I finally caught it

Josh jones · Mar 13, 2016

so I bought some live rock from Tampa bay since I live here and I wanted to support mom n pops companies. But for the last Month I have been hearing popping sounds and I know it could be 2 things mantis or pistol shrimp. Plus it's been driving me up the wall because there's 2 maybe 3 and these guys go nuts when the lights turn off. So I took the live rock out due to I could not handle it no more and begin squirting fresh warm water in the hole it was in and began shaking in hell out of it and bam he fell out a baby pistol shrimp should I be worried about the other one or two in there here's a picture and what kind is it

briancarterkc · Mar 13, 2016

Dude. Pistol shrimp are awesome. This pic makes me sad.

Josh jones · Mar 13, 2016

briancarterkc said:
Dude. Pistol shrimp are awesome. This pic makes me sad.

I understand bud but I had to find out what it is plus I couldn't take the sounds it sounds like the tank is cracking or there's a gun fight out side there's another one or two and I half to turn my tv up at right to drown out the sounds lol

briancarterkc · Mar 13, 2016

This is what that pistol could have grown into. I have two and they're model citizens.

Josh jones · Mar 13, 2016

briancarterkc said:
This is what that pistol could have grown into. I have two and they're model citizens.

I have 1 or 2 more I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a mantis. But the others are popping a away and as long as there good they can stay

briancarterkc · Mar 13, 2016

Josh jones said:
I have 1 or 2 more I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a mantis. But the others are popping a away and as long as there good they can stay

I'll assume if that baby pistol was still alive the other two are also pistols (a mantis would have probably destroyed him). In which case, I'd hang on to them. If you got the rock from TBS it's probably the same variety as mine.

For something fun, you should look at the selection of shrimp gobies you can get. They pair up and are even more fun (the goby encourages the shrimp to actually come out and play). I can't have one as I have an open top and gobies jump, but I may cover my tank just so I can get a goby to pair up with the shrimp.

Josh jones · Mar 13, 2016

briancarterkc said:
I'll assume if that baby pistol was still alive the other two are also pistols (a mantis would have probably destroyed him). In which case, I'd hang on to them. If you got the rock from TBS it's probably the same variety as mine.

For something fun, you should look at the selection of shrimp gobies you can get. They pair up and are even more fun (the goby encourages the shrimp to actually come out and play). I can't have one as I have an open top and gobies jump, but I may cover my tank just so I can get a goby to pair up with the shrimp.

Yea now that my mind is at ease the others will stay I just had to no and I'll definitely look into getting a goby for them any recommendations?

briancarterkc · Mar 13, 2016

Check out this LA article:
http://m.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=201

Salty1962 · Mar 14, 2016

Yes a goby would be cool and may help the shrimp from making so much noise.

briancarterkc · Mar 14, 2016

Salty1962 said:
Yes a goby would be cool and may help the shrimp from making so much noise.

The shrimp won't stop snapping, regardless of their buddies. It's their thing...just embrace it. I tell my wife and friends that it's shrimp band practice.

Tori · Mar 14, 2016

briancarterkc said:
The shrimp won't stop snapping, regardless of their buddies. It's their thing...just embrace it. I tell my wife and friends that it's shrimp band practice.

Mine must be a model citizen. I got a Randall's pistol and a yellow watchman at the same time and I've only heard him snap a few times. I'm glad because my tank is in my bedroom, although he's not really that loud anyway.

sbash · Mar 14, 2016

Aside from removing the rocks and forcing it out with fresh water, how else could they be located? Something in my tank starts clicking loudly on occasion (usually heard after the lights go out), I cannot figure out where the noise is coming from...

d2mini · Mar 14, 2016

Those are two different pistols.
The one the OP posted is harmless and about as big as they will get. I wouldn't be surprised if you had several more. I think they're cool, unless the tank is in a bedroom. haha
Beneficial to the tank, too.

The red/blue ones are big suckers. I have had one for a couple years. He's now in my 25g after I tore down the 200g.
They can be aggressive. I have yet to have a small goby survive in my tank. Not pointing fingers but....

Wicked5oh · Mar 14, 2016

That's crazy! After i set my tank up I kept hearing a crack or pop sound from time to time... Completely freaked me out I thought my tank was cracking... But I haven't heard any snap sound sense I entroduced my eel to the tank..

davescrews · Mar 14, 2016

The orange and purple one posted is not a goby symbiont, they host aroumd/under curly que anemones.

Squid · Mar 14, 2016

They WILL stop snapping if they have adequate space. They usually only snap when someone is encroaching on their space or if they are doing some aquascaping (I have one that would clip a mermaids fan I had and use the clippings to build a little hut, the other only makes noise when someone's in his bubble)

Josh jones · Mar 14, 2016

Squid said:
They WILL stop snapping if they have adequate space. They usually only snap when someone is encroaching on their space or if they are doing some aquascaping (I have one that would clip a mermaids fan I had and use the clippings to build a little hut, the other only makes noise when someone's in his bubble)

Yea I have like 2 mabe 3 and they all live in the rock but when the snails come around that's when they freak out and it sounds like a gun fights in there and I'm not sure if they talk to one another but they get cranked up at lights out but I caught one and now I know it's not a mantis so the others can stay and live happy as long as they behave I'll just half to turn my tv up lol

briancarterkc · Mar 14, 2016

Squid said:
They WILL stop snapping if they have adequate space. They usually only snap when someone is encroaching on their space or if they are doing some aquascaping (I have one that would clip a mermaids fan I had and use the clippings to build a little hut, the other only makes noise when someone's in his bubble)

My rock (and I assume OP's because our rock came from the same place) came with an amazing quantity of porcelain crabs, hermits, and other sundry good hitchhikers (and some bad ones that have been banished). Enough that it's likely there will always be someone in/around the shrimps' lair(s).

briancarterkc · Mar 14, 2016

briancarterkc said:
My rock (and I assume OP's because our rock came from the same place) came with an amazing quantity of porcelain crabs, hermits, and other sundry good hitchhikers (and some bad ones that have been banished). Enough that it's likely there will always be someone in/around the shrimps' lair(s).

Also, yes...the aquascaping. It might also be because about once a week I go in and cave in all their craters and holes so they keep busy. Seeing the things they decide to pull into their hole from outside and what they throw out from their hole is entertaining. To the point about how many folks say they're mean/nasty...I've seen mine dart out of their lair more than once with a hermit in their non-snapping claw and deposit them gently back outside.

Squid · Mar 15, 2016

briancarterkc said:
My rock (and I assume OP's because our rock came from the same place) came with an amazing quantity of porcelain crabs, hermits, and other sundry good hitchhikers (and some bad ones that have been banished). Enough that it's likely there will always be someone in/around the shrimps' lair(s).

I have 100s of snails and hundreds of hermits plus all the other hitchhikers and couple of pistols. So I probably have much more than both of ya and can say that eventually all those other creatures will learn to stay away from the pistol caves unless of course if there just isn't enough room