Catching mantis

starfish9 · #1 09/07/2007, 07:33 PM

I have a 125 gallon reef tank with 250 lbs of live rock from tampa bay saltwater. I have a mantis hitchicker who I have only seen once. I would love to keep in another smaller tank, but I can not find him. He has way too many places to hide. There may be more where he came from, but I haven't seen any. (yet)

What would be the best way to catch him?

What will he need in his new home to survive happily?

Any comments would be a great help!! Thank You!!!

Pea-brain · #2 09/07/2007, 08:04 PM

Take a water bottle, screw holes in the bottom, cut off near the top and invert it. Put bate in and stick as close to its home as you can. You will most likely have a N. wennerae. You'll need a 5-10 gallon (ten is probably best), enough sand to make a 2-3 inch sand bed, enough live rock for the tank, At least one large eough to burrow in, a powerhead for water circulation (with cover over input) and weekly 10% water changes. Feed a diet of frozen marine meats every other day or every 3 days, with a snail or crab at least once a month, preferably more. You'll want at least 2-3 staple frozens, and soak them in selcon or similar vitamin supplement once a week. If you give the tank a light you can also keep corals in the tank, as well as a small, fast, cheap fish like a damsel if you want.

Dan

Fuzznutz · #3 09/07/2007, 08:10 PM

Be forewarned...they are smart and avoid traps, some peeps have luck with them, some don't. I have caught them only by removing the rock they are in...and even then you have to watch the tank for a while to figure out where they are residing. Good luck!

starfish9 · #4 09/07/2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pea-brain
Take a water bottle, screw holes in the bottom, cut off near the top and invert it. Put bate in and stick as close to its home as you can. You will most likely have a N. wennerae. You'll need a 5-10 gallon (ten is probably best), enough sand to make a 2-3 inch sand bed, enough live rock for the tank, At least one large eough to burrow in, a powerhead for water circulation (with cover over input) and weekly 10% water changes. Feed a diet of frozen marine meats every other day or every 3 days, with a snail or crab at least once a month, preferably more. You'll want at least 2-3 staple frozens, and soak them in selcon or similar vitamin supplement once a week. If you give the tank a light you can also keep corals in the tank, as well as a small, fast, cheap fish like a damsel if you want.

Dan

he's green with big orange eyes. I don't know if he is N. wennerae or not. What would you think is best for bait?

Thank you so much. This is really a great help!!!!

Pea-brain · #5 09/07/2007, 08:23 PM

Any marine flesh will do. Shrimp, squid, silversides, clam, etc. Just set it in the tank and leave it alone for a few hours. Do it some time in mid day, and make sure not to make any movements outside the aquarium so the mantis can get caught in peace. Also, almost all mantises that hitch from Florida are N. wennerae.

Dan

yiliyang · #6 09/07/2007, 08:28 PM

He is a N. Wennerae for sure if the rock is from TBS.

Now the bad news: You will NEVER catch him! Sorry to tell you this, in the rare situation that you see him in a hole on a rock you can get to easily, maybe...
I was given a Wannerae by a nice couple (shrimp hitched from TBS). The shrimp now lives in my 55 gal mixed reef and is comfy and happy. He did not eat any of my fishes. I feed him scraps of table shrimp when I see him. He adds so much personality to my reef. You should just leave it in your tank. They are actually reef safe and do not get to be very big.

Good luck.

Yili

starfish9 · #7 09/07/2007, 08:32 PM

he's pretty big already...I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I can catch him.

Are they agressive towards other fish at all? I am nervous to even get fish before I get him out.

Pea-brain · #8 09/07/2007, 08:40 PM

They may pose a threat to bottom dwellers, and will almost surely kill shrimp and such that enter the tank. generally not too harmful. They will of course also eat your snails/hermits. The bottle trap actually has a pretty good track record. It may take a few tries, but if you know the general area it hangs out you will probly catch it.

Dan

starfish9 · #9 09/07/2007, 08:43 PM

I have lots of snails. lots of crabs. and other shrimp. I think I need to get him out of there asap.

yiliyang · #10 09/09/2007, 05:09 PM

That is the problem, there are so much to eat at the tank, your trap bait does not seem to be that appetizing.

