Pistol Shimp or Mantis Shimp?

[elitephoto]

OK so lately I have been hearing a clicking noise in my tank...usually after the lights go off at night. I hear it from the other room even. But when I am in the same room it doesnt seem to be real loud but I hear "click click click" usually 3 times followed by silence then again click click. ill hear it maybe a couple times an hour. How can i tell which of these 2 it is....or maybe its something else? I have tried to pinpoint where the sound comes from, I have a general idea that its from the right side of the tank. Its a 55g bowfront corner tank with about 80lbs++ of live rock and a few thousand $$$ in corals...so its not like I can start pulling rocks out. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[donald]

I have had pistol shrimp and I have never heard them snap "rapid fire", it is usualy one or two with a short pause in between. I would suspect that you have a mantis shrimp. Try using a Dr. Pepper bottle trap and cut back on feeding to make it more effective. Good luck

 

[nettygold]

I believe you have a pistol shrimp, mine does it all the time, it is their way of scaring of intruders, I hardly ever see mine, although I bought one, months ago, except for at night he comes out from his hole in the gravel. But he is a noisely little guy! Makes a clicking noise on a rock or your glass.

 

[elitephoto]

yeah when he click click clicks its kind of slow...its not like a machine gun or anything haha. but it sure is annoying! either way I didnt buy one so I assume he was a hitchiker on one of my many coral or LR purchases.

 

[integral9]

Sounds like you have a pistol. I bought a rhandali pistol and he clicked like that for several weeks. I'm not sure if I've just blocked it out, but I only seem to hear him once in a while now. And when I do he only seems to click once or twice. Sometimes I even wonder if he's still alive in there. I've only seen him like 3 times since I put him in. He's only about 1" but I can hear him clear across the room...

 

[elitephoto]

yeah he only seems to do it when the lights are out. and i can hear him in the other room...crazy. but im yet to see him. ive looked and looked without any luck.

 

[new180g]

I have exactly the same clicking in my tank. I occasionally see dead hermit crab "bodies", so I think mine is a mantis. I moved to Colorado from Florida and all the LR I have now (about 200lbs) is what I had in FL and moved with me. So that means the stinker hitchiked on the LR for the 4 days of travel time!
I figure if he made it through that ordeal, he deserves to live. And luckily all I've lost is some hermit crabs. Poor crabs.

 

[mcbdz]

I have a pistol hitchhiker and he clicks all the time. Try the flash light at night and look under the rock for caves and tunnels. They are very fast. If you could use a red shield on your light it would work better, but I still catch sight of mine with a regular flashlight.

 

[shogun323]

Originally Posted by New180g
I have exactly the same clicking in my tank. I occasionally see dead hermit crab "bodies", so I think mine is a mantis.
If you are finding hermit bodies then I wouldnt guess you have a Mantis.
If you were finding NO bodies and fragments of hermit shells then you would have a nice stomatopod on your hands. Mine eats hermits like popcorn!!!

 

[elitephoto]

I have been trying the flashlight method...no luck. I have LED moonlights in the tank that stay on at night...I can see in the tank with these on but no luck seeing this noise maker