Worried about a Mantis Shrimp

[Ricko]

I am 99% sure i have a mantis after hearing the clicking noise, plus coming across a barely alive mangled pyjama wrasse. Also i am sure i got a glimpse of a 5cm exo skeleton before it disappeared into the rock.
I have approx 150kg live rock so searching for this thing over the last few weeks has turned up nothing.

How worried should i be???

I have heard these things can shatter the aquarium glass (mine is 15mm)???

I want this thing gone assuming i do actually have one!!!
STRESSING!!!!!!!

 

[micstarz]

They will NOT break your aquarium glass. Your own dad would sooner punch you in the face than your mantis would break your glass.

 

[Rockbass6]

You never see anything come out for food? The "clicking" could be your hermit crabs hitting the glass with their shells at night. If you are sure you saw an exoskeleton I would try and lure it out with foods, and have a couple nets handy and try and get him out before it darts back into your liverock. Or watch where it goes. It won't break your glass, but depending on your stock may take out a fish.

 

[Gene0514]

make one of those plastic bottle fish traps, where you invert the top of the bottle and put it into the bottom, and put a cocktail shrimp inside as bait
This worked for a lot of people

 

[Delhezi B]

x2

 

[mr.reef24]

I am 99% sure i have a mantis after hearing the clicking noise, plus coming across a barely alive mangled pyjama wrasse. Also i am sure i got a glimpse of a 5cm exo skeleton before it disappeared into the rock.
I have approx 150kg live rock so searching for this thing over the last few weeks has turned up nothing.

How worried should i be???

I have heard these things can shatter the aquarium glass (mine is 15mm)???

I want this thing gone assuming i do actually have one!!!
STRESSING!!!!!!!

My suggestion based on what I read about your discovery of the wrasse it sounds like a mantis the best suggestion is get a mantis shrimp trap put it in at night and check occasionally with a flashlight then take it to your LFS cause someone may buy it or you may get store credit for it. They can shatter glass but this is a rare occurance I only heard of it happening once and it was cause the owner was showing food and the shrimp smashed the glass open.

mr.reef24

 

[micstarz]

You never see anything come out for food? The "clicking" could be your hermit crabs hitting the glass with their shells at night. If you are sure you saw an exoskeleton I would try and lure it out with foods, and have a couple nets handy and try and get him out before it darts back into your liverock. Or watch where it goes. It won't break your glass, but depending on your stock may take out a fish.

Great thinking! Now that I think about it, the mass of hermits I keep in a breeder box to feed to my mantis shrimps also make a racket like that...

 

[Ricko]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Will definately try the trap idea as i want this thing gone!!
Also definately not hermit against glass either, real distinct clicking noise unlike anything hitting glass.

Two more questions
1) is it normal not to be able to find it even at feeding times?? Swear i've searched high and low!
2) assuming it is approx 5cm in size, how much chance is there of it breaking 15mm glass??

 

[micstarz]

Dude, I repeat. It is NEVER going to happen. Do you have the strength to beat the Pentagon open with a mallet? A 5 cm mantis shrimp will not break any glass unless you're talking about cover slips for microscope slides.

My G. glabrous, who is 3 INCHES long, hits the glass every day in an attempt to expand his burrow. Now, after 3 months of doing this, the glass is still exactly the same.

Believe me. I have four mantis shrimp and I would hold a 5cm mantis shrimp in my hand. And if you don't believe me, even Dr. Roy Caldwell says so.

 

[BIGgourami]

2) assuming it is approx 5cm in size, how much chance is there of it breaking 15mm glass??

about a 1 in 0 chance... granted that the shrimp is at LEAST 5cm.. not ONLY 5cm

still 15mm of glass is pretty hefty

+1 for the inverted bottle