i think i may have a mantis in my tank...any suggestions?

[95accord]

i hear the click....ive seen molts.....ive even spoted him a couple times....but i havent been able to snap a pics or look at him for more than 10 secs before he runs back into hiding.

about 5-8mm big....brown/beige stripes on a white/clear ish body (seems like just a baby), fast little bugger, seems like he likes to hide. he's grown significantly in the past 2 weeks or so.

should i be worried?

would night time be the best time to try and spot him?

any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Tom

[gholland]

5-8 mm sounds much too small to be a mantis. Sounds more like a gammaridean amphipod. Check out the photos at this site:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rs/index.php

Clicking could be a mantis, but it could also be snail hitting the glass, pistol shrimp, etc. Are you sure the molts aren't from a crab or one of those big pods? Most mantis are diurnal so they are much more likely to be out during the day.

Greg

[95accord]

thanks for the info. it does look like the one in Fig.4.
molts are definatly from this guy.
there is also a definate clicking sound from the tank tho.


thanks for the info. much appreciated.

[95accord]

well i stayed up last night to snap some pics.....seems like i have a dozen or so of the critters in the tank.
this is probably the best pic i got. (sorry for the poor quality.....2mp camera phone)







should i be worried?

[jonathanws]

i have a few of those, i just thought they were pods

[95accord]

from what ive just learned...they do seem like amphipods. just like gholland suggested.

thanks

[gholland]

Yeah, nothing to worry about. Those big pods actually eat algae or detritus... good inhabitants for your tank. They make GREAT food for some species of mantis though! Both my H. glyptocercus and O. latirostris would be all over those.

Now you just need to find out if the clicking is a mantis or something else. Double check to make sure a snail or other hard-shelled invert isn't just bumping the glass. Check this clip of my 2" O. latirostris thumping a rock... Gives you a good idea what a mantis might sound like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGcCnyXXgkM

Good hunting!

Greg

[95accord]

my clicking sounds a bit more high pitched.
ill keep an eye out on my snails/hermits and see if its them making the noise.
thanks again for the help!