Purple reef lobster idea trap?

[merlberg]

Hey All,

So i have a purple reef lobster that killed 2 of my fish and a shrimp. Since I put the lobster in a few weeks ago I havent seen it ever, even at night. I moved all my rocks to look for this lobster and still couldnt find it.

Im willing to do anything at this point to try to grt it out but i need some trap ideas please. Im desperate because I do not want to loose anything else :/. I will try anything!!!!

 

[Roboson]

Purple lobsters are so cool! Sorry yours is a rogue agent. Here's one way to catch it:

Soak some meaty food (raw shrimp or fish) in garlic. Cut a 2 liter in half horizontally. Take the top of the bottle and cut off the top so there's a hole big enough for the lobster to get in. Place that like a funnel into the second half of the bottle. Wedge it in there so it's secure. Place the bait in there and wait. Eventually he will get hungry and will be able to find his way in, but not his way out. If you have any other shrimp in the tank, this may trap them instead or in addition to, so be careful.

Then when it's trapped you put it in your sump or send it to someone [emoji6]

It's the same basic principle as a mantis shrimp trap.

 

[merlberg]

Purple lobsters are so cool! Sorry yours is a rogue agent. Here's one way to catch it:

Soak some meaty food (raw shrimp or fish) in garlic. Cut a 2 liter in half horizontally. Take the top of the bottle and cut off the top so there's a hole big enough for the lobster to get in. Place that like a funnel into the second half of the bottle. Wedge it in there so it's secure. Place the bait in there and wait. Eventually he will get hungry and will be able to find his way in, but not his way out. If you have any other shrimp in the tank, this may trap them instead or in addition to, so be careful.

Then when it's trapped you put it in your sump or send it to someone [emoji6]

It's the same basic principle as a mantis shrimp trap.

This is def. worth a try... I think I pretty much get the jist of it but 1 question is when i put the top half of the bottle tht im cutting so he can get into to place in the 2nd part (bottom part) wont the 2nd half be too wide for it to stick together? I will for sure try it tom. Night to see what happens. Thank you!

 

[Roboson]

You need a straight bottle. For small mantis shrimp you can use a basic old water bottle for this. I'm assuming your lobster is a little larger. If you don't have one that you can get wedged in, you can always use hot glue or super glue. Look up DIY mantis trap on YouTube for an example.

 

[merlberg]

You need a straight bottle. For small mantis shrimp you can use a basic old water bottle for this. I'm assuming your lobster is a little larger. If you don't have one that you can get wedged in, you can always use hot glue or super glue. Look up DIY mantis trap on YouTube for an example.

Ok thank you

 

[Roboson]

Did you try and trap it last night?

 

[merlberg]

Did you try and trap it last night?

Im doing it now as we speak lol

 

[merlberg]

Did you try and trap it last night?

Pray for me and tht it catches it within this week ... But i guess ill take it out during the day cuz of the food right and only leave it in at night?!

 

[Roboson]

I don't know if purple lobsters are nocturnal off the top of my head. If it is most active at night, feed it then. If most active during the day, try it then.

What do you plan on doing with it after you catch it?

 

[merlberg]

I don't know if purple lobsters are nocturnal off the top of my head. If it is most active at night, feed it then. If most active during the day, try it then.

What do you plan on doing with it after you catch it?

So guess what!!! I went to the gym just for an hr came back and the food is gone [emoji30][emoji30][emoji30] but i knw it was one of my greedy fish tht took it smh so ill have to try again tomorrow and stay in front of the tank this time for a few just to make sure its not my fish... Im so mad it didnt work this time ughhh

And hopefully i eventally catch it i will give it to my lfs

 

[Broadfield]

So i have a purple reef lobster that killed 2 of my fish and a shrimp. Since I put the lobster in a few weeks ago I havent seen it ever, even at night.

So if you have never seen it, what leads you to believe that it's to blame for the death of your fish and shrimp? Just curious.

 

[merlberg]

So if you have never seen it, what leads you to believe that it's to blame for the death of your fish and shrimp? Just curious.

Yes i've never seen it but from what I read thts pretty normal i guess I just dnt get why I dnt see it at night niether but ive read frm others tht they havent see there lobster in months thinking it was dead n out of no where it popped out.

Its the only thing i can think of i newly put in there tht can possibly attack my fish... Ive had both of those fish in there since jan/feb in this upgraded tank and everyone got along then out of no where the flame goes missing n then the puffer i find split open but half way eaten [emoji85]. I cant think of nothing else in my tank tht would do tht to them but what I just put in there.

 

[meir]

Yes i've never seen it but from what I read thts pretty normal i guess I just dnt get why I dnt see it at night niether but ive read frm others tht they havent see there lobster in months thinking it was dead n out of no where it popped out.

Its the only thing i can think of i newly put in there tht can possibly attack my fish... Ive had both of those fish in there since jan/feb in this upgraded tank and everyone got along then out of no where the flame goes missing n then the puffer i find split open but half way eaten [emoji85]. I cant think of nothing else in my tank tht would do tht to them but what I just put in there.

You said that you found your puffer dead and split open.....it didn't kill everything with the toxin it released? for sure the stress of being eaten would have made it release toxin

 

[merlberg]

You said that you found your puffer dead and split open.....it didn't kill everything with the toxin it released? for sure the stress of being eaten would have made it release toxin

Valentini puffers release toxins?! I didnt knw that. I thought that waa onlh cowfish that did that. But no i dnt think it released any toxin and it was dead in my tank for at least 2 days, everything else including corals are fine

 

[Roboson]

You said that you found your puffer dead and split open.....it didn't kill everything with the toxin it released? for sure the stress of being eaten would have made it release toxin

Puffers are significantly less toxic to fish than humans. And it's not like they just spew tetrodotoxin when they're in danger. It's in their flesh. They're not like squids, they don't release stuff when in danger. You can find videos of lobsters killing puffers on YouTube.

 

[merlberg]

Puffers are significantly less toxic to fish than humans. And it's not like they just spew tetrodotoxin when they're in danger. It's in their flesh. They're not like squids, they don't release stuff when in danger. You can find videos of lobsters killing puffers on YouTube.

Ill look it up... Thanks

 

[fab]

When you are looking into your tank at night you might try using a red colored flashlight. That is not supposed to disturb critters as much as other lights. Maybe your lobbie friend will not be spooked as much by the red light and will venture out of his hidey hole for you.

 

[merlberg]

When you are looking into your tank at night you might try using a red colored flashlight. That is not supposed to disturb critters as much as other lights. Maybe your lobbie friend will not be spooked as much by the red light and will venture out of his hidey hole for you.

Ok ill try a red flashlight tonight and see if I see anything... Hopefully ill see it. Thanks

 

[Roboson]

Any news?

 

[merlberg]

Any news?

Yes... I put it in 3 more times after that... The 1st time i seen my big trigger get in... Idk how because the whole was way smaller and he couldnt get out and the 2nd and 3rd time my wrasse got caught. The thing is now that I see that I wondered what got in the 1st time and was able to get ouy with the food lol. But all in all my fish kept on getting suck inside ughh... Any other idea you can give me :)