Oh No!! Mantis Came Home With..

kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
I got ONE piece of florida LR today.. it has lots of large holes on it ...
I wasn't even thinking of this because I've been very lucky thus far but.. Tonight I hear clicking...
Not "machine gun clicking" but Click Click, Click, click when I turned the lights out...The clicking is NOT constant.
I have A LOT of LR in my tank and JUST rearranged it TONIGHT!
QUESTION: Will this bugger stay IN HIS rock or do you think he will move rock to rock? I think I will take out the NEW rock I bought today, in the am and put it in a bucket and freshwater dip it.. just corraline on it.. no real growth but a feather duster!
I did searches on here for mantis and found a few threads, but seems they are difficult to get rid of. UGH!!! I am hoping he wont get mad and crack my tank, just ckick click in his rock.!
AND, If I try the coke bottle thing tonight, will it come out and go to it? The rock in question is actually towrds the top of the rock pile.. I am afraid the trap will catch one of my smaller fish and either stress it out OR the mantis will join him and eat him.
I am worried about my 6 line, tomato or blennie... Any opinions here??
HELP PLEASE!!
Thanking you kindly, Kim:nervous: :nervous: :nervous: :nope: :help: :help:
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
Yes, he probably stayed in his own rock. You can do the freshwater dip to get him out, but the bottle trap like you mentioned may also work.
 
kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
Okay,
New piece of rock is sitting in fresh water next to me, I dont hear clicking in the bucket?? I am anxiously waiting for the bugger to come out. How long should this take IF HE IS IN THERE???
By By feather duster and orange sponge.. LOL
HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE IF HE IS IN THERE?? UGH! Im gonna be up all night.. hahaha
Thanks so much again, Kim
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
I've never dealt with a mantis, but what if you got a turkey baster and blasted the freshwater directly into the holes? :)
-lefty
 
kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
LOL
Lefty, I just tossed around the LR I bought today in a 5g bucket in fresh water. all kinds of little things came swimming out.. BUT NO SHRIMP.. I cannot imagine him still being in there..IF HE EVER WAS...
I guess I just spent 48 bucks on a piece of LR I just trashed! UGH,, Gosh, I love this hobby!
Thanks a bunch, Kim:hilarious
 
lefty

lefty

Active Member
I'm sorry to hear that, Kim. But at the same time...this is pretty amusing.

I wish you the best of luck! :joy:
-lefty
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
He could still be in there. I bathed my LR with a mantis for over an hour and he still refused to come out. Still alive in my tank right now. Mine is only about 1" and I have no fish, so I'm not really worried about it killing anything.
 
kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
Oh gosh....
I have something that came out that is rather small.. has 2 black eyes, clear brown in color and one black dot on his belly, hard shell....about 12 inch long
He also has like 2 fin like things on its butt..
Is that a juv mantis and if so.. would that make click noises??
Thanks a bunch, Kim
going to continue soaking the rock..LOL
 
cowfishrule

cowfishrule

Active Member
be careful in handling him.. they call 'em thumbsplitters for a reason.
actually, if you can trap him, see if you can sell him back to your lfs
 
sammiefish

sammiefish

Member
doesnt dropping your rock in freshwater risk killing everything good on it? at $50 for a piece of rock Id be asking myself ... what is the value of what Im trying to protect, and could I quarantine the rock to identify where the bugger might be and make a strategic surgical strike... just a thought...
 
kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
Sammie,
YOur absolutely right , BUT since I already did it in frustration.. cant cry over "one rock"... Although, I would NEVER tell my hubby what that rock just cost me TODAY!
I am armed with 2 spring water bottles and making a couple of traps today for tonight... Figuered I could make 2 and put one in each end of the tank.
Question? Do they CLICK during the day too? Or just at night? When I put the lights on this am and fed fish, I heard a couple of clicks..?? Maybe a pistol because I havevn't SEEN the bugger, I only HEAR something.
UGH!!
Now, I know how the people here feel when they post about seeing one.
Maybe if he's pretty I will put him a 5G acrylic tank... ??
Thats IF I dont kill him first.. LOL
Thanking you kindly, Kim
 
kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
BigBoy,
Thanks, I spent quite sometime lastnight doing searches.. I have read all kinds of stuff... I have made 2 traps this am an dplan on setting them tonight/ UGH!
Thanking you kindly, Kim
 
clarkiiclo

clarkiiclo

Active Member
Try a dip in carbonated water. Just plain carbonated water. It wont take but just a few minutes.
Good for bristleworms too:yes:
 
kimkissyfish

kimkissyfish

Member
I think maybe it has moved and is in one of the 25 or so rocks in the tank, since they are all stacked and have been there for years, I cannot remove all of it..I have rearranged alot of it tough... WHAT A MESS! and I cannot get it back the way i liked and had it before. =( The trap BETTER WORK! UGH!
If I trap it, I will post a pic... Hopefully IF it IS one, Its a pretty one..LOL
I hear people talking about them here and they say , they SEE THEM, can take a flashlight and shine it in the tank and see it... WHAT ARE THE CHANCES of actually seeing IT?? UGH
it could be ANYWHERWE.. I am so stressing out about this....
:mad: :mad: :mad:
Thanking you kindly, Kim
 
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