pistol or mantis shrimp...it doesn't matter

gadfly · Mar 18, 2003

Well, whichever he is he got my little yellow gobie. I could here popping sounds every once and a while.

The gobie disappeared without a trace. Any suggestions on getting this shrimp out of the tank? It is not an overly established aquarium - so I have actually relocated the live rock to a small aq. (5gallon from a 25 gallon).

Any insight is appreciated!

Thanks.

glc · Mar 18, 2003

I have not seen one myself but I have been told that there are mantis traps. Maybe there is something in the DIY section. They did not seem real difficult to make yourself.

G.L.C

OrionGirl · Mar 19, 2003

If you know the rock the bugger is in, easiest method is to use a FW dip--just submerge the rock in a bucket of FW, making sure the FW gets into all the holes. Most of the time, they will abondon ship quickly--so have a bucket ready to catch it in.

We had one, pulled the rock, and used a baster to fill just the hole the bugger was hiding in. He leaped out, and became a snack for our lion fish (after we squished his head, just in case). Lots of people will gladly take it off your hands--they are a unique critter, when kept away from others, anyway.

gadfly · Mar 19, 2003

Thanks for the tip. Bugger is right! I basically tried that last night. The only problem is that he seems very elusive. I may try it again. I am wondering if he buried himself in the substrate?

Cheers.

OrionGirl · Mar 19, 2003

Just another little tip--I wouldn't get one of the ttraps. Mantis shrimps are VERY birght, and if you don't catch it the first time around, it will figure out the trap and it will not work.
However, any other inverts in the system--such as sally light foot crabs, ect--will get caught. The commercial traps will damage other inverts.

I doubt that it is in the substrate. They like a tunnel, and if they can't find a tunnel, then any crevice or crack will do. We actually had one end up in the overflow box, so make sure you check the entire system, no matter how unlikely it may be that the shrimp would make it through.

Boogiechillin · Mar 19, 2003

It would have to be an awful big pistol shrimp and a real tiny goby for a pistol to have been responsible for the loss. I've had a couple pistols in my tank that hitchhiked in...they pop off for a while each night, but they've never done any damage.

gadfly · Mar 25, 2003

Perhaps you are right. I could swear there was popping eminating from the tank. What I did find was a small crab with large claws (relative to his 3/4 inch size). He was hiding in a rock that has parazoanthus gracilus growing on it. If it is a shrimp - it is a very crab-like shrimp. The dead gobie showed up, uneaten, and next to the crab's cave.

Yes, the clown gobie was very small - probably 1 inch or slightly more.

Thanks for your input. I will keep you posted!

jonesylad · Mar 27, 2003

Mantis Shrimps can bash into the rock with their front feet making holes for themselves and that could be the noise but the crab could be your murderer.
I have one in my tank and it seems to like very expensive food.
If you find a way other than luck to catch it then let me know, Ive been stalking mine for weeks!!!

Gareth

gadfly · Mar 27, 2003

Well, actually I did catch the crab after a ridiculous amount of effort. I was watching a rock that I suspected he was in and I saw his claw scrapping the outside of the rock. I took the rock and dipped it in freshwater (reluctantly, since it had the polyps on it). That didn't work, so I prepared a small batch of water with a very high amount of salt in it and dipped the rock in it for probably 30-40 seconds? (Perhaps a little longer)

When I flipped the rock over the crab was on the outside - nearly paralyzed. I put him in a small aquarium I prepared for him and then returned the live rock to the main aquarium. That was it - the polyps suffered a bit, but seem to be recovering.

Cheers.


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pistol or mantis shrimp...it doesn't matter

gadfly

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glc

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OrionGirl

No freelancing!

gadfly

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OrionGirl

No freelancing!

Boogiechillin

It's ok, I confuse my students too.

gadfly

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jonesylad

Registered Member

gadfly

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