Click.....click

[Chris182]

Hey guys

Wonder if any of you can help me. Every now and then in my tank I hear a click noise. Sounds like it is coming from inside the tank, almost like a stone hitting a window.

Do any of you know what this might be? It has started happening after I got my green star polyp, so I'm thinking something has hitched a ride into my tank. Any ideas what it could be? I have seen this small orange looking thing darting about, though no idea what it is as I can hardy see it.

 

[Flake]

slow clicks may be a pistol shrimp. fast clicks may be a mantis shrimp. Sounds like you have a hitchhiker.

 

[Chris182]

Oh right. It is a slow click. happens like once every ten minutes or so. It happens mainly at night though does happen when lights are on every now and then

 

[Flake]

Sounds like a pistol shrimp to me.

 

[Chris182]

Oh cool. Are they good or bad?

 

[Flake]

They're perfectly fine. They'll help clean up the tank.

 

[Chris182]

Excellent they are no threat to my other shrimps, crab, coral, hermits etc?

 

[Sqasnatch]

Nope, get yourself a goby to hang out with him

 

[Chris182]

Cool, this little thing I see is fast....very fast but I did manage to sneak a quick peek ad it would appear it has a large claw like thing, but only one claw by the looks of it??? Again it was fast so I only seen it for a split second but does that sound like one? It's probably a very small one....unless they are small anyway?

 

[Flake]

yup. They have one big claw. That's how they make that clicking sound. They typically stay small, not much more than 2 inches. If it hitchhiked in, i'd expect it to be a little guy.

 

[Chris182]

Cool. Is it ever likely to venture out in the day? Or does it mostly hide away?

 

[Flake]

they typically hide a lot of the time. As suggested above, they will pair up with watchman gobies, an interesting little relationship.

YouTube - Watchman Goby and Pistol Shrimp

 

[Chris182]

That is so cool I take it they vary in colour then? I'm not getting any fish Until I return from Malta back to the uk in about 6 weeks time, but will def look into it then

 

[iDream]

They vary pretty well in color. Some nice bright ones out there

 

[Henry405]

how fast would the click be for someone to consider it a mantis shrimp. I hear clicks sometimes, but it'll be like 4-6 clicks. I heard it last night around 2 am and again today around 6 PM. it'll be like 4-6 clicks within 15-20 seconds and then silence

 

[Hinds04]

I know I've seen other threads on here about pistols killing other shrimp and fish.

 

[BallinCrew10]

Pistols can be a threat to other shrimp/ inverts..I would keep a close eye on your livestock. Maybe try to catch him and setup a species only tank and pair him with a goby ?

 

[BallinCrew10]

 

[Chris182]

Oh dear, doesn't look too promising does it lol. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[MississippiFishGuy]

Awesome video