# Oh Sh*t!! MANTIS SHRIMP!!!



## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

i got a surprise, in a bad way, last night.

i was about to glue my sunshine zoas to a bigger rock...i selected a nice piece out of my fuge and started to dry it off. as i turned it over...WHAM!!! "OWW!! WHAT THE F*CK!?!?!?!?" i look down, and there is a critter in the rock, claws bared. it jumps out of the rock and scurries/slithers across the towel.

i look at it..."wtf is that?...that has to be the biggest amphipod ive ever seen! (About 2cm)". then i think, "hmm...amphipod = food...big amphipod = happier fishies!"

so i drop the thing in. immediately i know something is horribly wrong...

"i know that swimming style..."...

"oh no..."

"F*CK!!! MANTIS SHRIMP!!!!"

luckily the stupid thing went straight into a rock, so i pulled it out and shook him out of it and into a vial. no chance in hell is that thing going back into my tank. so right now it is living in a vial, with a little chunk of live rock.

only way that this thing made it into my tank was in the few pounds of live rock i picked up a few days ago, as before then there was barely any LR rubble in my fuge, and i would have seen this thing ripping around.

needless to say, im one lucky SOB. i caught it completely by accident, but holy crap am i glad that i did!!


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

Sounds like the cooolest thing to have in a little 5-7 gallon acrylic tank with some LR...


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Yeah,set up a tank for it puff-

Or send it to me-LOL


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## sadboy (Jan 6, 2005)

From what I just read on it, sounds like you got lucky. I guess they are hard to catch but give it to someone or likes them ir set-up a small tank for it.

What color is it?
Do you have a pic.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Puff said:


> i got a surprise, in a bad way, last night.
> 
> i was about to glue my sunshine zoas to a bigger rock...i selected a nice piece out of my fuge and started to dry it off. as i turned it over...WHAM!!! "OWW!! WHAT THE F*CK!?!?!?!?" i look down, and there is a critter in the rock, claws bared. it jumps out of the rock and scurries/slithers across the towel.
> 
> ...












A few years ago I actually thought about setting up a tank for one..lol.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

does it have smasher limbs? you lucky it was small and didnt take a chunk out of your finger.

what color is it, those things are probably one of the coolest preditors they kind of remind me of "alien" but definately good it didnt set up shop in your tank and start taking out your fish..


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

ok, i totally swore that this bugger was a mantis shrimp. he moved like one, and it hurt when it clubbed me.

now ive discovered that it is in fact just a mutant sized amphipod!!

ive tracked down the species, and they usually only grow to a max of 11mm...well...this one is 20-25mm!!

seriously...something this small...those look like friggin clubs!! i swear!! the only giveaway for me is the long tentacles and smaller than usual eyes. but i totally thought it was a small mantis shrimp! it even has red stripes on it's back!


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

yeah mantis have a tail like a lobster, amphipods do have mantis like claws but ive never seen one that large, thats like the king of the pods holy crap that s huge.. ive seen large amphipod motlings in my tank but not that large..


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

I was like cool! a mantis shrimp. But luckily it wasnt. Those things are crazy killers.
If u have urself a blenny, they might make good use to that giant pod. Kinda big. 
I would have freaked out just like u did if it was really a mantis shrimp.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Chapz said:


> I was like cool! a mantis shrimp. But luckily it wasnt. Those things are crazy killers.
> If u have urself a blenny, they might make good use to that giant pod. Kinda big.
> I would have freaked out just like u did if it was really a mantis shrimp.


that pod woudl choke a mandrin
[/quote]

puff you should trans fer soem cheato and rocks from your fuge to a spereate container and see if you can breed more of thoe mutant sized pods


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

dude...i dont know what the hell is up with my tank, but i found TWO more HUGE pods today!

the impeller for my skimmer pump was making a racket, so i took it apart...chilling in there were 2 big ass pods, and about 6 smaller ones.

that first one i caught is still the biggest though. it's friggin ridiculous how big it is.lol. i just had another look at it. id definitely say it's between 18 and 22mm. i dont think it is quite 25mm.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Puff said:


> dude...i dont know what the hell is up with my tank, but i found TWO more HUGE pods today!
> 
> the impeller for my skimmer pump was making a racket, so i took it apart...chilling in there were 2 big ass pods, and about 6 smaller ones.
> 
> that first one i caught is still the biggest though. it's friggin ridiculous how big it is.lol. i just had another look at it. id definitely say it's between 18 and 22mm. i dont think it is quite 25mm.


thats great thought that you have such a health pod community going..


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

where did u buy your rock and what are you feeding the inhabitants of your tank?
Sounds like your doing a good job.
Cant wait til something else pops out that u didnt know u had in there.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

ouff did you put podzilla back in the fuge or in the tank?


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

podzilla is still in his vial...lol. i forgot him at my gfs last night...yes...he was cool enough that i had to bring it to show her!lol

but he is hangin out in the vial in a hole in the rock, and ill be adding him to the fuge (most likely) tonight when i go home. i could add him to the display tank...the fish dont go near him as he's too freakin big for them to eat. would i get more pods by keeping him in the fuge with a bit of LR and chaeto, or in the display with lots of rock..

im going to be ditching the HOB fuge for a while as i bought a tunze nano and want to see if i can pull some darker skimmate.


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