I have a tank mystery

[Lavey29]

The past couple months I hear this intermittent loud snapping sound coming from the tank. One would think that a mantis or pistol shrimp was in the tank but I have neither. I have a couple fire shrimp, peppers. Pitho crabs and a banded shrimp.

I've had banded shrimp previously but have never heard this loud cracking sound before. Do you guys think the banded shrimp is snap cracking something in the rocks somewhere? He is generally hidden during the day when I hear the sounds and comes out at night

 

[KrisReef]

I have never had any of these creatures to know what you are hearing. I also wear hearing aids so I can get the blame from the misses. Do you eat Rice Krispies in your house?

Bumping for a little snap, crackle & pop mystery.

 

[exnisstech]

I had a huge coral banded shrimp a few years back in my bedroom tank and never heard anything like you describe.

 

[Lavey29]

I had a huge coral banded shrimp a few years back in my bedroom tank and never heard anything like you describe.

Thanks, yes mine is huge too

 

[kevgib67]

The past couple months I hear this intermittent loud snapping sound coming from the tank. One would think that a mantis or pistol shrimp was in the tank but I have neither. I have a couple fire shrimp, peppers. Pitho crabs and a banded shrimp.

I've had banded shrimp previously but have never heard this loud cracking sound before. Do you guys think the banded shrimp is snap cracking something in the rocks somewhere? He is generally hidden during the day when I hear the sounds and comes out at night

Good afternoon, do you have a diamond watchman goby? Mine constantly picks up hermits and snails that get to close to his burrow and gives them a ride across the tank and spits them against the glass resulting in loud crack sound.

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks, yes mine is huge too

Ok, so I was picking up some live rock and one of these critters came on into the box. I saw it and gave it back to the shop because I didn’t want it in my system.

Based upon a few posts I suspect that you have one that snuck in.

 

[Idech]

Do you have snails ? I have some that will rotate their shell and it makes a repeated cracking sound. It took me a long time to figure out what it was. I can’t remember which snails but maybe trochus. They were the big ones, not small like cerith.

 

[Lavey29]

Good afternoon, do you have a diamond watchman goby? Mine constantly picks up hermits and snails that get to close to his burrow and gives them a ride across the tank and spits them against the glass resulting in loud crack sound.

No goby, there is an indigo dottyback that I have seen pick up snails and toss them.

 

[Lavey29]

Do you have snails ? I have some that will rotate their shell and it makes a repeated cracking sound. It took me a long time to figure out what it was. I can’t remember which snails but maybe trochus. They were the big ones, not small like cerith.

I have seen my snails do this to but this popping sound is different and louder.

 

[Lavey29]

Ok, so I was picking up some live rock and one of these critters came on into the box. I saw it and gave it back to the shop because I didn’t want it in my system.

Based upon a few posts I suspect that you have one that snuck in.

My tank is 4 years old and started with dead rock. Unless some egg got into the tank on a coral and an unknown critter hatched.

 

[littlefoxx]

Is it anything mechanical?? Never heard of a banded shrimp doing that!

 

[littlefoxx]

Or maybe a mantis shrimp egg came in on corals or something and its just now big enough that you can hear it punching things?

 

[Lavey29]

Is it anything mechanical?? Never heard of a banded shrimp doing that!

No it's definitely in the water and sporadic no pattern to it. As Kevin mentioned above, perhaps my dottyback is smashing snails by tossing them against the rock in the caves but I have not noticed any decline in my snail count.

 

[Lavey29]

Or maybe a mantis shrimp egg came in on corals or something and its just now big enough that you can hear it punching things?

That's possible but I have not added a coral in a year or more.

 

[VintageReefer]

Could it be a snail shell vibrating against a powerhead?

 

[Lavey29]

Could it be a snail shell vibrating against a powerhead?

No, as I already mentioned this, I have seen my snails do this multiple times over the years. This sound is a single loud snap Crack sound from inside the caves it seems.

 

[Idech]

No, as I already mentioned this, I have seen my snails do this multiple times over the years. This sound is a single loud snap Crack sound from inside the caves it seems.

Could it be a pistol shrimp that got in somehow ?

 

[Koty]

Bengali Cardinals make loud clicking noises and yellow tamarin wrasse makes a very loud noise biting the rocks

 

[Lavey29]

Could it be a pistol shrimp that got in somehow ?

I doubt it. No new coral in like a year so not sure how he would get here. I've never seen sand burrow either

 

[Lavey29]

Bengali Cardinals make loud clicking noises and yellow tamarin wrasse makes a very loud noise biting the rocks

Don't have any of those fish