pistol shrimp loud
 

Ok people say pistol shrimp have a "loud" snapping sound. How loud is loud? I work around jet engines all day, they are loud, I have to wear earplugs. Am I going to have to wear earplugs in my house? How far away can you hear these things and how loud are they really?

They aren't that loud, but I have heard them from another room, and even been woken up at night once or twice.

how far is your tank from your sleeping quarters?

it isn't too loud, just imagine two marbles hitting each other. that's kind of what they sound like.

Mine always sounds like a small piece of rock falling inside the tank and bumping the glass.

My tank is right beside the bed, on my side. It was more the "shock" of the noise in the silence then the actual intensity of the sound.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11427595#post11427595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buddythelion [/i]
[B]it isn't too loud, just imagine two marbles hitting each other. that's kind of what they sound like. [/B][/QUOTE]

That is the best description of the sound they make.

two marbles is the best description i have heard... I as going to say like snapping your fingers but not quite that loud. I can readily hear my pistol about 10 feet away from the aquarium while watching tv but it doesnt bother me too much.

why do they make that noise? Is it to scare predators away or what?

It is a combination, they do it to avoid being eaten and they do it to stun their prey.

i think mine does it out of spite...

Snapping and the water jets it sets off are also a means of communication between individuals of the same species.

Its funny when you have a bunch of them in a tank. Sometimes when they're communicating, sounds like a tiny war zone. Like a bag of marbles in a bag.

like a bag of marbles in a bag eh?


hehehe...

sorry, it was a long day at work.. ( hamster was getting tired spinning the wheel at that moment ).

can you keep more then one in a tank? cuz that would be so cool to dedicate a tank just to pistol shrimps, lol. would be cool but i don't think they can be kept together in a nano or something...

I still have a hand full of them, originally when I first got my 100lbs of TBS live rock, I counted roughly a dozen or so. Small and big ( 1 1/2" ) roughly.

Oh sweet! Thanks for the information. :D