Pistol Shrimp/Behavior 4/22/08
Hi,
<Hello Melaine or is it Melanie?>
I am rather humorously writing about hosting confusion going on in my tank! First I had two clownfish for about two years. Then I put in a Pistol Shrimp. About 8 months later I put in a Long Tentacled Anemone. After about a month, the Pistol Shrimp claimed the LTA. Kind of cute to watch it crawl around in it, "whipping" it with its antennae. They have maintained this relationship for the last 7 months. The clownfish wanted nothing to do with the LTA. About three months ago, my daughter shut down her tank and I was given her pink/blue Spotted Watchman Goby. After being in the tank a few weeks, the goby "decided" it wants to host with the shrimp but can't quite get close enough to it without the LTA getting in the way. Now, in just the last two days, the clownfish have starting hosting with the LTA, which sets the Pistol Shrimp to popping and hiding under its rock, and the goby picking up shells, snails and whatever else it can carry and stacking at the edge of the hole for the pistol shrimp. My question is, should I let this continue as is, or should I move the rock the LTA is attached to that the pistol shrimp hides under, to the other side of the tank, leaving the shrimp with a different rock, so the goby can tend to him? Which would be the least stressful to this confused, busy little group?
<Let nature take it's course. I'm sure in due time, both the shrimp and goby will share a home. Do read FAQ's here on this behavior. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alphbehf.htm>
Thank you,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Melaine

Re: Pistol Shrimp/Behavior 4/23/08
Hi,
<Hello Melaine>
Thanks much for your answer. Melaine is correct, it is not Melanie. Often gets changed to that though.
<Unusual name, but nice. My wife changes my name occasionally, but I can't print the other names here, Bob would delete before posting.>
Thanks again,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Melaine

Traveling Pistol, Alpheid beh.  02/12/2008
Hello all, as always I hope this question finds you well.
<<Hello, Andrew here. Fine thank you>>
I have had a pistol shrimp and partner goby in my tank for a couple weeks now, seem quite healthy and quite fascinating too watch. I just have two quick questions.
1. I have been spot feeding them they seem to enjoy the food, just curious if there is anything specific I should be feeding them? (I can't seem to find much on this in the F.A.Q's)
<<There is nothing specific you need to feed these besides normal food for goby's like Brine, Mysis, Ocean Nutrition, frozen prepared food etc etc>>
2. I understand that the pistol will constantly work and upgrade their home, but mine seems to close his doors at home, and dig a new one about three times a day. Quite often returning to his old "digs" just to change again.
I guess my question is, is this a "normal" activity?
<<Yes, this is very normal activity. Sometimes I've found that if the shrimp chooses to close up an entrance, it can mean that its not happy with the substrate in that particular area. This is common in tanks that only have sugar fine reef sand as the substrate>>
Thanks in advance for your response, Steve
<<Thanks for the questions Steve...Regards, A Nixon>>

How does one encourage a pistol shrimp/goby to move to a new location? + other?s
Hello,
>>Hi, Travis.
>I started my first reef tank about six weeks ago.  The tank is a thirteen gallon with about fifteen pounds of live rock, some corals, a tube worm, blue legged hermits, and Astrea snails.  The only other inhabitants are a yellow watchman goby and pistol shrimp pair.  Tank has about 60 watts of light, and a protein skimmer that came with the tank.  The tank and skimmer were made by CPR.  I feed my tube worm about a grain of rice worth of Black Powder around once a week.  Is the Black Powder a sufficient food for the worm?  Should I feed the worm more often? 
>>I like to see a variety of foods offered, and if you can see your way clear a culture of rotifers offered to all the filter feeders would be helpful, same thing with plankton in general.  Some also really appreciate getting the "juice" that's exuded from foods such as squid, clams, shrimp, and fish.  Also, you would want to keep an eye on both alkalinity (buffering capacity of the water) as well as your calcium levels.  If you feed but have insufficient biomineral availability you might not see the growth you should.
>>As for frequency of feedings, I would like to see them feed a bit more frequently--remember, in nature they're feeding daily.
>Also, much of the bottom of my tank is covered with live rock except for a small patch of sand (approximately 6"/6").  Unfortunately, my shrimp and goby have decided to set up home behind the live rock where I cannot see them.  Sometimes the goby peeks around the rock and the shrimp snaps, so I know they are there.  How can I encourage them to take up residence in the open spot so that I can see them?
>>This last problem is a much more difficult issue, as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, eh?  The only thing I can offer you is to use a combination of feeding ONLY in a certain area, and possibly recreating the structure that they're so fond of in a more easily viewable area.  Otherwise strategically placed mirrors have been my own solution, though it's never really bothered me that I can't see some things.  I'm just happy to know that they're there and thriving.
>>I would also like to encourage you to consider the addition in the future of a refugium.  The development of a 'fuge with a deep sand bed would be of so much benefit you would end up being quite happy with the time and investment.  Good luck!  Marina
Thank you very much for your help.  Travis.

