Do mantis make a sand pile?

[Tremelle]

I awoke this morning to find a fresh pile of sand by my live rock. This is the second time I have seen this happen in my tank in the last couple of months. I have heard a popping noise from time to time but have yet to see a mantis. I am wondering what could be making these sand piles. I have a 4" dsb, with 100 lbs. of live rock in a 105.

As far as livestock, I have a 2" blonde naso tang, a 3" desjardinii tang, 2 clown gobies, 6 green chromis, 4 shrimp, green brittle star, and a sally lightfoot crab. I don't think any of them did it.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[JeremyR]

Could be a pistol shrimp

 

[Anonymous]

I've had a green chromis do the same thing while digging caves under the rocks.

Glenn

 

[Chucker]

I have a CPR MRT dedicated to a pistol, and he digs constantly. New mounds are in front of the LR every day when I get home from work.

Try baiting the holes behind the mounds and a lot of patient viewing- you might see the little bugger

 

[reeferguy1]

It could be either a mantis or a pistol.Ive seen both of them make a pile out side of their burrow.Late at night,Try to fed something that will sit on the bottom.Frozen krill or lancefish will work.He will come out to feed if you do this a few times(that is how I found out I have a pistol)

Or you could use the ol mantis shrimp trap,but sometimes they dont work very well,its about a 50/50 chance.See ya tommorrow

Later
reeferguy(Don)

 

[julieanne]

I had a mantis shrimp in one of my tanks for 2 years before I saw it. I heard it clicking every night. Was a pain in the behind but never could find until two weeks ago. Saw they eyes poking out of a hole in a rock, grabbed the rock, ran fresh water into the hole only, mantis popped out, rock back to the tank without any loss of life in just a matter of minutes. I was fortunate it was a small enough rock that could be removed quickly. So, dont give up, it may take 2 years!

 

[ging]

julieanne,
Did you ever lose anything in your tank or think the mantis was responsible for any mia fish/critters ??

 

[Tremelle]

I have had no missing fish or inverts, and there is no burrow by the piles. It is just fresh piles of sand about a couple of inches from the live rock. It is almost like something dumped the sand there.

 

[jmeader]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tremelle:
<STRONG>I have had no missing fish or inverts, and there is no burrow by the piles. It is just fresh piles of sand about a couple of inches from the live rock. It is almost like something dumped the sand there.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
That sounds like the work of a fish or more likely the work of a worm.

 

[Anonymous]

I think those gobies are doing that digging. When you hear clicking look for a snail on the glass in high current locations. I nearly crapped in my pants one night when I was on the net and I heard a clicking noise. After about an hour I noticed a snail on the front glass and his shell was being pushed against the glass in a tapping motion. That tapping sounded just like a clicking noise. Thamk goodness I found it or I still wouldn't be able to sleep.

GL

Dan

 

[Anonymous]

How big are your chromis? I have a reef tank with 2 quarter sized damsels. It has been set up for two years. Started noticing little piles just as you described them. Finally pinned it on the damsels, digging caves and tunnels under and behind the rocks.

Glenn

 

[Tremelle]

As I was adding water to the sump yesterday, I happened to look up and saw a series of tunnels under my sand bed. I did not see anything in the tunnels, but the tunnels were too small to be done by a chromis as suggested earlier. Now I am keeping an eye on the tunnels to hopefully spot something in it and identify it. Now, I am looking under the tank more than in it. I think the fish feel slighted.

[ September 10, 2001: Message edited by: Tremelle ]

 

[MedicineMan1]

Mantis shrimp tend to live more in the rock than the sand. I think you probably have a pistol shrimp. But then again, I could be wrong... (Nah, that only happened once, when I thought I'd made a mistake; turned out I was wrong!

)