pistol shrimp break glass myth?

So I have heard they can and can't. I really doubt everyone would be pairing them with watchman if they did but wanted to get a lil more input on this issue before I make my purchase.

 

I believe it's just a myth, probably started by someone who just thought it might be possible. I've never heard of it actually happening. Some mantis species, however, have been known to crack their tank.

 

Myth IME.

 

My pistol shrimp makes this popping noise that is kind of similar to a crack in a glass thats spreading. Maybe that's how the myth might have started?? Idk? But he is small enough so I'm not worried that the glass is indeed cracking.

 

Pistols can't. Mantis Shrimps on the other hand...

 

Mantis shrimps can't either except for extremely large species in tanks too small for them.

posted with tapatalk please ignore bad spelling and grammar

 

i think a mantis has to be at least 4" to crack glass. so it would have to be a big pistol to even be capable.

 

Also depends on the thickness and the iron content of the glass.

 

In an old weak tank with a big pistol if he went right up to the glass and 'popped' ... just maybe

Under normal circumstances no they cannot. Mine is close to 3" now and I hear him popping every now and again (more when I put in feeder shrimp for him to mow down on...), but my glass tank is still fine.

 

Dr. Roy (Berkley), is probably the worlds leading expert in stomatopods (mantis), and has only seen a mantis break glass a few times. Even then it was glass in a small tank that was too thin to properly house a very large grown smasher type mantis. Even then the mantis didnt walk up and wack the glass, it was typically taunted into doing it. You do run the hazard of them striking the bottom glass as they dig, and the potential is there for glass to be weak or have imperfections that could lead to failure. There is also the potential as they dig to run along the seem and weaken the glue holding the pains together and cause a leak or again a weakness they might hit.

Ask or google around and the happenings of a mantis breaking glass are almost extremely always coming from a friend, of a friend, of a guy that knew a sisters brothers uncle, who had a friend that it happened to.

Plus if it happened in reality sure some jacka$$ wouldve done it purely for the stupidity value of posting it on youtube by now.

As far as a pistol shrimp, I dont think I have ever heard of that happening.