Mantis Shrimp

[1journeyman]

Saw one in action tonight. I added several small snails and mini hermits to my tank. I was watching the tank when I heard a constant "popping" sound. Looked at the other side of the tank in time to see about a one inch monster killing one of my hermits. Before I could get the rock he was in out of my tank he had killed the crab. Then, as I let the rock sit in a salt bath, a snail on the rock that I had missed got to close to the lair of doom and was dragged in.
Those things are scary.

 

[tuningvis]

yep

 

[buzzword]

Did he come out in the light or was it dark? Or did you have actinics on? Hope you got him out! And damn I hope I don't get one of those monsters, I would have a hell of a time tearing up my rock work and replacing back in!! Good luck and GET EM!!

 

[sato]

When I worked at one of the lfs a few years back we happened upon a 3" Mantis that we happened to get in a small barebottom acrylic tank.
We kept harrassing him with pencils and he would would break them in about 2 hits.

 

[1journeyman]

The little terror came out in broad daylight (4 VHOs and 2 atinics). He killed the snail after I had picked up his rock and moved it to a salt bath bucket (salt bath didn't seem to bother him. In fact, I even poured salt directly into his hole trying to flush him out). I guess he was hungry.
I got him out by operating on my rock with a pair of screwdrivers and a hammer. No way was I letting him back in my tank. Beautiful shrimp, but obviously far too destructive for a reef tank.
FWIW, I don't think I'll be buying any more florida or keys live rock. I bought 25 Lbs for diversity in my reef and I've had a mantis shrimp and a gorilla crab come out of it... Neither came out during the first salt bath. I've had to hunt both of them down.

 

[sw65galma]

Use a fresh water bath, they'll come out.
Also an larger mantis has the snapping power of a 22caliber.
They'll break your finger in 2.