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FAQs about Pistol Shrimps & Goby Biotopes
Related FAQs: Alpheid Systems,
Pistol Shrimps 1, Pistol Shrimps 2,
Alpheid ID, Alpheid Behavior,
Alpheid Compatibility, Alpheid Selection,
Alpheid Feeding, Alpheid Disease,
Alpheid Reproduction, & Shrimp Gobies,
Shrimp Gobies 2, &
Marine Shrimps 1,
Marine Shrimps 3, Shrimp
Identification, Shrimp Selection,
Shrimp Behavior, Shrimp
Compatibility, Shrimp Systems,
Shrimp Feeding, Shrimp
Reproduction, Shrimp Disease,
Cleaner Shrimp,
Banded Coral Shrimp, Dancing
Shrimp, Harlequin Shrimp,
Saron Shrimp,
Mantis Shrimp,
Anemone Eating Shrimp, Crustacean
Identification, Crustacean Selection,
Crustacean Behavior, Crustacean
Compatibility, Crustacean Systems,
Crustacean Feeding, Crustacean
Disease, Crustacean Reproduction,
Related Articles: Pistol Shrimp and Goby Biotopes,
Alpheid Shrimps,
Shrimp, A Few
Common Shrimps for the Marine Aquarium by James W. Fatherree,
Shrimp Gobies, | .JPG)
Larger, not too much commotion, a mix of fine and coarse/rubble
substrate, a refugium... for foods et al.
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Yellow Watchman Goby Brings Buddy Along 2/4/09
<Hi Rachel>
I didn't find much on Google for this - only someone that asked
something suspiciously familiar here on WWM. Last night I received a
hitchhiker in the most interesting of ways. I went to the LFS and picked
up a Yellow Watchman Goby to replace the High-Fin Goby that jumped the
tank about a month ago (apparently, he didn't like the new aquascaping
layout). At the store, the Yellow Watchman Goby was paired with a pistol
already, and though I didn't want to break up the pair, I figured it
would probably happen anyways and my pistol shrimp needed a new buddy.
After acclimation, the goby was put into the tank. At first, he stayed
near the glass, which is when I noticed that his mouth looked funny. I
got up right in front of him, and lo and behold, there's a pistol shrimp
tail sticking out! I can only imagine that the yellow watchman goby
decided to bring his buddy with him and wasn't going to eat it
(otherwise I assume he would have swallowed it by that point). By the
time I thought to grab my camera, the goby had retreated to a much more
secluded area of the tank. Has this behavior ever been documented
before?
<Not to my knowledge, but thank you for sharing your
experience with us.
James (Salty Dog)>
Cheers,
Rachel
<<...
VERY interesting indeed. RMF>> Pistol Shrimp/Shrimp Goby
Compatibility 2/3/09
Dear WWM Crew,
<David>
Thanks for
all the help over the years, you have been an endless source of great
information and advice.
<You're welcome.>
Recently I acquired a
Yellow Watchman Goby and Randall's Pistol shrimp pair from my local LFS.
I put them in my 55 gal tank, set up for about a year now, whose other
tankmates include a Firefish and a false percula clown. All parameters
are as follows: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, Specific Gravity 1.026,
PH 8.3, Temp: 80, (both the YWG and Randall's quarantined for two
weeks). A few days after they were put in the display tank, I woke up to
see the YWG on the complete other side of the tank from their home, and
no evidence of the pistol shrimp. After a couple
days of this, with
no clicking or other evidence that the pistol shrimp was still around, I
got another Randall's from my LFS.
<Based on the behavior my pistol
shrimp exhibits, I'm betting he is still in the tank somewhere.>
The
two hit it off pretty quickly (I've had luck with non-paired gobies and
shrimp in the past), and everything seemed ok. Well, as it turns out,
the other pistol shrimp emerged a week after all this occurred,
<Aha!>
and now I have two Randall's. After looking at them closely
and looking at some pics/information online I figured I
would try to
get these two together and see if I could have a male/female pair of
shrimp to live with the goby. Amazingly, this turned out to be the case,
and the two lived together for about two days. Now, the larger of the
two shrimp has kicked the other out of the burrow,
<Not unusual.>
and other attempts to get them back together have been unsuccessful. Is
there any chance that these
two will ever live together again?
<I'm thinking it is rare for two pistol shrimp to share a burrow. Bob
may input here based on his diving observations and invertebrate
expertise.><<They may, may not. RMF>>
I can take one of the shrimp
back to the LFS if I need to,
<I would return one of the shrimp.>
as the goby seems to be pretty confused as to which shrimp he should be
living with, and I wouldn't want the aggression to become more severe
resulting in the death of one of the shrimp.
<The Randall's Pistol
Shrimp are generally found with the Stonogobiops or Amblyeleotris
Gobies, and
may be why the goby and shrimp haven't bonded yet. The
Yellow Watchman Goby is a Cryptocentrus cinctus.
Doesn't mean they
won't bond as I have a Yellow Watchman Goby that bonded with a Randall's
Pistol Shrimp. It took a couple of weeks before the bonding occurred,
but now have been sharing the same burrow for two years.>
Thanks for
your help.
<You’re welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Sincerely,
David
55 Gallon Reef Question, power outage input, Gobiid-Alpheid species
pairing 12/29/08
Good Evening Crew,
<Dean>
I
have a couple of questions I am hoping you can help me with.
<I as
well>
The first one has to do with my aquarium in general. It has
been setup for over a year, but a few weeks ago we lost power for five
days and my backup plans were, quite frankly, inadequate as it turns
out. I live in an apartment and cannot have a generator, but since my
disaster have updated my plans. I now have a power inverter, additional
battery operated air pumps, and quite a few hand warmer packs along with
a thermal camping blanked that reflects heat. People in this area have
had good success using the packs and blanket - over several days.
<Thank you for this input>
Unfortunately my system crashed. I have an
Anthelia sp. coral left, and a few shrimp. I have a 55 gallon reef
(36x18x20); 40 gallon sump, 25 gallons in two refugiums, Tek 6x39 watt
T5 fixture, EuroReef RS 80 Skimmer, pH 8.3, Ca 420, Mg 1280, Alk 12 dKH.
ATO with Kalk reactor. Eheim 1260 return pump and 2 Koralia 3 pumps on a
controller. Six inch DSB and 70 pounds live rock.
If I ever get past
the dinoflagellates and Cyano breakout in the tank, which is only
getting worse with five 15-20 gallon water changes over the past two
weeks (the refugiums are pristine), I will be restocking. One of my
survivors is a pistol shrimp. I have not identified the species yet, and
he is too reclusive to let me snap a picture so far. After reading your
FAQs, is my understanding correct that I am unlikely to successfully
pair a watchman up with my shrimp? Is any species more likely to pair
than another?
<Mmm, well... many species will/do match up with
Cryptocentrus et al. "watchmen" genera in captivity... that aren't found
together in the wild...>
My second question is about a watchman goby
and a Jawfish sharing the same tank. There is some ambiguity in the FAQs
as to whether Jawfish and watchman can cohabitate.
<If there's
room... can be done>
Some replies say it is possible, some say it can
be problematical as they are both benthic feeders and may see the other
as competition. If you can clarify this point it would be great, Also,
do you see an issue between a Jawfish and the pistol shrimp?
<Is a
possibility... but, again, if the space is large... a few square feet
per each>
When I do begin to restock, the Jawfish/watchman will go in
first and be allowed to settle down alone. My plan is to add a purple
Firefish, a fairy wrasse, maybe a pair of cardinals, maybe a pair
ocellaris clowns. And corals. Is this a reasonable mix?
<Mmm, yes>
Thanks, and Happy New Year to everyone on the Crew
Dean
<Thank
you Dean. To all the planet I say, let's move forward... put emphasis
where emphasis lies. Bob Fenner> Pistol Shrimp and
Goby... sys., comp. – 09/08/08
Thank you folks so much
for your website. I can usually find an answer to my questions by
browsing through your extensive "library" of information.
However, I
haven't seen this one! I bought a pistol shrimp (very small, about 1/2")
for my Randall's Goby and they hit it off right away. The shrimp dug out
a burrow in the four to five inches of fine sand I have in a 28g
aquarium.
The Goby moved in but then I actually observed the shrimp
pinch the Goby on the lip.
<Yow!>
Then I noticed the tail fin of
the Goby shredded.
<Ooooh, trouble in paradise>
The Goby seemed to
stay away from the burrow for a while and it caved in. I thought the
pistol shrimp expired. The shrimp showed up about three weeks later in
another burrow and was now about 3/4" in size! The Goby seemed to
"forgive" him for the rough behavior and moved in to the new burrow. One
day I saw my Red Firefish backed into the same burrow.
<Mmm,
Microdesmids really need more room than this... and this is a
social/paired species>
I then noticed the tail fins on the Red
Firefish were "trimmed" a bit. Then the Goby's tail fins suffered the
same fate once again. Again, a cave-in of the burrow and the Pistol has
not been seen in over a month. However, the Goby has taken to reside
near the back of the tank
<No place else to get away>
and he was
almost missing his entire tail last week but, doing fine health-wise if
you don't count the exertion it takes for him to swim quickly!
I am
wondering if I should be feeding the Pistol Shrimp something specific so
he doesn't "pick" at the Goby?
<I would try, yes...>
I feed a
frozen commercial reef fish food that includes fish meat and vegetation,
pellets, brine shrimp occasionally and just started feeding mysis shrimp
after reading your articles. Do Pistol Shrimp lay dormant or hibernate
for a period of time?
<Mmm, do become cyclically "slow" during
molts/ecdysis periods>
If the "cave-in" occurs from the fine sand,
can the shrimp dig its way out or can it suffocate?
<Should be able
to dig out... but I would mix in some larger rubble material... in at
least part of the bottom here... that these animals will incorporate...>
Should I add a more coarse substrate to an area of the tank to
facilitate some type of habitat/food source?
<Ah, yes>
If the
tank did reach 83-84 degrees a time or two this summer could it have
killed the shrimp since we have not seen him?
<Mmm, doubtful>
I
hope the Pistol is still alive but, my girlfriend isn't happy that he
beats-up the Goby that is one of her favorites!
<These animals
really need to either be placed in a much larger (let's say a minimum of
four foot long) system or separated period>
Thanks for any help for
me and maybe a few of your other readers with similar questions.
Gary
Yorba Linda, CA
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
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 <Ahhh!> 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>
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