Holy Cracked clam shell batman!

[jerthunter]

So today I was changing my water and I noticed on of the 'cleaner' clams I had added about a week ago was dead so I pulled the shell out and..... The shell had a huge section broken off. I just thought it was interesting that anything in my tank would be capable of breaking that thick of a shell. Well here are the pictures...

 

[wax32]

Rock fell on it, or a mantis shrimp's handywork.

 

[jerthunter]

I was thinking maybe it was a mantis shrimp BUT I haven't added any live rock or anything that could have a mantis shrimp in it for over a year and I have never seen one before..... Wasn't a rock either... I know I had about 10 blue legged hermits all around it but they are way to small to break the shell I would imagine...

 

[crox]

How long did you have that clam in your tank?

 

[jerthunter]

Originally Posted by Crox
How long did you have that clam in your tank?
1 week I think... It was closed yesterday but then wide open today

 

[coachklm]

if you are 100% sure a rock didnt fall on it then you have a serious problem in your tank. hermits dont have that power.......mantis do...falling rocks do....hermits unless large dont have that power..... uhh i'd pay real close attn. ***)

 

[jerthunter]

The only other thing I can think of is that maybe he slammed himself into a rock but no rocks fell in my tank..... I sure hope it isn't a mantis but I used to think I might have a mantis because I would hear clicking but it has been over a year and I have seen no sign of one except perhaps this cracked clam shell... Could it possibily be a pistol shrimp? I would like the idea of having a pistol shrimp much more then a evil mantis.....

 

[brucewayne]

Quite mysterious.

 

[coachklm]

if the mantis has made a confertable home then you may not hear clicking. ive read the clicking comes from them burrowing to the bottom of the sand bed and tapping on the glass to get deeper or tapping into the rock to get deeper.

 

[wax32]

I agree coach.
A pistol couldn't do that to a clam.

 

[jerthunter]

EVIL MANTIS!!! I shall hunt you down and destroy you!!!! Now I am freaked out, I sure hope it isn't a mantis...

 

[sunburnt]

Hey... don't destroy him! People pay for these things... I want first dibs if he's colorful!! :joy: Seriously. If you find one that's colorful, I'll buy it!

 

[jerthunter]

Originally Posted by Sunburnt
Hey... don't destroy him! People pay for these things... I want first dibs if he's colorful!! :joy: Seriously. If you find one that's colorful, I'll buy it!
I still don't think I have a mantis. I think I would have seen other evidence of him in over a years time but if I do find one I would gladly sell it or trade it for some nice stuff. Soooo, lets entertain the mantis shrimp idea for a moment. Any ingenius ideas of how to find him? I would try a trap but I am pretty sure that all I would end up catching is every single hermit crab and nassarius snail in my tank.

 

[wax32]

Aqua Medic makes a nice trap that works well. You will catch some hermits and snails, but you will also likely catch your mantis.

 

[sunburnt]

LOL- With all the hermits that are still there, I don't think you have one either. Blue legs don't get big enough to be too big for dinner! ;-)

 

[wax32]

For the record: I don't think he has one either, but SOMETHING broke that clam.

And it never hurts to own a trap, I have one.

 

[sunburnt]

LOL! Well, if YOU catch one, Wax, I want first dibs on yours too!

 

[wax32]

I don't have any, my mean mofo hermits would tear it up!

I actually loaned my trap to my LFS because they have one (for sure, that he saw) in his 220 gallon display.