Click Click!

[andywg]

A quick bit of musings here. At night I can often hear a clicking or tapping noise from the tank. An initial fear of a mantis shrimp appears not to hold up to the fact that I have been hearing it for months now and in that time the only unexplained fish loss is a dartfish while I was on honeymoon. Considering how lightly I feed the tank I do not believe a mantis would have gone that long without taking something else.

Despite shining a little light in the tank this morning, I can see nothing that would cause this. I had the thought of perhaps a snail or hermit tapping on the glass, but it sounds a bit rapid for that. I also do not own a pistol shrimp.

Any thoughts on potential suspects?

 

[Esfa]

I know nothing about marine, but could it be any equiptment? Or the waterflow pushing something against the glass?

 

[andywg]

Nope, no equipment, or else it would be heard during the day as well. The waterflow in the tank is not directional enough to push something against the glass as it is all from Nano Streams. In fact, the powerheads are the only piece of equipment in the tank at the moment.

 

[craigybaby37]

well i knowtised clicking from my tank for a long time before i happened to catch a glimps of a mantis spose u could set up the old bottle trick just to be sure.......and the whole time it was in my tank it never took out a single fish or anything.

But another thing i have knowtised is since ive had my nassuris snails in the tank whentneh lights go off they will climb the glass and if they happen to be in a strong current there shell will tap on the glass intil they move out the current.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Ah that's what I was going to say, I get clicking but it's usually just shells bumping the glass.

 

[SkiFletch]

Back when I had them, my hermits would make a clicking noise everynow and again when fighiting. The larger of the hermits would grab the others' shell and slam their own into it. Wierd stuff there.

 

[steelhealr]

andy...I'm sure that you already know that if the pattern is regular, it is probably mechanical. If not, the most common 'clickers' are mantis shrimps and pistols. Is it possible you added something recently that may have had a hitchhiker on it?

You could always set a trap to see if it is a mantis. SH

 

[andywg]

It's not regular at all, and only occurs at night. At night only pumps are running as the skimmer shuts down.

To be honest it wouldn't surprise me if it is a mantis. This tank already has Aiptasia and Mojano, might as well get the triple play on nasty hitchhikers. The only thing added to the display tank in the last few months has been a rose anemone yesterday, and the clicking pre-dates this.

Looks like I may well be setting a trap before too long, just to see. Will make a pretty bit of live food for one of the frogs if it is a mantis

 

[1entra]

Let us know how you get on with the trap andy as I also keep getting irregular clicking in my tank mainly at night and although I believe it may be a mantis or pistol shrimp, I have not seen or been able to catch it. I have used a bottle trap and caught near anough every member of my CUC inlcuding my cleaner shrimp but nothing else! I even resorted to taking out all my LR and dipped it in both FW and carbonated water but still got nothing although the dips supressed the clicking for a week or so but it have returned!

I'l be following this thread closely to see how you get on and help me as I've also gto a similar problem.

 

[jeasko]

Andy
A possible solution for you that isnt a mantis or psitol shrimp.

As we all use high intensity lighting that emmits a high amount of heat I have noticed that when my lights go out the lid starts to click as it contracts due to getting cold, this took me a long time to find this as my large hermit was close to the glass causing a tapping that sounded very similar, no guarantees here but it is a possible solution

Having said that I know somewhere in my tank there is a mantis as saw it a few months back when it was about 10mm but it has been silent so far which according to some is typical of a mantis as its a pistol that makes the clicking noise

 

[SkiFletch]

Also one other piece of note Andy. There are many species of very small pistol shrimp <1cm in length that can also make clicking noises. Just food for thought

 

[showjyr]

This one's out there but do you have a Lawnmower Blenny? At night mine will pick up and spit out pieces of aragonite...usually at the glass. It makes a clicking noise and he will go at this for an hour or more. I didn't know what it was until I saw him do it during the day.

 

[andywg]

Andy
A possible solution for you that isnt a mantis or psitol shrimp.

As we all use high intensity lighting that emmits a high amount of heat I have noticed that when my lights go out the lid starts to click as it contracts due to getting cold, this took me a long time to find this as my large hermit was close to the glass causing a tapping that sounded very similar, no guarantees here but it is a possible solution

Having said that I know somewhere in my tank there is a mantis as saw it a few months back when it was about 10mm but it has been silent so far which according to some is typical of a mantis as its a pistol that makes the clicking noise

Were it not for the fact I was listening to it this morning at 9am and the last lights went out at 11pm last night I would look that way, but I doubt the hood has taken that long to cool down.

Also one other piece of note Andy. There are many species of very small pistol shrimp <1cm in length that can also make clicking noises. Just food for thought

Hmm. Could be, though I am frankly surprised something that size has lived this long with an invert eating moray and a comet in the tank.

This one's out there but do you have a Lawnmower Blenny? At night mine will pick up and spit out pieces of aragonite...usually at the glass. It makes a clicking noise and he will go at this for an hour or more. I didn't know what it was until I saw him do it during the day.

No lawnmower blenny for Andy.


At the moment I am erring towards snails/hermits messing around. I know I have previously heard tapping in the day before at least once and it turned out to be the clean up crew on the glass. To be honest, until something goes missing I will not massively worry.

 

[chrissaysyes]

To be honest, until something goes missing I will not massively worry.

Hope it doesnt come to that!

Like you said, a lot of clicking/potentially "dangerous" inverts wouldnt be safe from predation from your other inhabitants. You're probably right about it being the CUC bumping around.

 

[connorsbala]

My turbo snails at night twist there shells around somehow which makes a loud clinking noise....