Can anyone describe the sound of a mantis shrimp?

[jeddy]

I have just in the last few nights started to hear clicking sounds coming from my tank. sounds kind of like two small rocks being hit together. sometimes will only sound once, sometimes two or three times in a short period.

I've had the tank going for two years now without any mantis that I was aware of. Have recently gotten a couple new corals that could account for it. Another indicator is my missing cleaner shrimp. I've had him for over a year and he's always been very visible. He's been gone for the last several days.

What do you think? Haven't seen anything. The clicking isn't loud but is noticable.

Jim

 

[jeddy]

Just heard the sound again maybe a better descripttion is the sound of someone popping small bubble wrap.

Jim

 

[viper12775]

thats exactly what a mantis sounds like bubble wrap but pistol shrimp sound real close toif you can find what rock he's in take it out and dip it in fresh water for a few minutes and it will leave the rock

 

[jeddy]

Finding the right rock may be a problem. Most likely one of the lower rocks. If so I'd have to tear apart half of my tank.

Any hints on drawing them out where you can see them? I know they are very difficult to catch.

Jim

 

[viper12775]

i take it you have a big tank they have traps you can bait and place around the rocks and maybe get lucky but the only way i could catch them was find the rock that there in and fresh dip them but it sucks when you hear the clicking walk over there and get a flashlight and look for antennas sicking out of a hole right now thats all the help i can be ill do some looking and see what i can find for you

 

[One Stoned Coral]

The only luck that I had was looking real close at the rocks. Look for a pile of rock dust or new sand like debrie. They like to burrow into the live rock to make a home. I was never able to get mine to go into a trap. He would just laugh at me and swim around as i would wathch him. Once i found the rock that he made his home in, the only way is to remove it. I did the boiling saltwater in the turkey baster to get him out though. I was afraid of losing the other corals on the rock if i did a dip.

 

[Anonymous]

another method you can use that won't damage the rock's other life from the freshwater is to shove a knitting needle,(or other long pointy object-such as a screwdriver)into the mantis' burrow-and kebab it!'(after lifting out the rock)

 

[jeddy]

Thanks y'all,

First I'll see if I can locate him. So far I haven't seen a sign. Just heard the popping noise. Once I find his hiding spot I'll have to decide how to go about skewering, boiling, dicing or osmosizing (?) him.

Jim

 

[john f]

Why is the first reaction always to kill these guys?

I have had one in my reef for 6 months now. Sure he takes out an occasional snail, but so what? Cool creatures in their own right I say.

Is your live rock Indo or Florida?
If it's Florida aquacultured rock you most likely have a smasher type mantis. These do not kill fish but instead go after small snails and crabs.
They also are mostly small species (< 3 inches)
They will take normal aquarium foods when you feed the fish.
If the rock in Indo-pacific you could have a spearer type mantis. These can and do kill fish. They also can get rather large.
I would first try and look for him to see if you can identify it.
Reefcentral has a great mantis forum. They can answer any more of your questions there.



John

 

[jeddy]

I have Fiji rock. Don't think the shrimp came on that though since it's all been in there about 2 years and I just recently started hearing the shrimp. If that is even what I'm hearing.

The reason that I'd exterminate it is that I've had a damsel for about two years (One of the tanks first fish) and a cleaner shrimp for over a year that have both mysteriously vanished. While I have nothing against a Mantis hunting prey in the wild I'd prefer not to have him do it in my tank. If I thought someone would want a mantis then maybe I'd try to get him alive, but it sounds hard enough to get him at all.

The disapearance of my damsel and cleaner shrimp may be coincidence but the only thing different about the tank is this new popping noise at night and a couple of corals that I bought recently in which I am guessing that I imported the mantis.

Jim