What the heck is in my tank??

[Yazoo1970]

I added about 20 lbs of live rock to the tank last week and i guess i had a hitcher on the live rock it almost looks like a small squid but is very fast and keeps hiding in the lr i tried to take a picture but no luck yet i will keep trying. I tell you one thing it loves the brine shrimp i put in there it flies out of the lr grabs a bite and flies back in. Its about an inch and a half long about half an inch thick. Anybody have any ideas what would have survived in my car in GA heat for about 2 hours with no water from the lfs??

 

[1979camaro]

mantis shrimp maybe?

 

[Yazoo1970]

It doesn't look like the pics of a mantis shrimp i have seen but maybe i am still trying to catch a picture of it but i guess it is not hungry anymore

 

[S.Reef]

Could be a pistol shrimp.

 

[Yazoo1970]

He came out and i didn't have my camara dang it. but it is either a mantis or pistol shrimp how do i tell the difference they look so much alike in the pictures i see of them and from what i read if it is a mantis shrimp i need to get it out of there is that true?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

Big enough mantis shrimp will probably pray on your snails and inverts...your fingers too. Pretty scary hunter..

 

[Yazoo1970]

How big do they get this one is about an inch and a half long about a half an inch thick I am shocked it lived out of the water and in the heat for over 2 hours but it had to come with this last batch of live rock they must be hardy

 

[1979camaro]

it depends on the kind it is...could be done growing, might get 8in. usually the small ones are imported as hitchikers so i doubt it will get over 2in. I have had a mantis in my tank since Aug 04 and it hasnt been a problem. As far as whether it is a manits or a pistol, if its really fast and tracks things visually it is undoubtably a mantis

 

[Yazoo1970]

It is real fast and when i put the brine shrimp in the tank it darts out very fast snatches one and flies back into the rock i am glad to hear it could be ok because i don't think there is a chance of catching him with all the live rock thats in my tank hopefully he is the small type

 

[1979camaro]

you can make a trap...one reputably reliable method is to cut the top off of a small soda bottle where the neck flattens out and invert it in the bottle. then put a little bait at the bottom. the mantis should climb in but not be able to get out. if it is as voracious as you describe it might work very well for you


here is one example:
http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/DIY/diyMantisTrap.shtml

 

[KahluaZzZ]

if you can, put some sand or something into the bottle to help it sink..

 

[1979camaro]

when its full of water it will sink no problem