Pistol shrimp and goby 3/30/03
I started my first reef tank about six weeks ago.  The tank is a thirteen gallon with about fifteen pounds of live rock, some corals, a tube worm, blue legged hermits, and Astrea snails.  The only other inhabitants are a yellow watchman goby and pistol shrimp pair. How does one encourage a pistol shrimp/goby to move to a new location?
<you may encourage the move by providing a tube (plastic pipe) buried in the sand under a rock. They often find this hospitable. Best regards, Anthony>

- Ever Heard of... -
Hi guys,
I work at the Aquatic Warehouse in San Diego, CA. I have seen a type of pistol shrimp while working there that I cannot seem to find the scientific name or mention of anywhere.  Have any of you ever heard of a Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp... or Miniature Pistol Shrimp? <Not familiar with those common names, but that doesn't mean much as often common names are ad hoc.> I'm not sure if that is the correct common name for it. <Me either.>
It is about an inch full sized and much thinner/petite than even the Tiger Pistol Shrimp (which to my knowledge is the smallest of the standard sized pistols)  It is bright red and white striped and has the token pistol claw on one side.  I am very interested in getting one as a companion for either a Stonogobiops nematodes or a White Ray Shrimp Goby (which even my trusty Marine Fishes, by Scott W. Michael doesn't have a full scientific name for.. pg. 356) <Hmmm... I'm using Helmut Debelius' book, Crustacea Guide of the World, and have found two Alpheids with candy-cane type striping, the A. leviusculus and the A. randalli. The latter is actually pictured with a shrimp goby so that might be a better pick.>
Please let me know if you have any information on this.. <You now have everything I have. The Alpheids are, if nothing else, diverse... really quite a few of them. I hope the limited amount of information I have will prove helpful.> I am setting up what you might call a bonsai tank.. keeping all miniatures.  (So far it's inhabitants are a pair of Miniature Blue Banded Coral Shrimps and some mushrooms.)
-Laura
<Cheers, J -- >

- Shrimp/Goby Pairing -
I recently got these [Yellow Watchman Goby and Red Pistol Shrimp] and they don't seem to be pairing up... maybe the goby just doesn't know where the pistol has made his home at.  But I have read the FAQ's and didn't read much about the red pistol shrimp type.. but that most watchman will pair up with these kind.... Do you have any idea what might be taking so long... <Need to ask the Goby... no exact science here, so no exact answers.> Also I haven't noticed the pistol coming out of his home, does he just come out at night. <Yes, mostly nocturnal without the help of the Goby.>
Thanks:
-Roger
<Cheers, J -- >

Raising a Pistol Shrimp (3/23/05)
I have a few questions regarding a pistol shrimp. 
<Shoot. BTW, please capitalize the proper noun "I" and the first letter of sentences. Also, please use punctuation like periods and question marks. We post all queries and replies on our site permanently and want them as readable as possible. Our volunteer crew will have a lot more time to answer queries if they don't have to proofread them. Not only that, some of us older presbyopics have a hard time reading unpunctuated text. Thanks, Steve Allen.> 
I just got him from my LFS and he is a baby I want to raise him and then pair him with a watchman goby...
<I have a pair in my tank. They're very attractive and interesting to watch.> 
... but I am not sure how long it will take to raise him large enough. What he should be eating as a baby and if the species I have is compatible with a watchman? 
<What species do you have? Many genus Alpheus burrowing shrimps will for this symbiotic relationship. As for foods, if the shrimp is very small, then you will need something very fine such as Cyclop-Eeze. If big enough, it will take just about any frozen food such as Mysis. Many will take ground flake foods or tiny pellets. The shrimp should be big enough to be with the goby when it's too big to be eaten and is burrowing.> 
He is opaque with black stripes and he looks like he's wearing a prison jumpsuit. 
<I'd suggest you compare with pictures in a book that has a lot of shrimp pictures. If you can send me a clear picture, I may be able to help, but I cannot make an identification based on this description. I hope this info is helpful.> 

Goby and Pistol Shrimp Take Off Together
WWM Crew,
I have a 65 gallon reef tank that is 24" high with a built in overflow. No live rock or coral come within several inches of the overflow grates. Among my tank's inhabitants include a 1 1/2" watchman goby and 3/4" pistol shrimp who, until very recently shared the same "burrow" together in a deep sand bed under some live rock. 
<They do this>
A few days ago, I found my goby and pistol shrimp in a prefilter bag in the sump below my tank. I understand how it's possible for the goby to have gotten down there (as he can swim, albeit not very well) but how in the world did his friend end up with him?
<Scooted over the edge evidently>
It's almost as if the shrimp would have had to clamp onto a fin as they made there two foot ascent towards the
overflow. 
<Some Alpheids do maintain close physical contact... mostly through larger pair of "antennae">
(The overflow is also protected by several jets that blast enough current to only allow the top 1/2 inch of water to pass into the overflow. Any animals going near the overflow would be forced back to the bottom of the tank.) Can the goby carry the shrimp in his mouth. (I know the last question sounds ridiculous.) I am really at a loss here. Thanks.
Jack
<Neat proposition/speculation... Bob Fenner>