Mandarin dragonet and mantis shrimp

[shoelevy]

hi guys,

recently i dipped my zoos in freshwater cos of some fungus problem...the zoo is getting better

but that's not the crux

when i dipped the zoo, to my horror, lots of baby mantis shrimps came out.

each r bout 3mm long,i'm very sure they r mantis shrimps,no doubt about that

i decided to check on surroudning life stocks and so took out my chilli sponge that rests beside the zoo and dipped in for a short while and sure enough...baby mantis came out

then i took at a look at the amphipods in my refugium and in the refugium i also found baby mantis.........

after some investigations, i'm pretty sure they were introduced with a coral and not because there's an adult in the main tank (there's no crack sound ma)

i consulted the lfs uncles and they said hawkfishes would do the job but i have cleaner shrimps that i would like to continue keeping so that's out

my question (after such a lengthy essay hope u guys dun mind) is would mandarin dragonets with diet for pods eat those small baby mantis?

if not what ideas do you guys haf for ridding those pests?

[Jimng]

You can try a six line wrasse, the mandarin cant take them out....

my cleaner shrimps, sps crab and hermit crabs are still around after introducing the six line wrasse, but make sure you do not have other wrasse, they will stress and kill one another. - Jim

[Lin]

u cfm itz matis ar? i got one new colony that has krill in them and yet i dint noe.... it was when i saw my cleaner dip his claw into the gap and pull them out.. it was kinda like transparent krill like shrimp.. my cleaner ate it anyway and it was then i noe theres a few in there.. no such idea of mandarine eating mantis eh... their diet mainly on pods eh.. juz my 2cents..

[shoelevy]

i'm positive they're mantis

after they bail from the zoo and dead in my basin, i took them up and examined them...i even pulled their pincers to be sure and its very clear they r mantis

jimng...where did u read that they eat mantis?...i'm interested in reading the article u read

Lin..u noe if the cleaners eat mantis babies?

[KingFish]

Do they look like this?

[shoelevy]

yeah...sth like that except the lower half of the body i tink is longer in proportion than the one in the photo

[shoelevy]

no comments guys?

[shoelevy]

guys...can dottybacks do the job of eating the babies up?

[KingFish]

Odds are they are Gammarids, or otherwise commonly known as Amphipods.

Perhaps you can catch some of these critters and take a picture for better verification.

Dottybacks are not a good idea unless you can make do without ornamental shrimps.

[shoelevy]

bro rumor

i've tried taking a picture but they're jus too small....my camera can't focus when i zoom in to take

any wae, i went searching on the net for photos of gammarids and from wat the internet shows, i'm pretty sure what i have are different from gammarids

proportionally speaking, although both haf sth like claws, gammarids look short and plump but what i haf r very very mantis like...that means long and slim

roger on the dotty back

[mUAr_cHEe]

bro rumor

i've tried taking a picture but they're jus too small....my camera can't focus when i zoom in to take

any wae, i went searching on the net for photos of gammarids and from wat the internet shows, i'm pretty sure what i have are different from gammarids

proportionally speaking, although both haf sth like claws, gammarids look short and plump but what i haf r very very mantis like...that means long and slim

roger on the dotty back

u free tonight or tomorrow?? i come over with my DC...

help u ID... if not... then at least we can post pic....

[shoelevy]

oh ya

i'm free

wat time u wanna come?

u either pm me or contact me at 91697799

[toetoe]

hay bro, mind if u pass me some of those mantis babes?

Trying to set up a mantis tank using my 2ft tank.

[mUAr_cHEe]

its not mantis babies....

juz pods like wad rumour posted....

btw... for mantis... can try reborn... they do bring in some peacock mantis once in a while...

[shoelevy]

muar chee came over and said its not mantis

borinz came over sae it is

but since muar chee kept mantis before, i'll leave them alone believing wat muar chee said

case close