What else makes loud popping noises?

There is an extremely loud popping noise coming from my tank.

I know I don't have a mantis or pistol shrimp because my mantis died, so unless something hitch hiked in on the dry rock from reef cleaners and stays hidden very well. :

Live stock is:
one three stripe damsel
two hermit crabs
hundreds of snails (dwarf cerith, florida cerith, and nerite)
lots of spirorbid worms
some bristle worms

equipment:
20 gal long glass tank. (got at petco unsure of brand)
Aqueon quietflow 10 power filter
AquaEuroUSA Nano protein skimmer 2
All-Glass 30" aquarium t8 florescent fixture (cheapo one)
Toms aqua-lifter supplying DIY windowsill fuge


At first I thought it was snails or crabs banging their shells against the glass but it seems much to loud to be that.

 

Just the other day I was reading about a kind of pistol shrimp that makes that noise and is often mistaken for a mantis shrimp (based upon sound). Dunno! Just something I read! lol

 

Definitely can't be a pistol shrimp although the sound is what I would imagine a pistol shrimp to sound like.

All the rock was dry except for a really small piece, so the pistol shrimp would have to be <1" to hitchhike and he would have been living with two different mantis shrimps for over a year. One of which was almost 3"

 

Don't snapping shrimp make a racket?

 

Yeah! That's what I read about - a Japanese snapping shrimp!

But since you had all base rock, I doubt that's it.

 

Yeah I think I would notice the goings on of a pistol shrimp in a 20 gal aquarium. Unless it never emerged from under the rocks?

I did find this while searching though:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/general-reef-topics/can-fish-make-noises-70464.html

The damsel seems the only thing in the tank large enough to make that noise, and I know Curt knows his stuff so thats what I am going with.

Perhaps I should use the search button before making a new thread next time. ;D

 

Oh weird! I know angels and triggers can be loud, but I didn't know about clowns and damsels!

 

the crabs could be taking over new shells of the snails there eating for dinner! ive heard them pop when they get in and push the air out of the shell

 

Hrm. Interesting. I will be more observant of the shells my crabs are wearing and see if the popping coincides with shell swapping.

Thanks for pointing this out.

 

I've seen hitchhiker pistols that are only 2 or 3 mm long.