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Derek's 225g - Magnifica / SPS Reef

Have had my mantis in the tank now since Day 1 (so nearly a year) and felt like he was well behaved the entire time.

However, I have started finding freshly killed snails, sometimes with smashed shells. Dang it! Decided to try and catch him with a bottle trap to move him to the sump, no luck last night…using shrimp as bait. Should I put fresh bait in each night?
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derek_SR said:
Have had my mantis in the tank now since Day 1 (so nearly a year) and felt like he was well behaved the entire time.

However, I have started finding freshly killed snails, sometimes with smashed shells. Dang it! Decided to try and catch him with a bottle trap to move him to the sump, no luck last night…using shrimp as bait. Should I put fresh bait in each night?
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I have tried this now for at least 4 or 5 nights without any luck with a clam or masstick inside (shrimp seems to be a better idea). I caught five or so nassarius but not my mantis. I am very much interested in a different way to get him, but plan B is the to take out each rock one by one until I have him. I had planned to do this on the weekend but run out of time. Let’s come up with a proper Mantis trap, I am tired of the clicking noise.

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They live in 1 or 2 holes. Just keep watching and you’ll figure it out. You gotta remove the rock quick. Cuz they know. Mantis ain’t stupid.
Then out the rock in a separate container. Feed the container. When he comes out. Remove the rock.
They say you can put the rock in high salinity and the mantis will come out. But I never tried that.
 
Alexander1312 said:
I have tried this now for at least 4 or 5 nights without any luck with a clam or masstick inside (shrimp seems to be a better idea). I caught five or so nassarius but not my mantis. I am very much interested in a different way to get him, but plan B is the to take out each rock one by one until I have him. I had planned to do this on the weekend but run out of time. Let’s come up with a proper Mantis trap, I am tired of the clicking noise.

View attachment 54328
Click to expand...

Turkeysammich said:
They live in 1 or 2 holes. Just keep watching and you’ll figure it out. You gotta remove the rock quick. Cuz they know. Mantis ain’t stupid.
Then out the rock in a separate container. Feed the container. When he comes out. Remove the rock.
They say you can put the rock in high salinity and the mantis will come out. But I never tried that.
Click to expand...

Ugh, I don't want to resort to pulling rocks! My mantis is quite mobile - I have spotted him all over the tank. He could be anywhere at any given time. If he has a main hole I haven't found it yet.

If I am going to have to start pulling rocks out, I'm going to wait a little longer to see if there are any fish I want to pull also while I'm at it. I've always got an eye on my PBT as he gets older, for example.

Sounds like smaller mantis shrimp species only live 2-3 years? One year down...
 
I love our two mantis shrimp! Thanks again @Alexander1312 for bringing us one. It is finally coming out more and it is inhabiting multiple rocks in my wife's nem tank in our bedroom. We don't mind the clicking, but that's probably because we're weird. Lol

The species I have is Neogonodactylus wennerae. They are diurnal. I am assuming you have the same species. We have trained ours to take food from the coral feeder/baster. The one in the DT has tunnels in multiple rocks all over the tank. It has a primary territory in one region. But it will utilize the entire tank to explore and hunt. At night, normally they cover up their preferred tunnel or hole.
 
ReyDeFarts said:
I love our two mantis shrimp! Thanks again @Alexander1312 for bringing us one. It is finally coming out more and it is inhabiting multiple rocks in my wife's nem tank in our bedroom. We don't mind the clicking, but that's probably because we're weird. Lol

The species I have is Neogonodactylus wennerae. They are diurnal. I am assuming you have the same species. We have trained ours to take food from the coral feeder/baster. The one in the DT has tunnels in multiple rocks all over the tank. It has a primary territory in one region. But it will utilize the entire tank to explore and hunt. At night, normally they cover up their preferred tunnel or hole.
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I think mine is the same species, yep. And that sounds like the behavior of mine too. I don't mind the clicking at all either, I don't even hear it anymore.

But I don't like him killing $5 trochus snails!!
 
derek_SR said:
I think mine is the same species, yep. And that sounds like the behavior of mine too. I don't mind the clicking at all either, I don't even hear it anymore.

But I don't like him killing $5 trochus snails!!
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Oh damn! Mine only picks on the Nassarius snails. I have a couple with broken/crooked antenna now. They'll try and take the mysis I leave him by his entrances and he gets pissed. He's only ever wacked at the bigger Trochus to get them to leave the area. Not to kill though!
 
H2OPlayar said:
I have a bunch of baby snails in my system, and I know we had a dbtc of them from others. That is one of the big perks of the crushed coral bottom, larger snails can breed successfully.
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I am planning to start slowly adding crushed coral to my tank. I always loved the look of yours and appreciate some of the other benefits as well. You used carx media, correct?

I ordered "crushed coral" substrate online and it's really just like big sand...
 
derek_SR said:
I am planning to start slowly adding crushed coral to my tank. I always loved the look of yours and appreciate some of the other benefits as well. You used carx media, correct?

I ordered "crushed coral" substrate online and it's really just like big sand...
Click to expand...
Julian said the newer lots of Reborn are the old imported large size coral "bones" in a recent video.
 
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