oooo! one more live rock curing question. mantis clicks?

[fungia]

ok, so they are curing in a tube and i hear some clicks. i think mantis right? so how do i find out and how do i get it out?

i didnt realize this was one of the good things about curing in a tub but it is a big big bonus benefit i am happy i did it this way and i would recomend it to everyone.

 

[Anonymous]

You can't be sure unless you actually see it came out. Piston shrimp have similar sound, and you may want to see if you can find the descriptions that distinguish them apart.

 

[Len]

Sometimes the distincition can be made between pistol and mantis by the number and sequences of clicks. Usually, pistols click once or twice in random patterns whereas pistols fire a volley of clicks, 3 or more in rapid succession.

I've got three ideas. One is basically listening and finding the rock where the mantis is snapping from, remove it, and rinse it with soda water which will drive the sucker out. Another is to remove most of the water from the tub and use a spray bar to rinse it and keep the rocks moist The critters will all settle at the bottom, making it somewhat easier to locate and remove. Third is to use a trap. THere are commercial traps available from most vendors. Sometimes a 2 liter bottle with bait inside is good enough. Or some people say they put fresh food in nylon stockings. Mantis/crabs go to it only to be entangled in the mesh.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

Huh, Len? Which do what? That's a somewhat confusing explanation, my friend.

...pistols click once or twice in random patterns whereas pistols fire a volley of clicks, 3 or more in rapid succession.

 

[Anonymous]

I would find the rock he's in then drop it in your top off water / RO/DI - worked for me and the little bugger came flying out and was easily netted!

The only problem is I put him in a critter keeper and placed it in the sump till I could find him a home and he made a jailbreak and is on the loose again amongst the 30 or so pounds of rock in my sump

 

[Anonymous]

Ok, one really big difference between mantis shrimps and pistol shrimps is mantis shrimps are CRAFTY! Pistol shrim are not.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok, one really big difference between mantis shrimps and pistol shrimps is mantis shrimps are CRAFTY! Pistol shrim are not.

My mantis is staring at me right now (tank is sitting on my desk) yeah they seem pretty 'smart' for a bug

 

[tazdevil]

Sometimes the distincition can be made between pistol and mantis by the number and sequences of clicks. Usually, pistols click once or twice in random patterns whereas pistols fire a volley of clicks, 3 or more in rapid succession.

I believe Len ment-pistols fire a volley of clicks, in organized patterns. Mantis's are much more random-they're not using the clicks for signalling. Try watching the tank at night with a small maglite with a red filter on it (redlight at night tends not to scare things back in their holes). You'll definetly know if it's a mantis when you see it, nothing else looks like a millipede with a pair of periscope eyes. If it is a mantis, handle with caution, they're not called "thumbsplitters" for nothing.