PEACOCK MANTIS hitchiker in my REEF!!!

yupi1982

Member
I have a peacockmantis in my reef........wow is huge i just saw it today ...is hugeeeee is like 3 times a bicolor blenny :scared:
is this good or bad ...it doesn look good for my reef i think but i better ask !!
anyone
i also saw a bernacle inside my forgsprawn ...anyone knows abot them??

Yupi

 

nasovlam

Member
I don't know the peacock mantis in particular but mantis in general are bad news for a reef tank (probably won't bother corals but probably will kill fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc). I had one as a hitchhiker in my LR. You can buy a trap to catch him or it is easy to make one. I used a 1 liter soda bottle, cut the funnel-shaped part off, and trimmed off some of the middle of the bottle. Flip the funnel portion around so that it goes into the body of the bottle and use elastics to secure it (also, its a good idea to make some drainage holes in the bottle). Use something like a piece of frozen cocktail shrimp as bait inside the bottle. He'll drop inside to get the shrimp. If you keep an eye on it, you can easily scoop the trap out of the tank before he can get out of the trap (and you can remove the elastics to take it apart to easily get him out). Be careful handling him -- some have a spearing hunting mechanism and some are bashers -- I believe that they are also nicknamed "thumbsplitters" for painfully obvious reasons if you are not careful with him.
If you have another small tank, I suspect it would make a fascinating pet (as long as he is not munching on your expensive reef tank inhabitants). Hope that my abbreviated instructions above were helpful -- good luck in catching him.
 

engineer

Member
It will definitly kill your hermy crabs, and some fish. People have them in their tanks and keep them, but you have to watch what else is in there.
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by nasovlam
I don't know the peacock mantis in particular but mantis in general are bad news for a reef tank (probably won't bother corals but probably will kill fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc). I had one as a hitchhiker in my LR. You can buy a trap to catch him or it is easy to make one. I used a 1 liter soda bottle, cut the funnel-shaped part off, and trimmed off some of the middle of the bottle. Flip the funnel portion around so that it goes into the body of the bottle and use elastics to secure it (also, its a good idea to make some drainage holes in the bottle). Use something like a piece of frozen cocktail shrimp as bait inside the bottle. He'll drop inside to get the shrimp. If you keep an eye on it, you can easily scoop the trap out of the tank before he can get out of the trap (and you can remove the elastics to take it apart to easily get him out). Be careful handling him -- some have a spearing hunting mechanism and some are bashers -- I believe that they are also nicknamed "thumbsplitters" for painfully obvious reasons if you are not careful with him.
If you have another small tank, I suspect it would make a fascinating pet (as long as he is not munching on your expensive reef tank inhabitants). Hope that my abbreviated instructions above were helpful -- good luck in catching him.

i have another 10 g tank.....swett as a pet.....i think i am gonna catch him
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by engineer
Try this link, it has a video of a mantis shrimp in action!!
http://truenorthreef.com/mantis.wmv

YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME......................and i have one of those things in my reef....
with about 150 hermit crabs

unveliable video ..thanks for the info ENGINEER .......wow wow and again wowwwww
:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:
 

nasovlam

Member
Originally Posted by yupi1982
i have another 10 g tank.....swett as a pet.....i think i am gonna catch him
Good deal -- let us know how you make out with him -- it should make a great pet in your 10 gal. Remember to be careful with him so you don't find out why they are called thumbsplitters.
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by nasovlam
Good deal -- let us know how you make out with him -- it should make a great pet in your 10 gal. Remember to be careful with him so you don't find out why they are called thumbsplitters.
yeahh my friend i got to be careful.......
i think is going to be very hard to cathch him though because i ahve a lot of big fishes and this particular invert is more like a night time predator....mostly shy during the day ...
the bottle trap sounds like a good idea but ......is gonna be still very hard to catch him..
i have 3 huge cleaner shrimps...do this guy is gonna take them dawn as well??????????

this is a video of my tank!!! :notsure:
http://media.putfile.com/REEF-TANK-8-2-2006
 

engineer

Member
Yes could take your shrimps lives! The best time to catch him is at night or in the morning bright and early. I had a hitchiker onceI thought he was kewl until he started killing every crab I had. I woke up one morning around 5 and went for him, fortunately I had a 55 at the time, and didnt have tons of LR. I did catch him after a long battle and flushed him down the old toiley because I was so pi$$@d.
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by engineer
Yes could take your shrimps lives! The best time to catch him is at night or in the morning bright and early. I had a hitchiker onceI thought he was kewl until he started killing every crab I had. I woke up one morning around 5 and went for him, fortunately I had a 55 at the time, and didnt have tons of LR. I did catch him after a long battle and flushed him down the old toiley because I was so pi$$@d.

what a story!!
i just saw it again......it is not as big and chunky as the one in the video but anyway
after what you showed me i am kinda of worry???
did you see my video? :thinking:
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by Fishcake
wow..
Nice specimen!
Put it in the 10 gallon
Perfect for a Arena!!!!


ihave everything ready to catch tonight at 2 in the mourning.... ***)
 

dmitry

Member
Use a trap of some kind to get him. They are cool looking, but seriously hurt you, so watch your hands.
Also, you might want to consider getting an acrylic tank to house one of these guys in. They have been known to crack glass if they strike it!
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by Dmitry
Use a trap of some kind to get him. They are cool looking, but seriously hurt you, so watch your hands.
Also, you might want to consider getting an acrylic tank to house one of these guys in. They have been known to crack glass if they strike it!

i like the idea of hosting him in my 10 g glass tank...but he doesnt amuse me that much to buy an acrylic tank and stuff....if thats the case and he is gonns brake my 10 g ...i will just flush him dawn in the toilet!!! :hilarious
by the way i just saw him again...
 

nasovlam

Member
I don't know if peacocks (if you are sure that's what you have) are the spearers or bashers. The bashers use powerful blows from the legs to stun/kill their prey. I think the potential danger to a small glass tank like that would be primarily from the "basher" type. If you are sure it's a peacock, you might want to do a google search -- you'll get a lot of crap returns but you should eventually find some good info on him.
It's wise to get him out of your tank ASAP -- other inhabitants are on borrowed time until you do.
 

fishy7

Active Member
I have one of those darn mantis in my tank. He has been around for 3 months and I have NOT been able to catch him.
I have a 215 with 280lbs of LR and a 6" SB.
I have done the following:
1) Bottle trick. I put in 4 at a time for weeks. no mantis :mad:
2) Panty hose. I use 6 at a time. no mantis :mad:
3) Large bottles 2 at a time. no mantis :mad:
He has killed the following:
1) 6 pepps

2) 175 hermits(estimate based on shells)

3) 5 chromis

4) 1 LMB

5) 30 snails

I am ready to yank all rock.......
GET THAT MANTIS OUT ASAP! take it from me.....Shrimp on the barbie when I catch him.
 

yupi1982

Member
dude i am stress already...i had 150 hermit crabs...4 huge cleaner shrimps , and 80 snails a few months ago...at least thats what i tought ....
well today i woke up...to try to count them up to see how many i have to keep record....and guess what
i have only 12 hermit crabs and 7 snails........and now i know the reason why 2 of my cleaner shrimps dessapear!!! :scared:
:mad: :mad:
...ggggggg
i woke up 3 times in the mourning to try to catch him...but..he is to smart....to clever!!!
he is gonna be tosted when i catch him....and i mean it!!!
 
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