Shrimp Gobies: Sand Too Fine?
Pistol Shrimp/Systems 2/23/08
Good morning WWM Crew,
<Good afternoon TIA>
Well, I'd like to get a pair of Amblyeleotris wheeleri or Stonogobiops nematodes and a corresponding pistol shrimp. However, I have a roughly 2" sandbed of CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink sand. Is this too fine for the shrimp to dig in?
<Nope, they will excavate under a rock and bulldoze the sand out. James (Salty Dog)>
TIA,
Random Aquarist

Goby And Pistol Shrimp Pairing 2/19/08
Hello WWM Crew!
<Hi Mike>
First let me mention how much I appreciate the time and effort you all give in order to provide one of the best marine information resources on the web.
<Thank you.>
The reason I am emailing you today is I have recently been offered a small, one inch pistol shrimp that hitchhiked into a friend's tank by way of his Caribbean live rock. I volunteered to adopt this pistol shrimp in hopes of the shrimp pairing up with my small Valenciennea puellaris goby, which is approximately 2.5 - 3 inches in size. Here's where my questions begin:
The health and well being of my goby is of the utmost importance, as his crazy antics and silly personality have made him like family to me. Is there a reasonable chance that the Pistol Shrimp could harm him?
<No.><<Mmmm, actually... these animals being from disparate seas, this is a very real possibility. RMF>>
I've searched online and haven't seen any indication that it might attack a goby, but I rather be safe than sorry.
Also, what are the chances of this goby pairing up with a Caribbean pistol shrimp? If I remember right V. puellaris is an Indo-Pacific goby.
<Yes, and the Coral Sea and Sri Lanka. I'm thinking the pairing up would be slim, but you never know. Pistol shrimp generally pair up with Amblyeleotris or Stonogobiops Gobies.>
Thank you so much for everything you do and I appreciate any information you can provide me.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Best Regards,
Mike
Didn't think a Pistol Shrimp would harm a goby that size.
Regards, James <These alpheids can pack a real punch... enough to really damage even a human hand. B>
Yes, I do have one (Alpheus bisincisus) that is paired up with a Yellow Watchman Goby.  I can tell when something is disturbing him has you can hear the clicks throughout the house, but has not harmed any fish or other inverts in the two years I've had. Jim

Pistol shrimp/gobies in new tank
Hello,
I am in the process in setting up my reef tank (75 gallon). I have 100 pounds of live rock and 25 pounds of lace rock. I am wondering if I can add two pistol shrimp and a wheeler watchman goby and a Randall prawn goby (or should I just stick with one pair pistol/goby combination) with the following list of wants of livestock.
want to add (over a period of time)
2 fire shrimp
2 cleaner shrimp
1 banded coral shrimp
emerald crab (x2)
2 Percula clowns (w/anemone and anemone crab inside)
2 sand sifting stars
sally lightfoot crab
4 green Chromis
50 bumble bee snails
various red/blue hermits
blue "hippo" tang (small)
button and star polyps
green stripe mushroom
hairy mushroom
Bullseye mushroom
have a sl-150 miracle wet/dry (Rio 2500 pump 720 gph)
two Fluval 404's
Berlin xl turbo skimmer
4 VHO 110 watt lights
aragonite sand (75 pounds or so) what needs added for the goby/pistol relationship to work. Thank you for you time and consideration. its hard to find good advice when starting out your new aquariums and ideas for livestock
Jeff Morningstar
<Mmm, the fishes you list and the non-crustaceans should pose no problems... but the other shrimps... might be consumed by or consume the Alpheids if hungry... I would start/do what you propose... go with just the one pair first (either), and see how they fare. If it were me/my system, I would acclimate the new mutuals in an all plastic specimen box (like the ones used for housing small amphibians, lizards, bugs... available at pet shops) on the bottom for a few days ahead of releasing them. Bob Fenner>

