Mantis Shrimp

[MikeP]

I was cleaning my tank before work this morning and sat down to check everything out when I was done. I saw something on the rock that didn't look right - sure enough a small mantis. I thought about leaving him in and said - naaah - since I knew the rock he was in I yanked it out of the tank and dumped it in a trashcan full of top off water. He comes shooting out and I netted him.

He's currently in a critter keeper in my sump - I have 2 'pet' mantis already. If someone local wants one for a pet let me know otherwise I'll probably advertise it on reef central.

Looks like a 1.5" grey/green spotted smasher. I am going to ask Dr. Caldwell for an exact ID first but it looks kind of like a Gonodactylus - maybe G.chiragra or G.platysoma.

[Gin_Tseng]

I want him. You have a PM.

[Chris]

:lol: If you find any hitchhiker peacock mantis' put me on your list. 8)

[MikeP]

:lol: If you find any hitchhiker peacock mantis' put me on your list. 8)

Chris any of the adults would be too big to escape detection. I have known people to get juveniles on indo pac live rock - they are a bright yellow orange miniature of the adult form.

Gin - Let me get a positive ID on him and assuming he's not one of a kind or whatever you can come pick him up sometime this week - I live in north austin.

-Mike

[Gin_Tseng]

Thanks techno
PM me your number and I;ll give you a call this coming thursday or friday to pick it up

Chris,
Do you want a peacock? I will be going to houston for the day tomorrow to look around and this is where I saw my first peacock mantis for sale. I can ask for the price and can pick it up on my way back to austin on Wednesday if you want it.

[Chris]

Thanks Gin,

Don't worry about it... I plan to go to the June 7th MARSH meeting so I'll take my pick there maybe if I do find something. :grin:

Thanks for the offer though! 8)

[MikeP]

Gin - When I got home from work last night I went to pull his prison out and snap pictures and he had escaped the critter keeper! Apparently I didn't latch the lid closed and he shot out that way. He's in my sump somewhere in a pile of live rock in the skimmer chamber - I'll try and catch him tomorrow sometime.

[MikeP]

As a bonus when hunting for the mantis last night in my sump I found my missing in action horned blenny - got him last week from austin aquariums and he dissapeared. I figured he bought it after not seing him for a week. While hunting for the mantis I see something wiggling aroudn in the sump - yep the blenny had gotten into the overflow through the eggcrate and up the durso and into the sump.

[Gin_Tseng]

Glad you got the blenny out before the mantis could get to it.

I got a quick question about the mantis?
I;m going to set up a little temp. tank for him right when I get back to austin so it may go through a cycle. Do you think the little mantis is strong enough to go through a small cycle or should I just connect the temp tank to the main tank.

[Yves Nobleza]

They are really tough and I'm almost positive that they can make it through any cycle.

[MikeP]

Gin - I am going to attempt to catch him again today before work - I'll let you know.

[Gin_Tseng]

Thanks Mike
Don;t worry about rushing to catch him if you are busy as I am still setting up a tank for him right now. Just let me know when you do and i;ll be over to pick it up. :grin: