Mantis..do they molt? If so is this one ???? HELP!

I hope this is not what I think it is. First question do Mantis Shrimp molt and second is this one??? I did not buy this specimen. I found this floating in my tank!!!!!

 

I would say it is probably an amphipod molt...a good critter.

 

Mantis do indeed molt! I'm sure inwall knows better than I do but that molt does look a bit like a mantis but I'm going to guess that it's not. How big is it? If it is a mantis, I wouldn't freak out as the worst that they can do is eat your snails and hermit crabs. There is a rare story of them eating fish but like I said, it's rare. Have you heard any popping sounds coming from the tank, especially at night?

 

Are they white? When I shine a flash light in one of the rock caves I see something white move real quick and I never get a good glimps of him.:-/

 

This molt is about 1/4" long, I tried to blow the picture up as big as I could. I don't want this in my tank! Any easy way to get rid of it???

 

There are several different types. But none that I would call white.
I have had a couple and they are not the monsters that most people would claim. The worst mine has ever done was to whittle down my snail population. They have to eat to survive
Do a google search for them and take half of what you read with a grain of salt.

Jim

 

It moves so fast that it may not be white and it's just a blurr I am seeing. I will try to get a picture of it soon.

 

At 1/4", I doubt that it's a mantis. I'm going to guess that it's an amphipod as was mentioned before. Our tanks are full of them

 

+1 Even though I doubt it's a mantis, they get a worse rap than they deserve

 

I can't tell from the picture. However, I highly doubt it's a mantis too. I chiming in with the others when I say I suspect an amphipod.

I'm also agreeing that mantis have become the boogeyman of reefkeeping and most of what you read about them is wrong.