- Symbiotic Gobies and Circulation -
Hi Crew!!
<Hello, JasonC here...>
First off, I have been reading TONS on your site and have learned an incredible amount.  I read something today that has me concerned, regarding water flow and soft corals.  I have a small (2-3") brown star polyp colony in my tank.  The water motion in their present location is mostly in one direction.  I can put them almost anywhere in my tank, which would mean potentially less flow but a more changing direction.  I have had this colony about 4 weeks, and they are doing great, even seem to be growing nicely. Do I fix it if it's not broken (move them)? <I would... do consider perhaps another power head in the tank to help stir things up some more - variation in flow is very important for long term success.>
My next question has to do with a Pistol Shrimp - Goby tank I am considering for the office. What is the ideal substrate for burrowing? <Sand.> Best (most likely to bond) Goby? <Chances of getting a non-paired set to "bond" is lower than winning a high-stakes lottery. Unless you obtain both as an existing pair, it's not going to happen. Alpheids are incredibly diverse, and the pairing between the goby and a particular shrimp is very specific. You can't put a random goby and random shrimp together and expect them to get together... unless you get them as a pair via expert collection, even then one or the other probably wouldn't make the trip... it's just not easily feasible.> Because they are both low in the tank suggestions for other occupants? <Based on the size you mention... I wouldn't put anything else in this tank.> What is the best clean up crew for this tank, I know pistol shrimp are formidable hunters? <You would be the best clean-up crew.> Any other sound advice for this concept? <Learn to dive and go see them where they live... not to be crass, but it's just not realistic in a captive system.> BTW, this tank will be a smaller, probably ~20g, and dedicated to this idea.
Thanks again for offering such sound info time after time,
Bill
<Cheers, J -- >

-Goby shrimp w/out a shrimp goby!-
Crew Person: <Kevin person here tonight>
I was able to get a "paired" Randall's Prawn Goby (Amblyeleotris randalli) & Pistol Shrimp.  Unfortunately, a week into QT, the Goby died.  Now I am sitting here with a pretty expensive shrimp (that looks more like a lobster).  Anyway, my question is this:  can I get another fish to pair up, or am I up shrimp's creek without a Goby? <Haha, I suppose that would depend on the goby. Shrimp/goby pairs are actually very easy to set-up, so I hope you didn't pay too much for the luxury. I would just get a hold of another Randall's (after making sure what happened to this one won't happen again) and you've got a pretty good chance it will pair up. Make that a 95% chance.> It doesn't sound likely, but I had to ask the pros.  If the possibility exists, can I get any species of shrimp goby, or stick with Randall's? <The Randall's are pretty promiscuous as far as shrimp are concerned, so I'd go with that one. Good luck! -Kevin> Thanks for all you do, Rich.

- 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 -- >

Substrate for Goby/Shrimp combo. 8/9/05
Mornin' Bob
<Cheers... Anthony Calfo here in his stead>
First let me apologize if this has gone to the wrong place, I found your link while perusing the Goby section on your excellent pages!
<Welcome!>
I'm considering making a return to the hobby after a break of quite some years and of course a lot's changed since then! While researching current thinking on Reef systems I've got bogged down on the BB/SSB/DSB/Plenum issues and this is compounded by the fact that I'm very keen to house the Goby/Shrimp combination and the obvious effect this will have on substrate choice, plus the fact that I have a very large quantity of  (dead) Oolitic sand which I would like to use in what will be a reef system with very few reef-safe fish, small clawed crustaceans( Lysmata, Thor, Saron) etc.
I think I'm now up to speed re. Live Rock, Skimming, Carbon, Phosphate reduction, Turnover ,Lighting etc. I would like the Goby/Shrimp to be able to exhibit normal behaviour, hence my problem. The system will be integrated within the main tank as I have no space (nor desire) to run a sump. Would their digging spoil a DSB or even release anoxic toxins from a DSB by digging?
<Not at all. If the DSB is kept healthy with adequate (proper and necessary) strong water flow above it so that solids do not accumulate excessively... then all will be fine. And this is easy to accomplish. Seek to produce random turbulent water flow as with closed loop manifolds (you can fid some neat and current links/pics on this subject over at Reefcentral.com)>
You mention adding tubes to the substrate, ( I can't find the link) which I'd thought of.
<Yes, excellent idea. Just bury under the rocks/in the sand and let them do the rest>
Would a 1" substrate with tubes covered with sand be better?
<That's not deep enough for the shrimp and goby or efficient DSB activity (NNR)>
In either case I could never run a system B/B.
<I too very much like deep, fine sand beds. I think your oolitic sand is a best bet. Do enjoy at 4-6" (10-15 cm)>
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer cos I'd prefer not to proceed rather than get it wrong! Kind Regards, Steve.
<kindly, Anthony>

