Look what I found in my tank!

I was looking longingly into my tank last night, and right below a toadstool leather, the rock had a hole in it and something was moving just inside. then it came out and I saw its head! OH CRAP! Looks like a baddie. I gave the rock a fresh water dip and this is what it yielded. It must have been there since I first put my tank together because I have added no live rock since. so it must have been very very small and here is what a years yorth of growth looks like. he looks cool, too bad he is destructive. now I know what has been happening to my hermit crabs, and other shrimp, and emerald crab.

 

and some more pics.

 

and a couple more.

 

Awwww! It is so pretty! Nice colors!!!!

Sounds like you need to set up a nano species tank!!! ;D

I bet someone would be willing to buy him off ya ;D

 

OH NO....it's gonna break your glass, split your hands open, and obliterate every critter in your tank.

Just kiddin'.

It looks like a G. wennerae at first glance. They are pretty much harmless even though they can take out the occassional snail or hermit. (Actually hermits will take out more of each other and your snails than this guy ever will). However, that doesn't match the old wives tales so it doesn't make for exciting tales like, "the bloody hook hanging from the car handle". Old wives tales spread across Internet boards too.

If you have a spare tank, mantis are definately fun, quite intelligent, and rewarding.

 

Those pics make me miss my mantis even more Hopefully, you'll decide to keep it or find someone to take it off your hands. They are one of the most interesting animals I've ever kept!

 

looks nice, i dont know much about them so, lol keep it or not lol...listen to the pros like amcarrig

 

Does JohnO still have his? Its been a while but he had one.

Jay

 

i do agree that mantis are quite cool. however when they get large they can break a tank open. abot 15 years ago a friend of mine had a large 1 in a 20gal tank(about 5 inches)he would feed it crayfish, i guess it got mad 1 day and took out the side of the 20 gal tank, i was there when it happened and just before it happened we heard the tell tale snapping sound we always heard when the mantis dined on crayfish. cool creatures, but do respect them, they are not totally harmless.

 

okay ya gota tell me how this thing broke a tank open! does it like nibble at the silicone? or are you figuratively speaking?