Attack of the Smart, Evil Mantis Shrimp!

[as40]

Hello once again, everyone.

Some of you may remember my prior post regarding an unwanted mantis shrimp in my tank, and how I successfully removed it:

(http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=29911).

Well, the peace I felt upon it's removal from my tank has been shattered, and the aquatic world once again is an unsafe place. :mad2

When I came home from work yesterday I looked into my tank and saw two evil metallic eyes staring back at me inquisitively from a crack in two rocks, to be followed by the form of a mantis several moments later.

When I saw this, my heart stopped for a moment. I calmly walked into the other room and looked into a goldfish bowl, where the mantis I had caught has been held as prisoner in solitary confinement. Sure enough, it was still there, and looked at me expecting food. I then walked back into the first room and looked again into the aquarium, where the newly discovered second mantis shrimp happily looked back at me and then disappeared into the rockwork.

What are the chances that on 20 pounds of very well inspected TBS rock I'd get a mantis, let alone two of them? Who knows now how many actually came in on the rock? Needless to say I am very concerned now also at the thought of them somehow having mated while in my tank. It's a nightmare of mine, thinking that little mantis babies could be forming somewhere in the dark recesses of the rocks, awaiting their time when havoc and chaos would be unleashed in their little world.

When I lost a cleaner shrimp I'd had almost from the start a short while ago it was a mystery as to why it had died. All my water parameters were fine, and the shrimp was young, healthy and active the day before. Now the mystery is lessened.

I believe he was murdered.

By a very different kind of shrimp.

Another smart, evil little mantis.

 

[becky_e]

Oh man, that's the worse luck. I hope this one won't be so hard to get.

 

[Makaiveli]

-

Careful of your fingers. From what I've heard, they can cut like a knife. Rumor has it a diver had a finger chopped off, and they have reportedly broken glass tanks.

 

[Tyler718]

Sorry to hear this. I thought I had a second also, but I discovered that it was a pistol that I decided to just leave alone for the time being. But everytime I hear him pop his claw I get the thought that it is another mantis.

 

[mogurnda]

Don't worry about them breeding. The larvae wouldn't survive in the tank.

That is pretty incredible, though, to end up with two. I'll be getting some more TBS rock in a month or so, and hope to have better luck.

 

[benjen]

On Reef Central, a few posters seemed to indicate that during a certain time of the year, TBS rock is filled with mantis shrimp. I'm guessing that it would be around the time that the mantises tend to reproduce the most.

 

[as40]

Thanks for the responses...

That's reassuring to note that they can't reproduce in my tank...

That's also interesting to know about TBS and purchasing at certain times of the year... Eventually (although this is a few years down the road) my goal is to get a 400 gallon reef setup going, and I shudder to think if I ordered all the rock from TBS what that'd be like if it were during mantis season!

Now just to find out how many exactly I have, and catch them all!

This second one never shows itself; I only saw it that one time. I'll probably have to wait until it gets larger and starts asserting itself more, although in the meantime I'm going to try and devise some traps.

 

[benjen]

For your 400 gallon...

Consider curing the rock for a month with 1-2 snowflake eels or ghost eels to prey upon the crustaceans on it? I think they are considered safe for corals, but will eat any mantises, crabs, etc. If you see something you want to save, pull it out and move it to another tank.

That was one of the mantis innoculation methods I've read.

 

[as40]

Hmm... I'd never heard that!

That's a good idea (I think). I'd just have to find a home for the eels after they did their work. Probably just return them to the store I got them at, hopefully would get some credit. I imagine if you waited long enough (maybe a couple of months) any hairy crabs or mantises left that weren't eaten would starve if you weren't feeding them anything.

I'll have to do a lot more research and be on the SW side of things for quite a while longer before I get that tank though.

Looking forward to that time.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[mogurnda]

I had thought of using a trigger, but an eel might be less destructive. I'd be bummed if it ate all the porcelain crabs, though.