Successfully Trapping a Mantis??

[Dunkpv]

I bought a mantis trap about 2 weeks ago.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod...tm_term=217586

Im trying to remove this hitchiked peacock. He's about 2 inches long in my 14g reef. Ive been using fresh raw shrimp as bait. I stick it all the way in the back. After a few days i will see the mantis eating the shrimp in his burrow. He's going in and NOT setting off the trap. Ive set the sensitivity as far as it can go.

Anyone have any pointers on how succeffuly catch this thing? Maybe some other methods (other than taking everything out of my tank).

I had another idea. I was thinking about siphoning him out perhaps.

- Take a 1" tube.
- Begin the siphon into a a bucket.
- Stop the flow by plugging up the hose on the end thats in the bucket.
- Jam a piece of shrimp into tube end that's in the tank. (with another set of hands)
- Tease him with that end with the food jammed inside tube so he comes out of his burrow trying to feed.
- Once he goes for the shrimp, and gets close to the tube, i would then RELEASE the plugged up end and SUCK him out into the bucket.

You think that would work?

Getting him out in the open with a net and bailt doesn't seem possible. He never comes out further than 2 inches of his burrow.

[abrahamcho]

I have a manual one, so ya when I see it I drop it and I get him like that. Are you giving it away? If you are my friend is collecting peacocks so plz donate!

[Angel7989]

the hose method sounds a little dangerous and stressful for a poor mantis.
if you can take out just the rock he hangs out in and do a freshwater dip he'll probably pop out.

[Pea-brain]

Itsnot a peaock. No peacock will "hitch hike". It's possible, but incredibly unlikely.

Dan

[Dunkpv]

Originally posted by abrahamcho
I have a manual one, so ya when I see it I drop it and I get him like that. Are you giving it away? If you are my friend is collecting peacocks so plz donate!

what's a "manual one" mean?

i thought it looked like a peacock when i saw it. he doesnt hang out in a rock but more so under my liverock burrowed in the sand. The second i take 1 rock out he vanishes somewhere i get him.

[icy1155]

Have you tried the inverted soda bottle trick yet? That actually seems to be more effective than anything that I have seen sold on the market to trap them.

[dismalorb]

Stomatopods can be VERY aware and tricky to catch in my experience. They're very intelligent and misanthropic (doesn't trust humans). They seem to remember for a while, too.

I had a P. ciliata I was going to trade a friend of mine for the 2 havanenses I have now, and bought one of those "Mantis Pest Traps" (the ones with the plastic strips at the open end). I found that they make *excellent* Hermit Crab traps, but fail miserably when it comes to a Mantis Shrimp trap.

Do you see blue eye stocks when you look at 'em?

Good luck catching the Mantis.

[dismalorb]

Originally posted by Dunkpv
what's a "manual one" mean?

i thought it looked like a peacock when i saw it. he doesnt hang out in a rock but more so under my liverock burrowed in the sand. The second i take 1 rock out he vanishes somewhere i get him.

The manual traps have some sort of string or fishing line attached to a door on the end of the trap. They're considered "manual" because you have to sit there with the baited trap (and door lifted up) and wait for the creature to enter the trap, and then release the string to drop the door quickly and catch it.

They're very tedious, but work sometimes for fish (maybe a mantis as well if it doesn't shatter the trap with a good whack).

[Conductive]

The inverted soda bottle worked great for me, super easy too. I think the key is that mantis has to be hungry enough to overcome its suspicions of the new unnatural object.

[Dunkpv]

Originally posted by icy1155
Have you tried the inverted soda bottle trick yet? That actually seems to be more effective than anything that I have seen sold on the market to trap them.

what is the inverted soda bottle trick? i cant find a link to it.

the mantis eye stocks are very blue yes.

[dismalorb]

Originally posted by Dunkpv
what is the inverted soda bottle trick? i cant find a link to it.

the mantis eye stocks are very blue yes.

Here are some links to DIY fish traps:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...ight=fish+trap

http://www.thekrib.com/TankHardware/trap.html

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...sh+trap+bottle

[Sharkbait74]

I had recently bought 3 x 10lbs pieces of pourous liverock about a month or so ago. I recently heard 'clicking' coming from my tank... and also noticed some crab claws laying on my sandbed (I'm talking claws from a nickle - quarter sized mithrax). Having had a Pistol Shrimp in the past, I figured I had a Pistol Shrimp hitchiker with a few Mithrax. Yesterday morning, spotted two gold eyes peering out at me on a dark greenish/blue body... about 2" long... Mantis Shrimp for sure!

I have several hermits in this reeftank in addition to some small YellowHeaded Jawfish... figured the Mantis Shrimp has got to go. I do realize how lucky I am, as the Mantis stayed in the hole within the liverock piece at the front corner of the tank. Was able to use a piece of glass (from top of tank) to section off about a square foot of tank space so he had nowhere to go. Picked up the liverock and placed in a bucket with about 3" of tankwater and out he popped. Mantis Shrimp caught in 1min 40seconds. Do I get a prize??

Anyhow, I didn't want to kill the little guy... nor did i want to experiment with him and my 2ft long Snowflake Moray in the other tank. Turned him into the local fish store (the guy LOVES mantis shrimp) in exchange for a $19 large Hawaiian Feather Duster.

So glad I didn't have to resort to trying to trap him...