Forums

[Wrassman]

I am attaching a picture of a Mantis. This is a mantis named Maddy. She is a Neogonodactylus sp. She lives in a 10g tank in my office. I've had her about 8 months. She killed two fish before I caught her.

As has been stated, usually the first sign of a mantis is a "clicking" or a "popping" sound coming from your aquarium. The first few times you might just ignore it or shrug it off. The first time you lose a critter though, you remember, Oh Yeah. Another sign of a mantis is a live rock with debris around it. This could be shells, bones, or just detritus. If you notice it continuing to pile up, you could have a mantis.

Not all mantis shrimp make "popping" sounds. There are two types: smashers (that make the popping sounds) and spearers. The smashers grow enlarged deposits of calcium on their forlegs, making them look something like baseball bats. They can strike with these "bats" with equivalent pressure of a .22 caliber bullet.

There are numerous ways to catch mantis shrimp. And most of you want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Try to remember though, they didn't choose to be in your tank. They exist in the reef environment, living their lives and performing a function in the reef, just like crabs, triggerfish, and other predator type critters. I know if they had been given a choice to stay in the reef or be forced to live in your aquarium, they would have chosen to stay in the reef.

All I'm advocating is that we be conscientious reef-keepers. Don't just kill something because you are "mad" at it. And don't torture something, because it "wronged" you in some way. It is, after all, an invert.

The best way to kill them, after you have caught them, is by freezing. Put the container which has the mantis in it in your freezer for an hour or so and the mantis will be dead. This is the most humane way of killing any fish or critter that must be put down.

Ok, here's a pic of my Maddy. I'm going to try to get a better one this weekend. This one is about 6 weeks old. She is about 3.5-4" long now. I will NOT put my hands into the tank. She is quite an intimidating little beastie.