Mantis Shrimp

gudies

gudies

New Member
I have had this thing in my tank for a very long time, it even survived a major crash. I have a 150 gal reef tank. Been up and going for 2+ years, after finding this site and reading just about everything ever posted here (wow, the information here is truly amazing, you all know so much!) do you think this might be a mantis? these are the best picks I could get, it is visible most of the time always with it's head poking out. It has come all the way out on occasion but I always thought it was a weird fish because it moves so fast.
I appreciate your opinions.

 
sprang

sprang

Member
I don't think so, but it's hard to tell. A mantis has big buggy eyes that pivot in all directions with a long extented lobster like body. Just read the other day that a mantis claws have the streangth of .22 cal bullet...preaty crazy! If he is a mantis and he's a stowaway consider yourself lucky. They go for about 30 bucks a pop!
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by sprang
I don't think so, but it's hard to tell. A mantis has big buggy eyes that pivot in all directions with a long extented lobster like body. Just read the other day that a mantis claws have the streangth of .22 cal bullet...preaty crazy! If he is a mantis and he's a stowaway consider yourself lucky. They go for about 30 bucks a pop!

Well it's eyes do pivot and are raised from it's head, and it has long whiskers. It does not have pinchers like a lobster or a shrimp. I takes food from my hand when I feed. I have seen it's body, it is long and smooth with a horizontal fish like tail, it is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long and it's body is all black with a few white spots, the "whiskers" have spots of white also. My kids call it their sea monster because I just have no clue what it can be.
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by Ice4Ice
Sounds like a mantis to me ... any other opinions ?
BTW here is a full tank picture.


 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
very nice full pic shot, but cant see what you're talking about even in the smaller tank shots. Best bet would be to take the rock you know it lives in, dip it in some super salty water, and see what shoots out of it. put it in a small container (tupperware is fine) then take a pic of it.
 
fishgeek01

fishgeek01

Active Member
If it is a mantis you do not want to be feeeding it with your hands. They can split your finger wide open down to the bone. The claws are folded up under it like a preying mantis, hence the name. They shoot out and can actually smash a snail or hermit crab shell in order to get to the animal inside. I would take it out and set it in some fresh ro water, let it come out, then scoop it up in a cup of saltwater. They make great and interesting pets in a refugium, or single species nano tank. very interesting creatures. Try and get a picture when it come out to feed, and please don't use your hands anymore, don't want you getting hurt, they make feeder tongs for that purpose...lol
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by starfishlover
Do you hear a load clicking sound in your tank at night? Have heard they make this sound. :scared:
No, No sounds from this tank, I know what you are talking about because I do have a shrimp goby and a pistol shrimp in one of my other tanks and the pistol makes a clicking sound.
 
nick76

nick76

Active Member
Your best off doing a High salinity dunk with that rock, should sent it shooting out of the rock within minutes. Please keep us updated and take pictures if u do, do the dunk, im excited to see what it is
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by Nick76
Your best off doing a High salinity dunk with that rock, should sent it shooting out of the rock within minutes. Please keep us updated and take pictures if u do, do the dunk, im excited to see what it is

I will do it tomorrow, Will I hurt it but dipping it and will it harm the ricordia and colt coras that are also on the rock?
 
nick76

nick76

Active Member
oooo right...Idk :notsure: about that get a second opinion. I forgot the corals were on the rock. Do u have a small squirtgun? possible u could make really high salt water and blast the hole hes in. that would not harm the corals and should send it flying out too.
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
just don't dunk the corals...
Well it isn't coming out with salt water? any suggestions?
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
fresh water dip then. the salt water should be like 1.035 (not sure if mentioned above)
Ok well here it is, it did not come shooting out, it just kinda slid out after a little shaking, it did not however survive this. can you still please tell me what it was so I will know next time? If it was a mantis I had been hand feeding the thing for well over a year, It makes me sad it died since it didn't seem to be causing a problem and was never aggressive when feeding.

 
m0nk

m0nk

Active Member
Wow, from all the pictures I've seen that certainly looks like a mantis. It's a shame it died, but at least you didn't do it on purpose, some people get them out of their tanks and flush them.
As a hitchhiker you're better off with it out of the tank at any rate. They can be rather bad if you're not really setup to take care of it in a species tank, especially if your tank is glass. As someone noted before they have the strength of a .22 caliber gunshot, which could hurt you pretty badly, or crack the tank. There are others on these boards who keep them special, but they're actually setup to take care of them and don't have anything else in the tank. I'm surprised you haven't had other shrimp, snails, or hermits go missing.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
sure does look like a mantis. Which way got him out, and did you scoop him out right away? the reason they should shoot right out is the difference in salinity should tick them off, but you dont want them to stay in that high (or low) salinity water.
It's ok to feel bad, but seriously know that eventualy it would have caused you a lot of headaches.
 
gudies

gudies

New Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
sure does look like a mantis. Which way got him out, and did you scoop him out right away? the reason they should shoot right out is the difference in salinity should tick them off, but you dont want them to stay in that high (or low) salinity water.
It's ok to feel bad, but seriously know that eventualy it would have caused you a lot of headaches.
I used High Salinty first for not long, I could still see it moving but not coming out, then I put it back in tank water and wrote here, then tried fresh water for a few seconds and check, it was hangin out and I shook the rock and out it came dead.
Thanks for all the help!
 
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