I have peppermint shrimp in there and they are not killed yet, they been together for at least 3 month. All my fishes are larger than the shrimp and I have not lost any.

I did see the mantis eat a small 6-line wrasse, but on his defense, the 6-line did not look to be that healthy and was not really eating, so maybe he was just eating a carcass.

Anyway, good luck with the hunt and please try to find the shrimp a good home if you catch him. It was not his fault that he ended up in your tank.

Good luck.

starfish9 · #11 09/09/2007, 05:13 PM

I am going to set up a good home for him here. If I decide against it, I will make sure he has somewhere to go.

Pea-brain · #12 09/09/2007, 05:26 PM

The bottle trap should actually seem appetizing. A meal with no work. The fact that the smell is drifting through the tank makes them hungry, and they follow the smell straight into the bottle with any luck.

Dan

siren · #13 09/09/2007, 10:30 PM

Wow. I'm surprised no one has told you about the dip method yet. I got in some TBS with 6 of the little buggers in it and thought I'd never catch them. The bottle method never worked for me. So someone on here told me to dip the rock with the mantis in fresh water for like 2 seconds. So I did. The mantis shot out of the rock the second it hit fresh water. It worked for me 6 times in a row, should work for you. If you do do it, be forewarned, there is alot of other stuff that will come off too that you will need to save. Things like crabs and pistol shrimp. The pistol shrimp I just threw back in the tank, and the crabs I fed to the mantis's. BUWAHAHAHAHAHA

starfish9 · #14 09/09/2007, 10:32 PM

that sounds scary... I guess I will have to prepare myself....

sounds like a great idea though. Thank you siren. One question though, will it have any effect on the coral?

starfish9 · #15 09/09/2007, 10:34 PM

will this get the mantis out as well?

Pea-brain · #16 09/10/2007, 05:30 AM

Woulda suggested the dipp too, buit w/o knowing the mantises rock it could be quite endeavor to take out and dip alll the rocks for one mantis

Dan

Abaco24 · #17 09/16/2007, 01:07 PM

After reading this thread and others on the dreaded Mantis, why not just fresh dip all TBS rock when it arrives with the purpose of looking for any Mantis?

Then quickly save what ever else jumps off that you want to keep? Seems like it should even be some sort of checklist vs removing rock, water bottle traps etc...

Or Maybe Richard could add the fresh dip process before shipping and placing in the boxes?

Pea-brain · #18 09/16/2007, 01:23 PM

Unfortunately that would likely kill a good bit of life. Sponges, for example, would most liekly die, as would a few hitch hiking corals and other hitch hikers that can't stand a FW dip. Might also damage coraline, even if just for a few minutes. That would mean a longer curing process. Also, there is no guarentee that unwanted life would jump ship. Mantises have been known to stay in the rock during FW dips, and so have gorilla crabs....
Dan

gsoaxionsk8 · #19 09/16/2007, 02:03 PM

A friend of mine actually made a good trap with a small mason jar and a condom. he took the condom and put it over the opening and cut a small hole in the tip. He put some meat food in the jar and then just waited on the shrimp. What happens is that they crawn in head first but the condom pinches them and they dont have time to turn around and scoot away as you reach in to catch him. It sounded crazy to me, but he said he has caught many of them like this.

justinl · #20 09/16/2007, 02:10 PM

a condom? lol i can see how it could work, but i would never put a spermicidal in my tank. ever.

Pea-brain · #21 09/16/2007, 02:33 PM

I would immagine you'd avoid ones with spermicide, lubrication and flavoring

Now what size would be best, andshould it be ribbed for the mantises' pleasure :P

Dan

Abaco24 · #22 09/16/2007, 06:01 PM

Can someone post a pick of the "water bottle trap" everyone keeps mentioning?

Pea-brain · #23 09/16/2007, 06:04 PM

seahorse.org has a nice pic of it in their library

Dan

DaMonkey · #24 09/21/2007, 01:37 PM

The condom trap - now that's ingeniuity right there!

starfish9 · #25 09/21/2007, 10:59 PM

okay so I know it has been a while since I first posted, but I set the trap tonight and I'm waiting patiently....I'm going to leave for a while tomorrow and hopefully he will sneak in. Or maybe he will be there in the morning. My fingers are crossed!!!