Mantis or Pistol?

[RocketSeason]

Last night I heard alot of clicking. several clicks in a row (2 or 3) and followed by one click. then several, then pause, then several, etc.

who is doing that?

 

[XXFirefighter]

Good luck with that...
I got the same and sat in the dark with a 1 led flashlight and still have not seen what it is !

Been happening for months now !

 

[bound_for_obx]

Same here, I hear it coming from a bunch of different locations in my tank. Absolutely no idea which it could be.

 

[fishfreek]

Look for the tell tail signs of a mantis. That would be broken snail and hermit shells.

 

[RocketSeason]

dang it! dont tell me that fish freek!!!!

grr.....whelp, what to do now?

 

[Sea Cat]

I have been hearing tapping come from inside my largest piece of live rock for about 6 months.
No broken shells or missing livestock.
Sometimes its one click, sometimes 2 or 3 together.
I assume its a pistol, since no sinister attrocities have happened.
Good luck with your "tapper"!

 

[XXFirefighter]

I have been hearing tapping come from inside my largest piece of live rock for about 6 months.
No broken shells or missing livestock.
Sometimes its one click, sometimes 2 or 3 together.
I assume its a pistol, since no sinister attrocities have happened.
Good luck with your "tapper"!

I'm in the same boat as you !
No dead snails or hermits so I got no idea...

 

[gear-head]

Also, could be snails. I heard clicking for hours, until I tracked it down. It was a Turbo snail wedged neatly between a powerhead and the glass. Whenever the powerhead turned on (I have them on a wavemaker) the snail would hit the glass because of the vibrations. Had me worried for a while until I found out what it was.

 

[Brad]

I can't tell a Pistol from a Mantis just by the clicking...

However, if you can't find the culprit I would lay odds that it is a Pistol. They are much more shy than the mantis. Mantis tend to be spotted because they are often peaking out of their holes to have a look around. They are also more active in the daylight than the Pistols.

You can also wait until you find a shed skin kicking around. That will give you an exact hollow copy of your mystery creature.

I know exactly how large my Pistol is and what he is shaped like...but I've never actually seen him.

 

[RocketSeason]

I hear the clicking mostly after lights out. and there is quite a bit of it.

I heard that Mantis can't click several times in a row, which this does. The clicking comes quite often. It seems ecsessive for a mantis, but then again, I have no idea what I am talking about.