Operation "Get Mantis"

sir_bazz · 16th July 2012, 5:31 PM

OK....this is war.

Over the past 3 months we've lost 3 x coral gobies to our hitchhiker mantis shrimp and just today one of our Yellow Tail Damsels fell foul to menacing claws of this foul beast.

Enough is finally enough and it's time to put an end to this mofo's underwater reign of terror.

Will start with the home made bottle trap and see how that goes for starters. Updates to come....

Arch-Angel · 16th July 2012, 5:53 PM

Lol! That sucks, but lol!

Are these buggers able to break aquarium glass or something?

CacTuar · 16th July 2012, 6:01 PM

That is a beautiful looking mantis shrimp. It would be a shame to kill it off. The one in my tank is a drab brown colour and only about 5 cm long.
Mantis shrimp get a bad rap for killing fish. Are you positive it's the culprit?

sir_bazz · 16th July 2012, 6:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CacTuar

That is a beautiful looking mantis shrimp. It would be a shame to kill it off. The one in my tank is a drab brown colour and only about 5 cm long.
Mantis shrimp get a bad rap for killing fish. Are you positive it's the culprit?

Yeah the photo is a little misleading. The pic is the remains of the yellow tail damsel which had been dragged into the rocks. We actually saw the mantis chewing on it a few minutes before hand.

The mantis shrimp who has been doing the damage, (we actually have a few mantis in the tank), looks like a smithii.

Here's an older pic of the beast from hell.

Anakist · 16th July 2012, 6:49 PM

Basher or stabber?

I can't remember anymore, is there anything that eats them? Besides people in Sushi Restaurants

James

sir_bazz · 16th July 2012, 7:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anakist

Basher or stabber?

I can't remember anymore, is there anything that eats them? Besides people in Sushi Restaurants

One of the local aquariums has an octopus for sale. This would've been a great way to rid ourselves of crabs and other unwanted shrimps if we had've begun the battle with any empty tank but it's too late for that now.

"If" it's a smithii like we suspect then it's a smasher. Although it's appearance is very similar to that of a smithii we've had not problems with it attacking our clam, (which is typical of smithii's), so there's still some doubt over which species it really is.

zfind · 16th July 2012, 7:55 PM

Why didn't you launch Operation Get Mantis when the first Goby copped it?

sir_bazz · 16th July 2012, 8:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zfind

Why didn't you launch Operation Get Mantis when the first Goby copped it?

Because our daughter never cried at the loss of the coral gobies.

Daft_Munt · 16th July 2012, 8:38 PM

Good luck getting rid of them without stripping the tank down. Loverly looking creature but can be nasty.

CacTuar · 16th July 2012, 9:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anakist

Basher or stabber?

I can't remember anymore, is there anything that eats them? Besides people in Sushi Restaurants

James

If you hear several quick clicks then I think it's a basher. One click and its a stabber. I think that's how it goes.
And they are quite nice to eat, when I saw them on the menu in a sushi bar in Japan, I HAD to try it

Anakist · 16th July 2012, 9:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CacTuar

And they are quite nice to eat, when I saw them on the menu in a sushi bar in Japan, I HAD to try it

Pretty cool watching them catch them, and about 15 seconds later you are eating them!

Good luck removing the demon!

James

Oniell.au · 16th July 2012, 9:39 PM

i used a metal kebab skewer. Just waited for it to get into its cave, jammed it in and skewered the bastard

squ1shy · 17th July 2012, 7:38 AM

I thought this thread was going to be about buying a praying mantis (one of those stick insects) & I was thinking to myself how hard can that be... Just go down to the pet store =P But this is much more interesting. What ate you going to do once you catch it?

synrgy · 17th July 2012, 12:10 PM

I dont understand whats going on here - Can you just catch it with a net or something ?

Dark Passenger · 17th July 2012, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by synrgy

I dont understand whats going on here - Can you just catch it with a net or something ?

imagine trying to catch a fart in a cast net.

I feel your pain sir jazz i have 3 normal looking crabs in my nano tank that i have to try and get rid of

16th July 2012, 5:53 PM	#2
Arch-Angel Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brisbane Posts: 6,582	Lol! That sucks, but lol! Are these buggers able to break aquarium glass or something? __________________ Sight\|Unseen \| Redbubble \| Flickr \| Deviantart \| OCAU Camera Club Whatever you do, don't click HERE!

16th July 2012, 9:39 PM	#12
Oniell.au Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: NSW Posts: 348	i used a metal kebab skewer. Just waited for it to get into its cave, jammed it in and skewered the bastard __________________ - "we find the bravest among us, send them forth into unmapped darkness and pray they will return"

17th July 2012, 12:10 PM	#14
synrgy Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: sydney Posts: 183	I dont understand whats going on here - Can you just catch it with a net or something ? __________________ miniriders.com.au

16th July 2012, 6:01 PM	#3
CacTuar Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Location: Location: Posts: 300	That is a beautiful looking mantis shrimp. It would be a shame to kill it off. The one in my tank is a drab brown colour and only about 5 cm long. Mantis shrimp get a bad rap for killing fish. Are you positive it's the culprit?

16th July 2012, 7:55 PM	#7
zfind Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Helsinki Posts: 3,252	Why didn't you launch Operation Get Mantis when the first Goby copped it?

16th July 2012, 8:38 PM	#9
Daft_Munt Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Hobart, La La Land Posts: 4,937	Good luck getting rid of them without stripping the tank down. Loverly looking creature but can be nasty.

17th July 2012, 7:38 AM	#13
squ1shy Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1	I thought this thread was going to be about buying a praying mantis (one of those stick insects) & I was thinking to myself how hard can that be... Just go down to the pet store =P But this is much more interesting. What ate you going to do once you catch it?