Which way is safest?

[Reefing102]

So I have a relatively new acan rescue frag. Upon further observation, I found what appears to be a baby mantis hitchhiker bored into the base of the acan in the skeleton between the frag and plug. I tried popping the frag off with my fingers and couldn’t get it off. I want to neither kill the frag or the hitchhiker.
So is it safer to try to remove the frag from the plug? And if so how?
Or is there a safe way to flush the little cave without killing the coral but getting it to come out?
It only comes out about 1/2 way at max and hides instantly when I put any light on him

 

[Ro Bow]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

 

[Reefing102]

Here’s the best pic I could get. You can see his eyes glowing from the flash next to the red duster
For size reference, the acan is about thumbnail size

 

[Reefing102]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

Thanks! Still getting to know who the experts are on this forum

 

[Ro Bow]

Here’s the best pic I could get. You can see his eyes glowing from the flash next to the red duster
For size reference, the acan is about thumbnail size

gently brush it off with a toothbrush?

 

[Reefing102]

gently brush it off with a toothbrush?

I could try that. Not sure if it would just hide in its cave more or not

I also though maybe putting the frag in a bowl and feeding some pellets away from the frag to see if it draws him out

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like the housing for a vermetid snail. simply place a dab of Gel super glue from the dollar store into/over the opening and problem solved

 

[Timfish]

My guess would be a 'pod. Some common ones in aquaria can be 1/2" - 5/8" long.

 

[Reefing102]

Looks like the housing for a vermetid snail. simply place a dab of Gel super glue from the dollar store into/over the opening and problem solved

Sorry, I know it’s a poor quality pic…IPhone 6S zoomed all the way in with flash, but definitely not a vermetid.

My guess would be a 'pod. Some common ones in aquaria can be 1/2" - 5/8" long.

Hmm, could be. It just hasn’t moved from this cave for the past week or so and I didn’t think pods were that stationary if that makes sense

 

[Timfish]

. . . Hmm, could be. It just hasn’t moved from this cave for the past week or so and I didn’t think pods were that stationary if that makes sense

Seems a reasonable assumption. Is it possible there are several, are you sure you're seeing the same one?