is it a crab, or what?

[john57]

My tank has had a creature tucked into one of the holes in my live rock through my entire cycle, which is just getting done. He's so far into my aquarium that I can't get a picture. Besides, I've seen very little of him.
He appears to have a couple of arms or pincers that I see sometimes sticking partly out of the hole. And when I get close or shine a light at him, he very quickly covers himself up like he has some kind of cover to protect himself. I've heard stories about mantis shrimp and some kinds of crabs not being the best. Any ideas?

 

[scoobydue4]

Dangle a piece of food in front of the hole to see if you can get a better look at him. You can also color the lens of a flashlight red, or put red plastic wrap over a flashlight to see if it comes out at night

 

[paulyd1978]

Do you hear any clicking in your tank, especially when you feed it? This could tell you that it is either a pistol shrimp or a mantis.

 

[dissolution]

Pistol shrimp have one big claw and it will sound like a cap gun going off.
I had one in my 55 gallon and loved him. He and a goby bonded. He never hurt any of my fish or other shrimps. He rocked.

 

[john57]

I haven't heard any clicking from him. And his spot in the rock is right in the middle of the tank, so I just can't make out what parts I'm seeing. In any case, he's minding his own business for now. I'll post a picture if he comes out.