Mantis gone???

[ThunderGoose]

About two months ago I spotted a nice hitchhiking mantis in my display tank. Saw and heard her for several weeks. I think she killed my pistol shrimp and peppermint shrimp.

But for the past two weeks no sign of her and no snapping from the tank.

Did something happen to her? I do have a big male emerald crab in the tank that I haven't managed to catch yet. How long might she hide after a molt? I know she was in the tank for six months before I spotted her. Could she be happily hiding in the rocks?

Most important, when would it be safe to replace the snapping shrimp?

 

[Jlentz]

Throw a handful of new small hermits and snails in and see what happens. Two weeks is pretty long for a molt. You never know though.

 

[reef lover]

He' going to hide through the molt and while the new she'l rehardens...takedown awhile I wouldn' give up yet...

 

[ThunderGoose]

I do hope she's just molting.

I have plenty of little hermits and snails - so far she hasn't made much of a dent in their populations.