Mantis shrimp removal. Help

[ReefAddict]

A month ago I got some beautiful Florida live rock. I got a bit unlucky and got an undesirable hitchhiker. I'm been trying to remove a mantis shrimp with no luck. He has killed two of my fish. Happen to walk by my tank today and caught him on top of the one of my blue reef chromis. I banged on the glass and he scurried under the rock work with the fish in his grips. Jerk!

I have tried the plastic bottle trick the last 4 nights with no luck. I been putting it outside his home and baiting it with table shrimp (catch 4-7 snails ever night.)

Removal of the rock is not possible cause he's not living in the rock. I only ever see him at the very bottom of my rock structure in the sand .

Any suggestions? I'm going to continue the plastic bottle trap, is there maybe any bait you can suggest that they love? Anything else I could try?





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[gzr918]

Buy a big moray eel

 

[mrcote1]

You could make a long spear and patiently wait for him to come out with the spear hovered over his usual hang out spot

 

[ReefAddict]

You could make a long spear and patiently wait for him to come out with the spear hovered over his usual hang out spot

I did exactly that for an hour today. Had a wooden kabob with a piece of shrimp on it. Finally got him to come out and I missed my stab just barely to the left. Will try again but he's smart not sure he falls for things twice.


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[mrcote1]

Thats frustrating. I know your pain. I spent many hours with my last reef tank trying to remove problematic damsels that could not be caught in a net, or bottle, or stabbed with a spear for about a week. So I drained every bit of water out of the tank into many 20 gallon tubs and removed them finally. But im not sure that method would work for a shrimp. You may be stuck spending a few hours with your spear hovering over your tank! Good luck with it!

 

[luu78]

If its a crusher type, they love crushing the snails and eat them. Maybe get periwinkles at the Asian market by the lb for a couple bucks and place several at a time in a contraption nearby his hideout at the sandbed. He will most likely go for them. Good luck!


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[luu78]

They should last several days at the bottom


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[dilligaf29]

make him a home out of pvc and when he is hidding inside pull it out make sure u leave long piece almost at ur surface to grab it fast

 

[ReefAddict]

Got him not the way I wanted to. Put shrimp on a kabob and while he was eating stuck him. He ran in the hole. Haven't seen him since. I'd say 90% he's dead. Haven't seen him in 4 days. We will see


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[mrcote1]

Wow youve still been trying to get him all this time! Well I hope your headaches are over! Have you been waiting with the kabob for him daily?

 

[ReefAddict]

Wow youve still been trying to get him all this time! Well I hope your headaches are over! Have you been waiting with the kabob for him daily?

Yeah finally got him. My second session took some time but I stuck him. He did go back in the hole but I have not seen him since.


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[jamesdong009]

If he's still sticking around and if you can isolate the rock, try removing it and pour some soda water over it. They'll usually scurry out of the rocks after that.

 

[ReefAddict]

If he's still sticking around and if you can isolate the rock, try removing it and pour some soda water over it. They'll usually scurry out of the rocks after that.

Yes he survived my attempts at kabob-ing him. Last week I spent a good two hours pulling rock out my system. Finally got the rock he was in and used seltzer water to drop him out.

He's now in a 10 gallon species only tank at my friends house. He's having a ball with him.

Interesting critter no doubt.


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