That familliar snapping noise.

[Ed Hahn]

I do not know how many of you have had this experience. I just know I have heard repeated stories. You hear what sounds like a jolt of electricitiy hitting a bug. Maybe it mimicks a sound of a fish hitting the top of the water. You go to your tank and see nothing. I am pretty sure I have a shrimp in my tank.
I am not sure how he got there. I am assuming maybe on a coral or he was in there and just grew as time progressed. I do not see it. But I hear it every so often. Any ideas how to get this guy out?

 

[Woodstock]

Ohhh yuckie! I listened to 'clicking' in my aquarium for over 8 months before I had the initiative to tear it down... I did a fw dip on all rocks and removed 2 pistol shrimps from my tank!! Here is a pic of them. One was even laddened with eggs I was expecting to find something much larger than these little bugger pistol shrimp... they clicked like mad when I dipped the rock they were in!! Sounded like a gun going off!

 

[Ed Hahn]

Thanks for picture and Idea

Alright thanks Don. I wondered what they looked like. I just know I am concerned with them hurting me or other tank mates. I do not want to tear my tank down again. I just did it about 3 weeks ago. I will tear it down again if needed. Can someone give me more information about these?

 

[Blazer88]

Is there anything wrong with Pistol Shrimps? I thought Pistols were fine and the Mantis was considered bad. I have a Pistol who lives with my Goby, I don't see anything wrong with him in my tank.

 

[The Apprentice]

Blazer is right Ed

They wont hurt your fish Ed they will clean the bottom of your tank for Ditris and any other stuff that floats down there With the fish you have in your tank they wont even care that a Pistol shrimp is in there If you just cant stand to have him in there get a pop bottle or a small necked glass juice bottle put some mysis in there after the lights go out and give it 10-15 min and the guy sould be close if not in chowing down If you do catch Him I want dibs on the guy I will put him in My tank they all seem to get along just fine! I currently have 3 diffrent species in my tank at this time and they even leave my small gobies all alone
Ed look at these guys these are a couple of I have in my tank...

Is there anything wrong with Pistol Shrimps? I thought Pistols were fine and the Mantis was considered bad. I have a Pistol who lives with my Goby, I don't see anything wrong with him in my tank.

 

[The Apprentice]

Don's pistols

Wow Don thats a mated pair did you save these guys? A Very Rare find and quite hard to get pefect choice for a nano with a small shrimp goby pair

 

[Ed Hahn]

The things I am concerned about are he could get my fingers or a fish. I do not see him. I hear him. I look at my fish and I worry about my fish stressing or possibly getting hurt. Maybe I am a worry wart?
Is it just the Pistol shrimp that make the loud pop noise?

 

[The Apprentice]

They are fine and will leave your fish alone!

They are mainly scared from your Tangs Ed I doubt they will get their fins nipped The only one that could get nipped is the Mandrin so keep an eye on her fin's but these guys like to hid in the deepest cave/hole so they will leave you guys alone I mean Ed could you evict guys like these?

Now if you have a Mantis well?

The things I am concerned about are he could get my fingers or a fish. I do not see him. I hear him. I look at my fish and I worry about my fish stressing or possibly getting hurt. Maybe I am a worry wart?
Is it just the Pistol shrimp that make the loud pop noise?

 

[Illusion]

Get a WAtchman or Other Shrimp goby and he will quiet down... Other than the noise and figging there is not much wrong with them at all...

James

 

[Ed Hahn]

Get a WAtchman or Other Shrimp goby and he will quiet down... Other than the noise and figging there is not much wrong with them at all...

James

Thanks James. My tank is bare bottom. Do you think they will be alright without sand? That cracking noise is scaring the dog ding out of me. The threads about tanks cracking, etc.

 

[Illusion]

You should be fine BB... Just dont walk around with the Windows Open LOL...

I have seen others with BB tanks and a Goby pistol pair... The Goby really quiets them down alot... The noise is becasue something is Scaring them... The Goby such as the Watchman watches out and warns the shrimp and you hardly hear them afterwards unless something really bothers them... Its definetly a sight to see..

James

 

[spongebob lover]

dood, i think that just to make sure you should try to find what it really is because you don't know if it could be a small mantis.
i'd just try to put a trap in your tank and see if you can catch him, if is it a pistol you can either keep it or do whatever you want with it and if it's not, then at least you caught it.

 

[Woodstock]

I initially tore down my tank because I did not know if I had mantis or pistol ... the former being very bad! But I did not want either in my reef (I know, I know.. some people like them... I don't). The sound was driving me nuts~ There is a way to distinquish between mantis and pistol shrimps by the way/speed that they click. My pistols were very random clicks with usually one, two or three clicks together. I did loose one of my 2 harlequin shrimps and one of my 2 cleaner shrimps during the 'clicking' time period. I can not say for sure if it was the pistols that killed them, but I have heard that that clicking noise at point-blank range can stun a fish or invert; maybe long enough to eat them? I was also BB at that time.

Good luck!

 

[mungus]

Woodstock how do you distinquish between mantis and pistol shrimps clicks? I have a clicking sound also. Usually 1 click then nothing always after lights out. I always just assumed it was a pistol because I haven't lost any fish.

Thanks

Brian

 

[Blazer88]

I was told you will find cracked snail shells in the tank if you have a Mantis. I think the pistol will be fine in a BB tank, but they love to move sand around and such. It's fun to watch them stack up all of the empty shells in the tank and sift through the sand looking for the "perfect" piece

 

[Illusion]

From My experience with both.. Mantis will make a small sound while as The pistol will wake you at night to sounds like your tank is cracking... I have tested the Theory at the LFS with the Large Mantis and the noise is no where comparable to a pistol... The pistols make a loud pop sound like a gun going off.. Hence the name "pistol Shrimp" I have never had mine harm anything in my tank... They are mearly scavengers and their weapon (claw) is used for Defense not offense...

James

 

[Ed Hahn]

Thanks all for help and reasurance. I just ordered a shrimp gobie from LFS. 12 dollars for piece of mind. Maybe I will see the little guy.

 

[The Apprentice]

Shrimp gobie

Good deal Ed what kind did you order ? You will have to post some pictures have a good night..Jeff

Thanks all for help and reasurance. I just ordered a shrimp gobie from LFS. 12 dollars for piece of mind. Maybe I will see the little guy.

 

[CarlaW]

The things I am concerned about are he could get my fingers or a fish. I do not see him. I hear him. I look at my fish and I worry about my fish stressing or possibly getting hurt. Maybe I am a worry wart?
Is it just the Pistol shrimp that make the loud pop noise?

Ed, how many tangs you got in there???????????????????
I wouldn't worry about a pistol shrimp stressing things out. JMHO

 

[Ed Hahn]

Ed, how many tangs you got in there???????????????????
I wouldn't worry about a pistol shrimp stressing things out. JMHO

Charlie,
I have a Tang Farm. There is yellow, blue, purple, scopus, Powder Blue and a lipstick tang (naso). I love my Tangs very much. That is why I was worried about pistol zapping them.