Why do mantises make the popping sound?

[arminkropp]

Just curious?
Also what the best way to get them off LR(safely) before you add it to your tank?
TIA

 

[Fluff]

The snapping is either them chipping away at the rock to make their homes bigger or it could be them smashing snail/crab shells. I heard of people having luck with dipping the rock in carbonated salt water. That or if you know what hole the mantis is hiding in, you could try flushing it out with a syringe and fw.

 

[seafan]

If you put them in a bare tank they still make that noise. I personally think that the noise is caused by the actual clicking of the claws, Hence pistol's make one click, and mantis's make two clicks.
As for getting rid of them, I have no Idea.

 

[Fluff]

I want to add some don't click at all. I had one living in my tank for two years and never knew he was there til he got brazen one day and came out in the open. Never heard him pop at all til I tried to remove him. They will pop when they are aggravated. LOL

 

[arminkropp]

I recall the carbonated SW dip......I think that might mean using alot of salt and Carbonated water!!!!!

 

[quarryshark]

I recall the carbonated SW dip......I think that might mean using alot of salt and Carbonated water!!!!!

Actually, its carbonated water mixed to normal SPG with salt mix. Its the carbonation that chases them out.
make sure it is unsweetened.

 

[fireman26m]

I also want to add that pistol can have the "2 snap". I have one that has both claws the same size. I've seen him snap with both. Ofcourse, he may be a mutant....

 

[arminkropp]

So do I use 5 gal of Carb. water with the proper SG or mix 1 part carb. water to 3 parts RO water with the proper SG?
also do I just grab the mantis or use tongs,gloves?
and finally, Really how bad would a mantis hurt you!

 

[fireman26m]

Depending on the size....he could split you finger open. It also depends if it's a clubber or a slasher. Clubbers have large palps for front legs and slashers have barbed looking legs. Hard to tell the difference when they're small and so darned fast! I wouldn't grab one with my hands though no matter how small.

Fireman

 

[quarryshark]

So do I use 5 gal of Carb. water with the proper SG

Yup

do I just grab the mantis or use tongs,gloves?

Like fireman26m stated, if big enough, they can get you. I would use gloves or a container.

It also depends if it's a clubber or a slasher.

actually its smashers or spearers. What we get on rock is 99% of the time smashers. Spearers tend to live more in the sand, unlikely to get one of them.

 

[fireman26m]

http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/multimedia.htm

Here's some vids of mantis in action....kinda gruesome in a fascinating way.

 

[Jason]

Sometimes I hear like 6 or 7 snaps in my tank in a row...... well it's not really sometimes it's all the time. I know I thought I saw a mantis a little while ago and then I saw a pistol shrimp the other day that came in with a carnation so I hear all sorts of pops all the time.

A lot of my hermits have holes in there shells now so I think If I have a mantis, it's probably not a clubber.........

Is it wierd that I actually hope I have one?

 

[Fluff]

I don't think it's weird. Mantis' are really cool.

 

[BillyZ]

The poping sound is actually from the sheer force of their strikes. At the pinicle of their strike their club or spear moves so fast that it actually sends the water away from the clubs so fast that it creates a small vacume. The speed at which this vacume is created and then filled again with water is what creates the popping sound.

I'll see if I can find any images/videos that show it. You need an EXTREEMLY high speed camera to catch the vacume in action.

 

[fireman26m]

I watched a show on Animal Planet on them a few months ago....amazing little buggers. I want one, I want one, I want one!!!!

 

[mybug]

I've got one

Wish I could catch it and I'd happily ship it.

I want a community tank with nice creatures. This is the only drawback with live rock I think. I've got some beautiful rock with some great color and more color on the way but I don't like the idea of one day finding one of my prized fish has been clubbed or speared.

I'll be very angry.

 

[arminkropp]

HOLY CRAP! Those things are violent! I had no idea! 8O
I kinda want some in a tank of their own. I wonder ig they could ever break the tank their in???

 

[seafan]

BillyZ the Idea of the displacement of water causing the sound is not really feasible, although gas is easily displaced and compressed, water is very difficult to compress. The idea that a shrimp can move fast enough to create a vacuum in an extremely viscous fluid is hard to believe. If this is not what you meant please explain.

P.S If that were true, the displacement caused by a tsunami would sound like thunder, and could be heard miles away.

P.P.S Test it... Take a capped bottle completely filled with water and put it under pressure, or take it into an airplane, and then do the same to one filled with air, see if the one filled with water changes shape.

 

[MT79]

At the pinicle of their strike their club or spear moves so fast that it actually sends the water away from the clubs so fast that it creates a small vacume

I have read similar explanations concerning pistol shrimp. It's not sound of the claw snapping together you hear, it the rush of water it creates w/ it's modified claw. Pistols use this high energy sound wave(?) to stun their prey. Hopefully BillyZ can find an article.

 

[sdaccord03]

I got rid of my mantis accidently. I was changing all my rocks from one tank to another and I put just a small bit of saltwater in the styrofoam container then I put the rock in. It just so happened that the mantis was in this rock and he was drying out so he crawled out of the rock to get to the saltwater. When I picked up the rock to put it in the new tank, there he was, in the water.

Not saying that this luck will come to you but thats what worked for me.

JW