mantis shrimp

[jonrath]

I am about 10 weeks into my first salt water tank. 90 gallon and about 150 lbs of love rock.  So far just 2 clowns and 3 cleaner shrimp plus various snails and about 20 hermits in the tank.  I also have some xenia, zoas and a toadstool leather.  Everything seems to be doing well.  My problem/question is that I am still finding hitchhikers on the liverock and tonight I saw about a 1-2 inch mantis shrimp hiding in a rock at the bottom of a pile or LR.  So far I have caught and removed 5 xanthid crabs and 1 small mantis.   There is also another small dime sized crab I have been unable to remove.    My question is about the Mantis, how important is it to get it out of the tank.  I would literally have to tank everything apart to remove the rock it is hiding out in. Will it kill my fish and or cleaner shrimp? Is it just urban legend that they can break the glass?

If it is critical that I get it out I can take everything apart and do it, or can I just wait and see it is an issue and do you think it may come out and be easier to catch at some other point?

[dan2x38]

There are a lot different mantis shrimps. That means different sizes but far as I know still just as aggressive and will kill whatever it can. They can break glass but you've a 90g that is pretty thick glass but like I said they come in different sizes. I've read of foot long ones. Me I would move everything and get him out plus the crab at the same time. Better now than later! Plus why risk it?

There are plenty of folks out there that will take him and the crab off your hands too. Maybe can change him for a credit at an LFS? Watch it no wife's tale or urban legend on them being called thumb splitters. I heard a small one snap the glass at Aqua Valley you could hear it through the entire store - it was in it's own small holding tank. It was a small one so it didn't break anything but it would have hurt I am certain of that.

[Mike536]

Your right on the clicking. I had one in my tank a few years ago. I got him out but not before he killed all the crabs and snails in my tank. The only way I found him was he came out and sat on the back of his next victim. There was a snail on the back wall and he came out from the rock and onto his shell. I was going to grab onto him with my hand because I had no idea what he was. Thank God I never. He would have done some real dammage. I got a net and scooped him out. I had a QT and I put him in there. They are really cool to look at. Mine was royal blue. I think he was a smasher. I can't remember now. 

[Hookup]

never had one.. heard from Az some stories of them doing damage to people and glass though... enough to scare me away...  I'd throw it into a sump for fun, but I wouldn't want it to starve either...

dan brings a good point up.. there are likely many different variaties... so maybe some are better than others?

One thing, I did see a video on these guys and they ahve some pretty incredible vision... way, way, way beyond what we have... if I recall they see infra-red and UV and the regular color spectrum all at the same time...  they are a really advanced critter... or at least the species that I saw on the video was anyhow...

[Hookup]

article link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513210456.htm

didn't find the video.. but still... pretty cool.

[dan2x38]

Very cool HookUp... they could lead to new video display one article mentioned.

check these out:

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Malaysia/East/Sabah/Sandakan/photo305173.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkv_30niM_A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezRCQZgVEec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV9z5e1r2KM

[jonrath]

Got that one out and then another one this weekend, have removed 3 so far and then tonight I was watching the tank and another little bugger came out of the rocks for a minute or 2 and then disappeared.  SO far that is 5 crabs and  4 mantis hitchhikers o the live rocks.  The only way I seem to be able to get them out is to remove the rock and soak it in fresh water.  Worked for one andf then last I had to take a hammer and chisle to the rock to get him out.  They are driving me crazy. I am tempted to just leave it in, but I have heard a lot of horro stories.  I do have a few number of dead hermits ( seem to be cut in half) and the occasional dead snail every few days.  Not sure what the typical rate of attrition of the CUC is normally, but I suspect it is the mantis shrimp or shrimps..  So far the fish and ckeaner shrimp are untouched.

[Cheebs]

I think it's safe to assume that your plethora of dangerous hitchhikers might be killing off some of your CUC. Now that's a lot of mantis shrimp! Hopefully that's  the last one and you're safe, good luck!

[JetJumper]

You could open your own store with all those mantis'!!!!  Thats insane the amount you have in your rock!

[Hookup]

Got that one out and then another one this weekend, have removed 3 so far and then tonight I was watching the tank and another little bugger came out of the rocks for a minute or 2 and then disappeared.  SO far that is 5 crabs and  4 mantis hitchhikers o the live rocks.  The only way I seem to be able to get them out is to remove the rock and soak it in fresh water.  Worked for one andf then last I had to take a hammer and chisle to the rock to get him out.  They are driving me crazy. I am tempted to just leave it in, but I have heard a lot of horro stories.  I do have a few number of dead hermits ( seem to be cut in half) and the occasional dead snail every few days.  Not sure what the typical rate of attrition of the CUC is normally, but I suspect it is the mantis shrimp or shrimps..  So far the fish and ckeaner shrimp are untouched.

HOLY...

Where did you get this rock from?  It sounds like it was shipped direct overnight from the ocean-floor, in mantis town, to your tank...

seriously, where'd ya get this rock... sounds uber healthy based upon critter volume...

[dan2x38]

I was watching a program on the Ocean the other night. It showed a mantis and it said they are the fastest aninmal on earth in ratio to their size. Their claw strikes as fast a .22 caliber bullet.

[az]

I think he got it from me and I did tell him that rock is fresh and there might be some hitchhikers ie mantis or red eye crab, but so many is just unusal, very unlucky for sure.

uber healtyh rock is correct!!

[Hookup]

uber healtyh rock is correct!!

No kidding.  Nice sounding stuff.   Where was it from?

[az]

No kidding.  Nice sounding stuff.   Where was it from?

Indo.

[jonrath]

yep, it was from aqua valley.  bought about 100lbs.  I didn't want to dip it and kill all the good stuff along with the bad.  The ROck is great, just the hitchhikers driving me crazy, but I will get them all out eventually, just hope they don't do too much damage in the interim. 

[Greatwhite]

Hmmm... This thread has me wanting some new live rock to toss in a QT tank and see what pops out.   it just sounds like too much fun!

[jonrath]

Got the little bugger tonight.  Found the rock he was hiding in, removed it and put it in fresh water, he came out right away.  Now in a jar. Not sure what to do with it.  The other 3 I had were killed in the process of me removing them.  Anyone want this guy?

[jonrath]

Well believe it or not, got another one tonight.  That is 5 mantis now.  Now I have 2 of them in a cooler swimming around.    Hopefully that's all of them.

[JetJumper]

wow,  you hit the mother load.