Do I Have A Mantis Shrimp In My Nano Reef Tank?

[rdoct7117]

Sorry if this is a repeat post... im brand new to this forum thing and am still getting used to this stuff.


Mantis shrimp???
So I have a 24 gal JBJ Nano (reef running for over 2 years.) I have recently added some new corals to the tank that already came attached to rock work. Ever since then (6 months now) I hear a loud clicking noise from my tank usually at night. I have noticed very small pieces of live rock sitting on the sand bed and didnt readily know where they were coming from. I have 3 emerald crabs in the tank and originally thought them to be the cause of the clicking. However, this clicking is very fast and it is usually more than 4 clicks at a time. I noticed a small hole in the side of one of the rocks sitting on the sand and when I shine a light into the hole I see what looks like a large amphipod or baby shrimp (too hard to see from my angle and its dark in the hole) When I shine a light inside the critter darts out of view into a tunnel in the rock. Is this a mantis shrimp? the hole is only a 1/4" wide and the critter is very small ( aprox the size of 6 cm if i had to guess) I have never seen anything in the open that resembles a mantis and the tank is nowhere near new. I cant keep sand sifting stars for longer than a week without them disapearing and have lost tons of hermits. please help if possible? Much thanks.

 

[AJ Tudor]

It definately sounds like either a pistol or mantis shrimp due to the loss of hermits and the clicking (I believe pistols make more of a popping noise but I could be mistaken). Turn the light off at night as usual at night and wait a while, flick the light back on and see if anything out of the ordinary is wandering around your tank. Bear in mind this advice comes from research not experience but if it was me, I'd suspect either a pistol or a mantis as they do arrive in live rock sometimes.

 

[rdoct7117]

It definately sounds like either a pistol or mantis shrimp due to the loss of hermits and the clicking (I believe pistols make more of a popping noise but I could be mistaken). Turn the light off at night as usual at night and wait a while, flick the light back on and see if anything out of the ordinary is wandering around your tank. Bear in mind this advice comes from research not experience but if it was me, I'd suspect either a pistol or a mantis as they do arrive in live rock sometimes.

Thanks for the speedy reply!! I have tried to catch whatever it is, out wondering around. I have tried feverishly to catch a good glimpse of him but it is proving impossible. Can mantis shrimp be that small? He is so tiny. I did notice that the hole in the rock is actually larger today than it was yesterday.... The rock he is in, is the rock that my pink goniopora coral is covering. I just got it last week and I know for a fact that the clicking has been going on for months prior to the new coral addition. I also noticed that some of the empty hermit shells have holes in the shell itself when they never had that before....

 

[xxBarneyxx]

It does should a lot like it could be a mantis (enlarged rockwork, lots of clicking and smashed shells). Depending on what speicies it is you will probably want to get it out. I'm not sure on the best method for this (other then removing the rock and squirting RO water at it to try and make it run out. Watch your fingers with it though and try not to kill it (some people like to keep these and if its a more colourful one you will most likely be able to find a new home for it somewhere).