Tapping on Glass???

t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by bigmac
http:///forum/post/2481475
T, I might of missed a past thread or post..Are you losing fish or inverts? Other then a snap or tap on the glass what's the problem? Can you say paranoia?
Paranoia is a good part of it. I have not lost any fish due to this. I have lost about 3 blue legged hermits and 4-5 snails (but that's not alot considering the inventory in this tank). I really didn't associate these losses with this issue, as I know it's normal to lose inverts. I just thought I was having a bad streak and maybe my group was reaching retirement age. Now, I don't know. I'm just monitoring.
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by Scotts
http:///forum/post/2481482
I tell you what, the first Saturday night race I come over with a million candle power flood light. We watch the race, when it is over we sneak in the room with the tank, I shine the light and find the sucker and it will just stare at the light like a deer in headlights, you blast it with a shot gun and if there is anything left of it we BBQ it right then and there.
Howz that sound?

I love that plan...only thing is, it's my tank
 
S

sexyshrimp101

Guest
Originally Posted by T316
http:///forum/post/2481430
Yes, about 5-6 taps in 3 secs. I hope you are right
I doubt it is a mantis then. It usually takes them about that long to get 1 or 2 whacks out. I hope i'm right too because you will have a heck of a time getting it out if it is a mantis.
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
Agree. My money is on the pistol. Ever think of getting a goby. They will share the same home and is a good way to tell for sure if its a mantis or pistol.
This is good news for you.
 
t316

t316

Active Member
What, are we wagering now? I have not heard it again yet, so no update. I'm leaning towards Pistol as well, but here are some conflicts...the Pistol is a shrimp, so he would molt, right? I have not seen any molts, other than my cleaner shrimp. Check out these 2 videos I dug up. The first one shows a pistol. Granted, they have exagerated the popping, the noise I heard didn't sound like that, and the video says cleaner shrimp are their prey. I still have my cleaner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKPrGxB1Kzc
In video 2, a Mantis is shown. Coincidentally, I have been losing a few snails and crabs lately. But scarier, that popping at the beginning of the video is EXACTLY what it sounded like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu6yrC6bjNo&NR=1
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
Originally Posted by sk8shorty01
http:///forum/post/2482711
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columni...9-shrimp_x.htm
Here is a site that talks about a Mantis being able to break glass... This is not a rumor, there are cases posted online that talk about this very thing happening although more times than not it would chip the glass and cause a small leak rather than a full blown shatter.
The article does not mention how thick the glass is. No doubt they can break a 10 or even 20 gallson but no very likely when the aquarium has thick glass such as 3/4 or 1 inch.
 
hefner413

hefner413

Active Member
well, to put in 2cents... If whatever it is isn't doing anything so far definitively, then maybe conservative waiting would be best. If you aren't losing many livestock as of yet, and the whole breaking glass thing is a rare occurance, then maybe you should wait until you see a problem before you take out the rock in search of the thing. You never know... it may never cause a problem. Shoot, there are many other species of sea life that we keep in our aquariums that have potential to kill stuff, but we get lucky and have no probs. If it were me, I might just wait it out...
 
t316

t316

Active Member
No, I'm not at the point of starting to move around rock. That would be my last resort. Tonight though, I did do an extensive search with a flashlight in all of the caves and crevices. I found 2 separete broken pieces of nesarius shells, about dime size. I'm not talking about empty snail shells, I have plenty of those all over in the caves. These were "broken" pieces, as if I had cracked them on a concrete floor with a hammer.
That doesn't sound like a pistol to me
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
Originally Posted by T316
http:///forum/post/2483417
No, I'm not at the point of starting to move around rock. That would be my last resort. Tonight though, I did do an extensive search with a flashlight in all of the caves and crevices. I found 2 separete broken pieces of nesarius shells, about dime size. I'm not talking about empty snail shells, I have plenty of those all over in the caves. These were "broken" pieces, as if I had cracked them on a concrete floor with a hammer.
That doesn't sound like a pistol to me

Broken shells, I'm not liking that. When I had my mantis.... I had broken shells all over the floor of my tank. I did not think anything of it till I started putting 2 + 2 together. I advise to do a good look around the tank and see if you notice anything
.
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by FISHY7
http:///forum/post/2483984
Broken shells, I'm not liking that. When I had my mantis.... I had broken shells all over the floor of my tank. I did not think anything of it till I started putting 2 + 2 together. I advise to do a good look around the tank and see if you notice anything
.
I don't really like it either, but I don't know of anything else I can do. I have searched and searched (from the outside) but I can't find anything yet. And, as mentioned previously, I tried the pantyhose trap, and nothing there. All I can do is wait and keep looking. If fish start dieing, then I'll rethink the plan.
 
genzod66

genzod66

Member
i hear a tap on my glass every now and again,but not in a row,just like one ,and its not real loud?is this snails??
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
Originally Posted by T316
http:///forum/post/2484138
I don't really like it either, but I don't know of anything else I can do. I have searched and searched (from the outside) but I can't find anything yet. And, as mentioned previously, I tried the pantyhose trap, and nothing there. All I can do is wait and keep looking. If fish start dieing, then I'll rethink the plan.
Try to find out where he is hiding and go from there. Sit by the tank, about and hour after lights out, and listen where the noise is coming from.
 
genzod66

genzod66

Member
how would i know if mantis,i do have some dead snails?but no broken shells,also have coral banded and cleaner shrimp and they r ok,and all the fish are ok,i havent been hearing the tapping lately?
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by genzod66
http:///forum/post/2484292
how would i know if mantis,i do have some dead snails?but no broken shells,also have coral banded and cleaner shrimp and they r ok,and all the fish are ok,i havent been hearing the tapping lately?
I can't answer this? I'm still learning myself. I suppose that if either of us have a mantis, or pistol shrimp for that matter, it must be a baby and really small because I can't find anything. But there is no mistaking what I heard the other night. I still am yet to hear it again, and like you, my cleaner is doing fine. The only alternative is to wait it out. I guess time will tell, they have to grow bigger, and will be spotted eventually.
 
S

sexyshrimp101

Guest
Uh oh, broken shells is definitely not a good sign...Small species of mantis aren't strong enough to break a snail shell (I would say under 3"), so if you do have broken pieces, I would say it is a decent size (if it is a mantis), but you would think you would be able to find it, unless you have a lot of rock, which I think you do, and then you will have a difficult time. Hmmm...I would think that you would be able to find it better during the day than at night since most are more active during the day.
 
nina&noah

nina&noah

Member
When I first set up my tank I had a mantis in my live rock. I didn't know what it was. I kept seeing it when the lights were off. I don't know what your light cycle is, but my lights don't come on until about 3 p.m. I kept seeing the mantis at about 10-11 a.m. My chromis kept disappearing and I called my previous LFS to ask them about the strange creature I kept seeing. They blew me off. Well one day they came by to deliver two cleaner shrimp. THE MINUTE the guy let the shrimp out of the bag the mantis lept out of the rock and snagged my poor little shrimp. That is how I caught my little problem. THANK GOD that the guy was there when he came out. He was pretty small. I hear they can get big and really nasty.
 
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