Clicking noises, Mantis or Pistol or ?

[Shak]

Thank in advance for any advice, I have a clicking problem and it goes something like this:

1mo. old cycled tank, 150lbs TBS rock, I know for a fact there are 2 very large (2"+) pistol shrimp in the tank as I removed them from the water in the rock boxes and decided to let them move in. There were also about 6-7 very small pistols (1/2" or less). They are excavating underneath the rocks and building large piles of sand in front of their hideouts, though I've not seen them since they moved in, I assume it is the pistols.

The clicking sounds exactly like someone hitting the edge of a nickel against the aquarium glass, very loud. Usually 2-3 clicks in succession, then silence for 20-30secs, then repeat. It goes on like crazy during the day, and picks up a bit when just the actinic are on at the end of the day. It also happens almost always when someone walks in front of the tank.

So is the noise from the pistols, or perhaps a mantis that has yet to make an appearance? I'm not really familiar with the noise either of them make so I was hoping an expert here might help out.

Thanks again for any help.

 

[ReefMagic]

To my recolection mantis shrimp are more active during the evening hours. TBS will more than likely have given u a mantis or two in your tank. TBS gets lots of mantis shrimp in with their liverock, and IMO would probably slip some in if they had excess of them.

Mostly pistol shrimp tend to do their clicking like in rhythm like click.........click.......click. and mantis tend to do very fast motions. clickclickclick, to kill thier victim fast. hope this helps a little.

 

[sakattack7]

Probably not a Mantis

Probably not a Mantis

Mantis don't really click that much, they only make the noise when they are hunting, or chipping out a new house in the rock, since your tank is a little older i would think that everyone has moved it. Most likely its the pistol shrimp fighting for territory or bothering eachother. Maybe they are overcrowded??
They could also be warning people to stay away when they see you walking by, mistaking them for a predator. If you had a mantis, you would have much more clicking I would think from all the shrimps freaking out about him, and also you would be missing fish/inverts and finding empty shells etc etc.

 

[smasher]

With all the clicking you've heard if it was a mantis you would probably see alot of waste from the things that the mantis is eating.

 

[Shak]

My tank is not old, only had 2nd half of live rock in for about a week. Just re-did the aquascaping a couple days ago.

As for the clicks, they are about 1-2 seconds apart...then silence for about 20-30, then a couple more. Goes off and on like that most of the day.

I do know for a fact that I have one mantis, just found his hideout this morning, he is less than an inch in lenth (approx.) but the clicks are not coming from his hideouts location. I'll be taking his home out tomorrow to evict him.

Gratuitous tank shot:

 

[Shak]

Small update, the one mantis I had seen just got evicted, pulled out the rock, used some airline tubing to squirt a small amount of freshwater (just in his hole, not entire rock), and out he popped, just as happy as a clam...er....mantis.

Would have posted a pic but just as I got it to focus on him the batteries died.

As a side note, still got tons of clicky clicky going on in tank, so it wasnt this guy.

 

[sakattack7]

What are you doing with the mantis?

What are you doing with the mantis?

are you keeping him? or are you getting rid of him. If you dont want him, I'll take him.

-Sean

 

[Shak]

Right now he is living in a collection cup until I decide what to do with him, hope he doesnt knock a hole in it. Shipping him might be prohibitive, but if you want to pick him up he is all yours.

Anyone else have and more information on the clicking noise, pattern, etc? Still trying to determine if I have another or if its just the silly pistols.

 

[Hwarang]

Don't read too much into the pattern, I for one think that is a bunk rule.

Mainly, because I've never once observed my mantis to bang in any kind of pattern. The sound and frequency of the clicks will vary depending on the type of activity she is currently engaged in. If she is about to make a meal out of a snail, I might hear:

TICK TICK ... TICK ... TICK TICK TICK TICK.

(ok, I just made that up, but to you it should sound like frenzied smashing of shells or exoskeletons).

... but if I am watching her clean some rock or burrow around, I will see that she goes TICK mostly once, but sometimes twice, then checks her handywork by bending her googly eyes down. then she makes another TICK and checks her work again....

The only pattern you might accurately infer from clicking is if it's very rare. Pistol shrimp don't make that noise very often, only as a by-product of aggression (offense, defense, hunting). If you hear frequent little TICK TICK's all day long, you probably are hearing your mantis/mantids digging and making their happy homes.

 

[Dav]

Shak,
Let us all know if you find any. I will gladly ship you a frag of something hardy for you to ship back a nice mantis. Shipping priority during summmer is not that bad. 6.00-7.00.
Dav

 

[Shak]

Whoa...now thats a trade I cant pass up. I found a home for the first one I caught, a local RC member, but since then have spotted at least one more, perhaps two. The second one appeared to be larger 1.5", thats why i think there are two more.

Dav, If/when I catch it, if your offer still stands i'll gladly do a swap with you.

 

[Dav]

Just let me know. I am always up for the stuff others may not want. My mantis I have now is bright green and about 5". He is to the point where I had him take a fiddler crab from my hand.
Only once, I saw what he did next. HAHA. I am really looking for someone other than myself but I do the trade if you will let me.
I could really use two. If you find them I need one larger and one smaller if you end up with three. I fill sure another reefer would gladly trade a frag for another one.
I traded with "Weedhopper" recently and eveything went very smooth.
Dav

 

[Hwarang]

Yeah weedhopper is the guy who hooked me up, he's a straight shootah.

 

[Reggae Reefer]

My mantis I have now is bright green and about 5". He is to the point where I had him take a fiddler crab from my hand.
Dav

Wow, I have a 5 or 6" mantis, and I am not sure if I would try that trick just yet, although I am pretty sure she would just grab the food. Was it hard for you to get the nerve to try that?

 

[Hwarang]

That's super wacky. My little wennerae gives the tweezers a few good whacks every single time I wave food in front of her face.

 

[Dav]

Not the nerve but I didn't relize at the time how much real power they do have. I had one that had a nice hole in a rock where I could see him/her coming. I just held the larger pincher and she hit it and took it away. About 30 min later I had a husk at the front of the hole. Very cool indeed.
Dav