Pistol shrimp?

HiepNotik

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Jan 12, 2008
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I don't even know where to start, well I have a 10g nano, and recently about 1-2 weeks I have seen these 2 holes under my LR where the sand has been dug out, and today a third hole, the other day I saw a big claw coming out but it quickly went back in, then today when I was looking at my pods (no fish....)saw the claw again but it went back in again, I'm not sure what it is, but I think its a pistol shrimp, at night I hear snaping snaping, but my heater visi therm does the same clicking when it turns on and off, but not quick, this snapping goes pretty fast. man I'm kinnda scared and kindda freaked out, not sure what it is, hope its not a mantis shrimp, cause I really don't want a crack aquarium, but then again a mantis shrimps is **** cool. can somone tell from my discription that its a pistol shrimp?

1. holes
2. snaping
3 1 claw is bigger then the other.

pistol shrimp?
 
I wouod say thats a pistol shrimp because your seeing the claw...This is one of the main differences between a pistol and mantis. A pistol walks around with the larger of teh two claws out in front of it, where are the mantis always has its appendages retracted up to its body..The eyes are another give away sign too....A pistol's eyes are retracted on the body, where as a mantis, are stalked eyes....

So, based on what you have said, i would say pistol.
 
having a pistol shrimp bad? will it harm other inverts like my crab or snail? maybe thats why my peppermint shrimp all of a sudden died?
 
Personaly, i've not had any problems with them, but its always well fed..Same as any inhabitant, there is no saying one is going to act the same as the next in line...that goes for hermits, fish or whichever...
 
That clicking clicking just drives me crazy!
 
I have a pistol (billy lol)in my tank that i put in on purpose for my yellow watchman goby hoping that they would pair up..nothing yet and since i made the move to the 75g haven't heard or seen him..i know he is in the tank cause i sifted thru the sand in the old tank when it was empty and he was not there..i am hoping he made the move okay
:(
I have never had a problem with it..if it was in my bedroom that would be another story haha
 
Sounds like a pistol shrimp. It should be fine to leave him in there as long as he isn't a species that gets too large. The larger species can go after other shrimp or fish. You could always get a trap to take a look at him and post a picture to decide if he is a safe species.

I have never had a problem with it..if it was in my bedroom that would be another story haha

lol I actually have my 10G with the pistol shrimp right by my bedside. He hasn't been annoying. I will sometimes hear a couple of snaps in a row and then silence for the next 7-8 hours.
 
so how would I trap him? the snapping is fine by me, but what I really want is to see him, I mean all I have seen is the whiskers, and claw. So is the trap something I can make?
 
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