Mantis or Pistol Shrimp?

[mseepman]

Oscar,

I just bought a pistol/goby pair for my "in progress" nano tank. They are very cool when in a pair.

It sounds to me like you have a pistol shrimp in there somewhere. Usually they are harmless to to most things except other shrimp, like cleaners, etc.

I would keep looking with the flashlight, but I wouldn't worry too much.

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by mseepman

Oscar,

I just bought a pistol/goby pair for my "in progress" nano tank. They are very cool when in a pair.

It sounds to me like you have a pistol shrimp in there somewhere. Usually they are harmless to to most things except other shrimp, like cleaners, etc.

I would keep looking with the flashlight, but I wouldn't worry too much.

The pistol would explain the molt that floated by. I will keep my eyes open. I had been thinking of getting some cleaner shrimp but I will wait until I know what is lurking in the tank.

[nats]

I have a small pistol shrimp in my tank. It is always moving the sand around to make his burrow. He sometimes piles the sand up pretty high and changes location often. Have you seen rocks or sand collecting up in piles?

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by nats

I have a small pistol shrimp in my tank. It is always moving the sand around to make his burrow. He sometimes piles the sand up pretty high and changes location often. Have you seen rocks or sand collecting up in piles?

No nothing like that.

Although when I got home last night I discovered a crab molt. I have not ID'd it yet, I will try to post a photo tonight. No idea I had a crab in there. And then this morning I discovered the 3rd lobster molt in 2 months.

So at least 2 of the critters are feeding well.

And I heard more clicking this morning.

[Oscar]

Well I still hear the occasional clicking but other than a molts a few months ago no sign of a pistol shrimp. I removed a hitchhiker crab a few weeks ago.

I do have one suspicious pile of sand in one corner of my tank that has been there a few months. I have changed the water flow thinkig it might be a "dead spot" but it is still there. Looks like an ant hill with no real opening.

Before I add a shrimp goby to the tank I would like to confirm I have a pistol shrimp in residence. Will dismantling the ant hill tell me anything
? Any other tricks?

[Snaz]

I have a heard a clicking for 3 months since I inherited a 12g nano and never seen a molt or anything to suggest what it is. Always two fast clicks together, "cliclk-click!".

No missing inhabitants, no empty snail shells so I think it is a pistol. I have looked everywhere and being only 12g I should have seen something by now!

[Whatigot]

there are so many different types of pistols, and thy are not all of the same temperment.
I assure you that some pistols are capable of killing fish and may even prefer fish to anything else.

When I first set up my tank, I literally had between 10 and 15 pistols that came with the 70 lbs of cuban LR I bought.
I didn't feed my tank at all for the first couple months as it cycled etc.
As soon as i dropped fish in there (a gramma and a clown gobie) the clicking really started and I noticed these shrimp for the first time (although I had heard SOME clicking before, this was concentrated).
It took about 3 days for both fish to dissapear.

I feed my tank now and that helps, but if a fish gets too close to a pistol lair (the kind I had hitchike are not sand burrowers, they live in the LR) SNAP.


People always base their opinions on their experience and the tiger pistols (I actually bought one of them and hate his burrowing now) along with the other LFS varieties don't seem to be anywhere near as aggressive as the ones I recieved as a LR bonus, this is my opinion based on my experience.