Mantis or Pistol

[Curtswearing]

I truly don't know how to describe a sound via the Internet. I'll try my best. A quite loud "Snap" or "Pop" sound that typically only occurs at night and is usually only one or two "pops" in a row, would usually be a pistol shrimp. If you hear a "Crackle" sound as well, tell your kid to stop dumping their cereal in the sump.

A less loud "click" that may be at night or may be during the day as well that occassionally is a lot of "clicks" in a row would be more indicative of a mantis.

 

[lj_smith]

Well i don't usually hear a snap, crackle and pop all at the same time but i'll check for the rice crispies! Thanks for the advice! :lol:
It's mostly one or two clicks at a time, so maybe a pistol?
I'm more intrigued to see it now than anything, i tried putting a bottle in the tank again and managed to catch my cleaner shrimp!
I'm determined to find him, I'll post a pic when i do.
Thanks again for the help guys

 

[The Apprentice]

I'll post a pic when i do.

Hey Luke if you do find it is a Pistol shrimp I don't think It will hurt your Chromis or linkia If you do find it to be a Pistol do some reserch on what Kind and get a shrimp gobie thet normally will live with it thay are pretty neat to watch and normally they tend to stay to their selves
Here is a shot of a little one Luke with a couple of gobies...Jeff

Well i don't usually hear a snap, crackle and pop all at the same time but i'll check for the rice crispies! Thanks for the advice! :lol:
It's mostly one or two clicks at a time, so maybe a pistol?
I'm more intrigued to see it now than anything, i tried putting a bottle in the tank again and managed to catch my cleaner shrimp!
I'm determined to find him, I'll post a pic when i do.
Thanks again for the help guys

 

[Curtswearing]

LJ,

I think I can safely predict that you are not dealing with Rice Crispies.

 

[lj_smith]

Phew! theres a load off my mind...... wouldn't want a crispie infestation!

Hey Jeff, so those shrimp gobies also live with cleaner shrimps then as i have one and a fire shrimp aswell:?:

 

[The Apprentice]

Yes no problem

I have fire shrimp as well. The cleaners= skunks and fire scare the pistols. Usally they dive for cover when the cleaner shrimp comes by

Phew! theres a load off my mind...... wouldn't want a crispie infestation!

Hey Jeff, so those shrimp gobies also live with cleaner shrimps then as i have one and a fire shrimp aswell:?:

 

[lj_smith]

Wonder if thats why i can't find it then.
I used to have a goby, a watchman goby, very good for the substrate, messy little bugger though, always scooping substrate and dropping it over my corals

 

[sandlot13]

to be honest, if you are hearing the clicking at night most of the time, its probably not a mantis shrimp. Mantis's are dinural, aka, they are like us and sleep at night and are awake during the day. Pistol shrimps can be nocturnal. My mantis (J.R. ; short for jack the ripper) never goes to work on the rocks in his tank at night, and the only time I hear him working away is in the day. Most likely i would say that you have a pistol shrimp, but just keep a sharp eye out.... if things start dropping like flies, well, then you have a mantis shrimp..... but hopefully that doesnt happen. Keep us updated!

 

[Al G.]

Ditto on what sandlot13 said. When I had a pistol shrimp, I heard it clicking when the tank lights are off and the room is dark. The mantis that I have now, I hear primarily during the day.

As far as IDing by sound, when you said you heard "Coin against the glass," that's what I remember my pistol shrimp sounding like. I use to think it was my snail falling down at hitting the tank bottom. I can't really describe the mantis click, but I wouldn't describe it as "Coin against the glass."

What others have said about the clicking pattern is also what I have experienced. One or two clicks probably pistol. I have heard and have watched my mantis repeatedly hammering into the rock, snail shell, or even the tank sides.

 

[lj_smith]

I'm assuming that pistols don't wonder very far from their territory as i check every night for the little blighter, as for losing fish, i haven't lost any since the chromis, i still have two left so that was probably just coincidence