Clicking noises from tank...

watertight

watertight

Member
Lately I've been hearing a fairly loud clicking noise coming from my 10 g nano. They seem to be in bursts of 3 at a time, and come at random intervals - could this be a Mantis shrimp? I did see something moving around the l/r tonight, but it was obscured and hid pretty quick - looked like it had black hairy legs, but that's about all I could see.
If so, what do I do about it? There isn't much in the tank atm, just 1 peice of l/r, a very small piece of coral a bta and a blue damsel. I am in the process of transferring everything to a 40 gal tank, but it is still cycling - any way I can be sure to leave it behind in the old tank when I move the l/r to the new tank? I really don't want to transfer it to the new tank!
What kind of damage can these things do? I hadn't heard of them until I read a bit about them in the hitchhikers guide in this forum....
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
It could be a mantis or a pistol shrimp.Neither have hairy legs,you may also have a hitchiker crab,but he would'nt be the one making the snap.
A mantis resembles a preying mantis,can come in many colors..including bright green or drab brown.Their eyes are very complex,can move independently of each other...and are on stalks.Mantis shrimps can eat snails,crabs,and fish.They also have the power to break your tank,although I think this does'nt happen often
A pistol shrimp resembles a lobster in shape...and has one large claw.
Try to locate which rock the sound is coming from,and flush it with fresh water or plain soda water...he should come running out.
 
fishmamma

fishmamma

Active Member
I think the rapid clicking may be indicative of a mantis. My pistols tend to only snap once, if more than once there is a decent pause in between.
 
watertight

watertight

Member
Thanks Guys, now you've got me worried! There is only 1 peice of liverock so that narrows it down...it clicked 3 times in about 1.5 secs, then a pause for about 5 - 10 mins, then 3 times again, last night. My wife said She'd heard it before, first time I'd heard it though.
I have a spare 10 gal tank, should I sit it next to the nano, half fill it with fresh water, then lift the l/r out and put into the f/w? Will that harm the l/r in any way? How can I avoid getting bitten by this thing while lifting out the l/r? Will rubber gloves be any use? Sounds like he packs a punch!
TIA (Thanks in advance
 
aw2

aw2

Active Member
Actually, if you're hearing rapid clicks, in a few seconds, it's most likely a Pistol Shrimp.
Mantis will "click" but only once every few minutes. "Smashers" are the ones that will make the "clicking" noises.
Originally Posted by crzyfshygy
Be careful....he will slice your finger wide open!!!!! Respect those things...
Actually, it's only the larger "smashers"...Peacocks...that you have to worry about doing any damage. The only other ones that'll slice a finger open are "spearers" and they dont make clicking noises.
 
aw2

aw2

Active Member
Originally Posted by CELACANTHr
Actually, i was hit by a small brown mantis shrimp in the keys, and it did hurt a good bit...
It might have hurt but did it "slice your finger open"?
I'm not saying they dont hurt. They're just not "finger slicers" that people think they are, most of the time.
I got hit by my 6" female Peacock, but it didnt do any serious damage...hurt like hell though...
 
celacanthr

celacanthr

Active Member
Actually, it's only the larger "smashers"...Peacocks...that you have to worry about doing any damage.
No, it didn't do any slicing and/or dicing, but I still consider pain a type fo damage, that you should probably watch out for....JMHO
 
watertight

watertight

Member
So 3 fast clicks and then a break will more likely be a pistol shrimp? Do they do any damage in the tank? Should I find him and get him out, or just leave him there? I quite like the idea of having more than just fish life in the tank, that's half the attraction to s/w...as long as it doesn't kill anything! What should I do??
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
You could try putting a piece of meaty food {something that will stay together and sink} at the entrance to where he's staying and watch for him to come out and snatch the food.probably best at night while the fish are resting and won't take the bait.Or,you could put the meaty food in a piece cut from a pair of nylon stockings...weigh it down w/ a small piece of rock,add a piece of fishing line so you can pull it out.Then wait...if it is a mantis,his claws should get caught in the hose.Be careful.
 
watertight

watertight

Member
Originally Posted by promisetbg
You could try putting a piece of meaty food {something that will stay together and sink} at the entrance to where he's staying and watch for him to come out and snatch the food.probably best at night while the fish are resting and won't take the bait.Or,you could put the meaty food in a piece cut from a pair of nylon stockings...weigh it down w/ a small piece of rock,add a piece of fishing line so you can pull it out.Then wait...if it is a mantis,his claws should get caught in the hose.Be careful.
Good idea - I'll try that. Thanks, will keep you posted
 
fishmamma

fishmamma

Active Member
From what I have read rapid clicks are more mantis-like than pistol-like. But I think they can often sound the same. Unless it is a large mantis a pistol's clicking is louder, but if you have a pistol shrimp you would likely notice the sand being moved around a bit or shells/coral frage being moved. Have you noticed anything like this in the tank? A pistol will live in burrows so keep a good eye out for any activity or changes in the landscape.
 
watertight

watertight

Member
There are a few burrows, but I thought the damsel was doing that? There is a little crab looking at the food - I put a peice of fish on the end of some dental floss and ran a small sinker down to it. The crab is less than 1/2 inch, and very shy. I heard a single click a minute ago as well. I haven't got any stocking or pantyhose atm (Well, at least my wife doesn't lol)
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
At this point you really do not know what this thing is let alone a type of Mantis if it is at all. I have a friend who was scowering through LR is his LFS and one of these things almost took his finger off!!!! Just be carefull and do not let it out smart you
 
watertight

watertight

Member
I'm amazed at just how much life there is in my l/r! I found snails, worms, slugs, etc. that I had no idea were there - My new tank is cycling well, should be able to move the l/r in soon....I'm just not game to pick it up with my bare hands now!! I'm still thinking about sitting the rock in some f/w to see what comes out of it. I like the idea of having living critters in there though, so I could probably return anything that's harmless to the tank??
 
fishmamma

fishmamma

Active Member
Yup. You should probably run some carbonated or fresh water over the rock like someone suggested in attempt to flush out the 'clicker'. If it is a pistol you can return it to the tank with out worries.
 
watertight

watertight

Member
OK, how do I identify a pistol shrimp? Any links to pics of one? I have a feeling that's what it might be, I've heard a few single clicks lately - probably heard them before but taken no notice untill now. I think I might even know where it's living, there's a small hole in the front of the l/r which has SOMETHING living in it....
 
fishmamma

fishmamma

Active Member
So a searcg for pistol shrimp on this site, there are lots of goby/pistol pair photos that people have uploaded.
 
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