Mantis Shrimp? Clicking sound

[WilyGuy]

I am hearing a periodic clicking noise in the tank. I have not seen anything that resembles the pictures of the Mantis or Pistol shrimp, but I understand that they make a clicking sound and are NOT GOOD for the tank. Any way I can determine whether I have one of these (or more) in my tank? What makes them so bad?

WG

[Electrobes]

in what numbers are the clicking noises? Pistols do it in ones and twos... while Mantis shrimps do it in larger sets.

[Electrobes]

Oh yeah the problem with a mantis shrimp is that they kill everything and nothing can really kill them. They'll eat fish and anything else they can get, and the problem with them is that they are highly intelligent, so doing a trick twice usually won't work. They are quick and makes putting hands in an aquarium frightening as they have claws and enough pressure to break fingers or just take them off. The biggest fear of them is with mainly glass aquarium owners. Occasionally mantis may run into the glass wall, and when spooked or just when they think it best they'll hit it (which those lightening fast claws). This is bad for as I said earlier they have enough force to do some real damage, and in this case with most glass aquariums.. they will crack and break!! With acrylic being 17 times stronger than glass, its safer to have an acrylic tank holding these guys...

[WilyGuy]

Usually I hear just one click. I thought at first it was a hermit crab up against the glass and moving around. I can reproduce it by putting a small amount of Brine Shrimp in the tank. About 5 seconds later I hear the click. Just about every time I did this 3 weeks ago I would hear it. I haven't fed brine since then (varying the food a bit).

So by this logic it is a Pistol shrimp? I have read various things about both critters since my initial post. What is the thought on Pistol Shrimp?

WG

[WilyGuy]

Usually I hear just one click. I thought at first it was a hermit crab up against the glass and moving around. I can reproduce it by putting a small amount of Brine Shrimp in the tank. About 5 seconds later I hear the click. Just about every time I did this 3 weeks ago I would hear it. I haven't fed brine since then (varying the food a bit).

So by this logic it is a Pistol shrimp? I have read various things about both critters since my initial post. What is the thought on Pistol Shrimp?

WG

[yardboy]

I've thought I had a mantis also, but it was a conch trapped in corner, a hermit falling against the glass, an astrea falling, the top-off solenoid. Maybe you're just paranoid. (doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!)

[Electrobes]

hehe a pistol shrimp is perfectly fine in my opinion. Whats really cool is to get a watchman goby and they partner up (symbiotic relationship). But if you are only hearing a siungle click.. then that shouldn;t be a mantis.. for they have more sets of clicks and faster. Y&ou may not even have anything at all.. could be something or sometone trapped as yardboy says.