Pistol shrimp and rock stability   8/31/06
Hello WWM Crew.  Thanks for always being there.
<Welcome>
I have a question about pistol shrimps.  I would like to add a watchman goby and a companion pistol shrimp to my tank.  
My concern is this…I have a 72 gallon tank with about 100 lbs of LR.  Some (30% - 40%) of the rock is sitting on ½ to 1 inch of substrate, and rest is sitting on the glass bottom.  There are many places in the tank (not under the LR) on which there is 3 to 4 inches of sand that I believe will be sufficient for their habitat.
However, I am concerned that the prodigious burrowing behavior of a pistol shrimp may make my rock unstable.  Should I abandon this idea or is this not a valid concern?
<Is a valid concern... however these Alpheids are "smart"... hopefully smart enough to realize the better/best areas to do such digging... and can/do sense imminent cave-ins. I would not be overly concerned here if the majority of your rock stacking is placed securely as you state. Bob Fenner>
Thanks very much for your help.
Ellen P.

Pistol shrimp/goby joy  8/13/07
Hi guys. For once this isn't a panicky question about an aquarium disaster. We just wanted to thank you for all the information on the site about shrimp gobies and their shrimps. We (rather naughtily) bought a "tangerine striped goby" from our LFS yesterday, having gone there intending to buy a Copperband (they didn't have any). Admittedly, this goes against your golden rule of never buying anything on a whim and without reading up on it first, but our trusted LFS manager said it should be fairly easy to keep. We got him home and found that he's really a Randall's Shrimp Goby, did a bit of reading, and decided we'd try to find a shrimp to keep him company. Today we've brought home a tiger pistol shrimp, and within an hour of putting the shrimp in, the two have become completely inseparable. It's amazing to watch, and the shrimp is very entertaining to watch as he tries to build a burrow. Just felt we should share this with someone!
Jim+Jo
<Greetings. A while back I kept a whole tankful of snapping shrimps, and it was one of the most fun tanks I've kept. It's funny, but things like snapping/pistol shrimps and mantis shrimps are often written off as pests by reef keepers, but when the focus of their own tanks, become engaging pets. Snapping shrimps are incredibly hardy (these were, at least) and because of where the tank was set up, water changes were something that happened once a month, if that. It was the most basic aquarium imaginable: undergravel filter, no chiller (these were coldwater shrimps), and certainly no skimmer or living rock for water quality management. But they thrived! I can't be sure if they bred, but they certainly grew, and their numbers seemed to remain steady. The noise that came from the tank was quite eerie sometimes, like crumpling leaves. Anyway, all this is by way of saying I'm glad you're trying something a bit different, and wish you every success with your new pets. Cheers, Neale>

Pistol shrimp/goby nano tank set up   12/11/07
Hello Crew,
I'm still reading and researching, but am in the process of setting up an 8 gallon nano for the purpose of keeping one of the shrimp/goby combos available from my LFS. The tank will have a refugium made from an AC 70 (with LR rubble and Chaeto), and about 8-10 lbs of live rock.
Lighting will be CF (2x18w) with about an inch of sand and LR rubble in the display.
<I'd increase this by at least double... to allow tunneling>
I expect the AC 70 to flow around 150-200 gph as modified.
The footprint of the tank is 9"x 15," and I plan on keeping a simple mix of either mushrooms, zoos (not sure of spelling), or just utilizing green star polyps with a few accents.
Am I on the right track?
Thanks,
Stan
<Pretty close. BobF>

Pistol Shrimp... A Soldier I Will Be...Two Pistols On My Goby 12/4/07
Hey guys,
<Got a gal today.>
I really relish all the info on your site and had a question of my own for once.
<Glad you have found the site helpful.>
I was considering buying a Randall’s shrimp goby (Amblyeleotris randalli) and a snapping shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) for my 20gal.
<OK.>
Then I saw a video of two snapping shrimp working for one goby and was like sick!!!
<Heehee! Sweet!>
How do I get two shrimp to work for the same goby?
<Have you heard the idiom "You can leading a horse to water"? You can provide the environment/circumstance but you can't make the shrimp do something that it doesn't have a mind to do. Best you can do is try it.>
Thanks for doing this for everyone!
<On behalf of Bob and the crew, all are welcome. Mich>