Critter Question

[kp1917]

Two questions:

1. I have new(ish) tiny little white (clear) shrimp like creatures running all over the rock. I've seen dozens of them. What the heck are they and do I need to kill/trap them?

2. After having this tank for 4 yrs and moving it twice, I am hearing an occasional click at night that leads me to believe that I have a pistol shrimp. (Two clicks only at a time). Anyway, I have never seen this animal in the 4 yrs. Is this possible? I stay up and look in the tank at night like every other reef nerd.

 

[HowardW]

1. Sounds like it could just be amphipods which are generally of no concern and fish eat them.


2. Pistol shrimp can be very secretive, and you may never find him.

 

[kp1917]

To question #2: Never?

 

[Eldouble]

I have pulled my 140 lbs out 3 times to find the clicker... still there. I sleep through it now. And no, I've never seen the bugger either.

 

[geehh]

My TBS tank became live in September. So far I've found 3 Mantis Shrimp and I know that there is at least one more in the tank.

The last one I nicknamed Houdini! I'd divided my rocks into 3 sections and put some acrylic in the tank to divide it an keep any critters from bolting to other rock. Then I removed each rock in that section one by one. I carefully inspected each rock, and fresh water dipped the one where I thought the mantis was. Nothing. Eventually put 'em all back. Naturally the clicking started within minutes.

The next day I was feeding the tank and I saw the Mantis looking at me out of a hole in the rock that I'd dipped. Ah Ha--I'm going to get you out right after dinner! I came back two hours later and there was no hole in the rock! It was literally invisable. I took the rock out and looked at the back and saw no hole, but a slight depression. I poked at the depression with tweasers and knocked out the plug that he'd made. He'd barracaded himself into the rock! He's now in my 'fuge...

 

[Eldouble]

Dont think the continuous clicking is coming only from the Mantis... more than likely its the pistol shrimp. When I had a wet dry filter, I would find them in the filterpad, about 1/2 inch long, mostly clear with a large blue clicker claw. Even at that size, they would emit a rather loud clicking noise that could be heard across the room. I have a mantis in his own tank, and I never ever hear him. Even when hes fed the gorillas, the clicking is almost inaudible and is only 2 or 3 times. So unless you mantis in the tank is eating you cleanup crews in a week, I think you have a pistol.