Holy Cracked clam shell batman!

jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
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...

 
jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
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...
 
jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
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

coachklm

Active Member
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

jerthunter

Active Member
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.....
 
coachklm

coachklm

Active Member
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.
 
jerthunter

jerthunter

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

sunburnt

Member
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

jerthunter

Active Member
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

wax32

Active Member
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

sunburnt

Member
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

wax32

Active Member
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.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
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.
 
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