Matis catching journey

Rick's Reviews · Dec 7, 2023

Not sure how this trap works.. I would remove cap (white) screw top as it appears to me the shrimp may walk in but it's backing out as it has nowhere else to go (the screwcap is basically a wall)

Oldreefer44 · Dec 7, 2023

works similar to small mammal traps etc. Shrimp steps on pad which trips the blocking panel. Was really easy.

STLJam · Dec 7, 2023

Removed the cap and changed out the frozen mysis. He keeps poking his little eyes out of they rock to the left...

STLJam · Dec 8, 2023

Day 3, I see him all over the tank, but still not trapped. I did go to the LFS and they recommended using krill, so we will see if they helps bait him in.

STLJam · Dec 9, 2023

Day 4... he is everywhere but in the trap...including on the trap....

STLJam · Dec 11, 2023

Day 6, he still will not go in the trap. I did put a big piece of krill at the entrance to the trap, and within 2 minutes he came out and grabbed it...

Fish Fan · Dec 12, 2023

SaltyCabbage said:
Mine eats off tweezers and would be easy to setup a net underneath and catch it when it’s focused on the food. If the bottle doesn’t work that might be worth a shot.

^I'd try this. I have an N. wennerae Mantis that I got on November 13th. and he pretty much immediately went after krill from forceps/long tweezers. Although he's still pretty reclusive and rarely, if ever, ventures fully out of the rockwork, if I wave a piece of krill with the tweezers he darts out, grabs the krill, and darts back into the rock with his catch. I would position the net near where he's hiding and leave the net alone for a while so he gets used to it. Then try baiting him with nearly anything you have on hand - a piece of krill, shrimp, clam, muscle, squid, mysis (mine takes all the above) - with the tweezers and see if you can't get him out and over the net, then in the net.

When you get a hold of him, they do make rather interesting pets, you may want to consider keeping him in his own small tank. They are very hardy, and don't require any kind of sophisticated or expensive system.

Good luck!

SaltyCabbage said:
Mysis and chunks of lrs, it took a few days for the mantis to trust the tweezers but it comes out anytime there in the tank now.

Here’s mine and it’s completely focused on the food, toss a net underneath and it basically catches itself lol.

Nice looking little guy! Mine acts very similarly, but is not as confident, and won't stay out as long. Is yours also an N. wennerae?

STLJam · Dec 15, 2023

OK, so bottle trap us not working, so I removed the trap plus Mr. Mantis seemed to dissappear for a couple of days (prob because I gave him a big piece of shrimp). I seen him again today and decided to try and tweezers feed him amd sure enough he came right out and took it off the tweezers. I think I will wait a couple of days and try to put a net down and try and net him.

Fish Fan · Dec 15, 2023

I think that’s worth a shot. Good luck!

STLJam · Dec 16, 2023

Let's GO!!!!! I GOT HIM.... I lured him out with shrimp held by tweezers then when he was interested, put the shrimp in a net and when he went for it scooped him up...

Fish Fan · Dec 16, 2023

Nice work! Looks like a cool little spud.

Stomatopods17 · Dec 16, 2023

N. Wennerae

Also be really careful holding it in that container, I've had them break out of kritter carries if thats what that is.

Hadla · Dec 16, 2023

Stomatopods17 said:
N. Wennerae

Also be really careful holding it in that container, I've had them break out of kritter carries if thats what that is.

That tiny? I could see a chiragra doing that maybe lol

Stomatopods17 · Dec 16, 2023

Hadla said:
That tiny? I could see a chiragra doing that maybe lol

Yeah, no clue how long it takes but they somehow manage it before they get sold... sometimes twice before they get sold... at that point they gave them away after some emerald crab riots.

I had an N. wennerae that was this weird pink color passed onto me after doing that... and then it did it to me again in a betta breeder and thankfully didn't attack anything.