs then eat them. Saw it on discovery channel. Doubt the would kill a sea cumcumber though. I do know that if you had a cucumber die in your tank they have been known to poison tanks.

 

[demosthenes]

That statement is true, but to certain extents. There are perfectly harmless species in the same family as Sea Cucumbers and Sea Apples, but they have never occurred in the aquarium so far. Not sure of the name, I saw it on Discovery Channel as well.

 

[karlas]

heres a really good site to learn about mantis shrimps
theres articles how to catch them in it along with others
mantis shrimp

 

[glenda]

If the cucumber poisened my tank wouldn't the fish be dying too? If I remember correctly, the cucumbers died after almost everything else had already disappeared.
I've been baiting the trap with krill and haven't been getting any action. The article talks about isolating the rock it's in and removing it and doing various things to get it to come out. I don't know if I even have one for sure but am tempted to take out one rock at a time and make sure there is nothing in it. However, i'm concerned that some of the methods mentioned in the article will kill everything else too.

 

[pa reef pig]

I've done some researching and I think I would like to have a Mantis Shrimp. If anyone has one to give away, I'll take it!

 

[marinetank]

You say your cleaning crew end up 'dead'. Do you mean they are intact and just dead?
If a mantis shrimp got to them they would likely be partially eaten at least and with the snails are their shell smashed open?
Otherwise I would suspect the problem is with your water not mantis shrimps.

 

[mrfish]

Someone mentioned discovery channel....I saw marine program which included a bit on Mantis shrimp and it just smashed open the crab shells....Mean MF
I'm new to this but Fish survive, inverts die ... Copper maybe?

 

[keisersosei]

It could be copper. But if you hear popping sounds then it is most likely a mantis. It's not always true that they smash open the shells. I have one right here beside me and it doesn't break open shells. They are pretty smart and I think that mine knows that it can crawl inside a snail or hermit shell and easily take whatever is in it. Maybe I'm giving it too much credit. But anyway, there are several ways to remove a mantis, and most don't include the traps. If it sees you place the trap it will not work. If they have another food source (like your invertebrates) it will not work. Try to see what rock he's living in. They usually pile up small pieces of rock and debris outside their holes, so if you see this look carefully. When you discover his hiding place remove the rock CAREFULLY. I'll stress CAREFULLY. You might even want to use a pair of tongs or something if possible. There are two types of mantis: smashers and spearers. Smashers can break bones in your finger and some have the power of a .22 bullet. Spearers can necessitate stitches. Place the rock in a bucket with a little water in the bottom and you can spray hot water or......... someone help me with this part, I don't remember. Search for mantis shrimp in this forum, there are plenty of posts on them. Good luck and if you do catch him, don't kill him. Give it to Demonsthenes. They are great creatures to keep in a species only tank and require little maintainance.

 

[karlas]

keisersosei
to finish your sentence ive heard of several people with luck using some type of carbonated beverage. find the hole the mantis is in pour it in the hole and they are supposed to come out pretty quick. but make sure its in a container or bucket.

 

[j21kickster]

With that coke, could you possibly offer him a cheeseburger and fries. If i was him i wouldnt pass that meal up. J/K Unless the LR you got was contaminated w/ Cu i dont think that would be the problem. You havent donr copper meds in that tank have you? Also what is your salinity level?

 

[j21kickster]

dosed*

 

[demosthenes]

As stated above, most have luck with a carbonated beverage, and IMO/IME Selzter works the best. GL

 

[keisersosei]

When they say "carbonated beverage" they don't mean pour some Dr. Pepper in there as kickster joked about. (That was pretty funny, I laughed out loud.) Use carbonated water but sans syrup.

 

[fshhub]

some say traps work , but as mentioned, they are smart and often do not work
another option is to squirt something in the hole, one option is hot water(works well) another is hyper saline water(real high salinity)(also works well)
the last is seltzer or carbonated water, and this is the only one i have reccommended b/c it is the only one i never heard of failing(EVER), i always reccomend the latter b/c as i have mentioned i have NEVER heard of it failing as long as the mantis is in the rock hole you are dowsing
i would bet money on the seltzer
good luck and HTH

 

[glenda]

I took a water sample to the fish store and had them test it in case I was missing something. They tested for copper and didn't find any...that was their first thought too. Everything else including salinity checked out fine.
Will using hot water or carbonated liquids harm the live rock?...can I put it back in the tank after? The reason I ask is I haven't located it, so this might be a trial and error process. I would hate to destroy all the live rock looking for this thing.