Finally Found the MANTIS!!!

[Reefer420]

Alright guys - guess what? I FINALLY found that stupid Mantis shrimp that was in my 16g.. For over a year it was a plague to my tank - eating everything in sight, killing fish, hermits, snails, etc. It grew to about 4 inches long and really made me :letitallo

I tried everything - fighting it with long tweezers, trapping it, even taking the rock out when I moved and dunking it in fresh water for a min. :smash:

Nothing got it to come out - and I thought it was dead - but last night I heard it again :arg: and knew I had to do something before I got my new shipment of hermits and snails...

So today I took apart my tank - and took the rock I knew it was hiding in to the tub... then I took a hammer and chisel and broke the rock apart!!!


In the dead center of the rock was the mantis!!! Dead at the time - but I know he was alive before the smashing started...

So my tank is finally mantis -free after a year long battle! Now I can enjoy my tank again as I will have new fish coming soon.

Will post pics soon of the mantis, and hopefully give a new update of my tank :yeah:

 

[KathyC]

Congrats on finally getting rid of your mantis!

I saw one in a store last week that was for sale..what a repulsive looking creature !! Yuck!

 

[inline6]

Awesome job Ryan!
Now you can eventually sit back and enjoy reffing again.

 

[LeslieS]

Congratulations!!

 

[noodleman]

was this the same mantis i wanted so very long ago if you got it out alive :lol2:

 

[DEEPWATER]

where is the pic ,,and congrats

Now get a 10 gal tank and keep that bad boy ,it made so much trouble and kept you on your toes for a yr ,it desrve a tank of its own :lol2:

 

[Pedro]

Ronen, it's dead homie, read above. I would still like to see pics though.

 

[dylanjs]

I have one if someone is looking for a "pet." If you can find my tormentor and remove it, it's yours!

 

[dylanjs]

And congrats! (I'm very jealous!!)

 

[Manny]

I have one if someone is looking for a "pet." If you can find my tormentor and remove it, it's yours!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1049861

good luck

 

[jhale]

RIP mantis shrimp

 

[Henrye]

Wow, congrats! first time I ever heard of breaking up the rock to get at one.

 

[Reefer420]

thanks

I didn't mean to kill the guy - would have given him away if I could have - but he was dead by the time I smashed into the rock!

He was in the dead center - I have no idea how he was able to squeeze his body in there! I tried the soda water trick before I smashed the rock open - didn't get anything to come out of the rock so I guess it doesn't irritate them enough.

well I am happy again - now my tank can come back to life - it's had a rough few weeks with the move and now this!

 

[nanoreefer22]

It's about time RubberBand Ball man!!!!! Go have some drinks on yourself :teeth:

 

[Gisela]

Hi. What's a mantis shrimp? Is this something to look out for?

 

[Reefer420]

You can check this site..

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/arthropoda/stomatopods/mantisshrimp.htm

 

[scarf_ace1981]

KILLER! :lol:

you should have just sold the rock w/ the mantis. you would have made enough cash to buy another rock. :wink1:

 

[yiliyang]

dylanjs:

Hello. If you ever catch it, could I have it?

BTW I checked out your tank photos, it looks stunning.

Yili

 

[Noodus]

RIP mantis...

 

[Reefer420]

As much as I hated him - I kind of miss the daily battles with him

Sort of a love/hate relationship - like if the Joker were to die suddenly - I bet Batman would feel a little twinge of sadness at his passing...

I'm sure I will get over it quick enough though LOL...