Pistol and Mantis shrimp

[Gaters]

Hi, does anybody happen to have any good links to id and characteristics of these 2 please. I thought i had a mantis but last night when having a night time look i've found a burrow in the sand under the rock. Now i could see a shrimp moving sand out of the burrow and can hear loud cracks but i'm not 100% its a pistol (hope so though). My reasons are sometimes i can hear multiple cracks and sometimes they are more of a thud. Do mantis burrow in the sand or just rock? I think i have seen a white tail and bright green body but aren't sure-are there any pistols this colour? Finally, i have lost 3 sexy shrimp within days of them going in (they were acclimatised properly) but i got the tiniest scooter blenny from Macca last week and it's been fine so far. Would a mantis have eaten him? Any help would be appreciated cheers.

[Tangman]

Hi Neil Pistols tend to have a crack like a gunshot, where as Mantis give a dull thud like you punching something. Both burrow in the sand and make homes in them, as for taking fish a full grown Mantis will but a Pistol would be a bit small. Its hard to say if they have taken your sexy shrimps or not as the could have died. People give them bad press but its only nature as they have to live as well. Its rare to get a big mantis in your tank as when the rock is collected they usually bolt for cover, but you can get small ones 2 or 3 inch long as Macca found out the other week. HTH Twiggy:D:D

[Gaters]

Eric, that's why i'm a bit confused. Sometimes, like last night, it's a proper crack like glass and sometimes it's more of a thud. I think it was a small pistol, i saw a pistol like claw. I'm just preying i don't have both in the tank! The sexy disappeared over the space of a week-they only appeared at night. Speaking of things Macca found-i found at least 3 maybe 4 eunice worms while looking for the elusive shrimp as well-have you ever heard of them breeding? Not as big as Macca's beast though!!! Cheers

[fishface]

Eric, that's why i'm a bit confused. Sometimes, like last night, it's a proper crack like glass and sometimes it's more of a thud. I think it was a small pistol, i saw a pistol like claw. I'm just preying i don't have both in the tank! The sexy disappeared over the space of a week-they only appeared at night. Speaking of things Macca found-i found at least 3 maybe 4 eunice worms while looking for the elusive shrimp as well-have you ever heard of them breeding? Not as big as Macca's beast though!!! Cheers

with the pistol u will see lots of sand pilling up with mantis it will build a rock cave with a couple of entries also pistol has long arm with claw on mantis none alan

[Gaters]

with the pistol u will see lots of sand pilling up with mantis it will build a rock cave with a couple of entries also pistol has long arm with claw on mantis none alan

That's what i wanted some way to tell the difference without actually seeing or catching the animal. Cheers It seems to be pointing more towards a pistol as it's piled the sand outside like a bulldozer would.

[marinemike]

just get a yellow watchmans gobie,then you'll see if its a pistol shrimp as they will pair up.

[Gaters]

just get a yellow watchmans gobie,then you'll see if its a pistol shrimp as they will pair up.

Knowing my luck it would be a pistol but one of the ones that doesn't cohabit with the goby:(

[Gaters]

with the pistol u will see lots of sand pilling up with mantis it will build a rock cave with a couple of entries also pistol has long arm with claw on mantis none alan

Bit of an update-it appears to be a mantis-there's a cave under my rock with 3/4 entrances and the deciding factor was this morning. I have a few empty 'hermit homes' shells knocking around in the tank. 1 is right at the front of the tank and when i got up this morning there's a hole in the top of the shell that wasn't there when i went to bed. It looks like a 'bullet hole' so i presume i have a smasher that i need to get out asap. Does anybody want a mantis when i get it out as i don't want to flush it and my sump isn't up and running yet. If anybody has any tips on removal that would be great.:D

[marinemike]

looks like time to get Big tank going and strip the small 1,that way you can get to mantis.

[Gaters]

I know, i know, i intend to plumb in ro unit this week and start the big fill. How much water do you get from your's mike? My water pressure to the house is fairly high so it should fill fairly quickly with a bit of luck.