marinefish
Member
are pistol shrimps reef safe? currently i have one bonded with a yellow watchman goby. i also have 2 cleaner shrimps and a blood shrimp. are pistol shrimps reef safe?
Pistol shrimp?
- Thread starter marinefish
- Start date
marinefish
Member
my pistol shrimp i do agree digs too much and moves teh sand around too much. my yellow watchman goby and the pistol has form a symbiotic pair. while the pistol do its work at the opening of the cave he made, the goby keeps watch for any danger. they have been doing that since 4 months ago when i got the pistol shrimp.
angus
Member
That sounds pretty cool!
One word of caution, keep an eye out for any sudden change in aggression regarding the pistol. That Goby could be an expensive shrimp snack. Most people that keep them house them in a seperate species tank...shrimp only with live rock.
Actually if I think about it, most people hunt them down and kill them, as they can be real terrors of the tank.
One word of caution, keep an eye out for any sudden change in aggression regarding the pistol. That Goby could be an expensive shrimp snack. Most people that keep them house them in a seperate species tank...shrimp only with live rock.
Actually if I think about it, most people hunt them down and kill them, as they can be real terrors of the tank.
shnookums
Member
the watchman goby and the pistol shrimp are a pair. the pistol shrimp is blind. they live together in the cave. the shrimp makes the cave and the watchman watches for danger. I am so glad that someone has a pair and they are doing well. I have wanted to hear from people to see if they do pair up. thanks so much for your info.
marinefish
Member
hey angus, are u sure pistols are that aggressive. i know mantis are aggressive, but pistols? i know my pistol ate my twin spot goby awhile back because the goby would not eat and just starved to death, then again my 2 cleaner shrimp and blood shrimp took part in that feast also. i do notice sometimes when other shrimps gets too close to its cave (not considering the yellow watchman goby), it makes that pop at it and try to chase them away. but it being a terror and aggressive, i am not to sure. i know i asked in my post if they are aggressive, but i didnt think they were that aggressive. the online search i did on tiger pistol shirmps had indicate that they were reef safe. can you provide me with some more insights on why you say pistols are terrors sometime? i am asking for your insights not to challenge your advice or reason, but just want to keep my reef safe and hazard free =) thank you, please reply soon. also thank you all for your replies. and if any of you have any more advice or opinion, please share them. =)
angus
Member
marinefish-
I was going on my own experiences and stories I have heard about the pistols being somewhat aggressive, but after doing some research on them, seems I may have been a bit harsh in my last post. My humble apologies if I freaked you out... They certainly are not in the same category as mantis shrimp. Those little buggers are really nasty.
You are correct about them having symbiotic relationships with certain fish, and actually anemones as well. (made me want to get one) :-} The thing I did remembered in regards to them being reef safe, is that because of their tendency to dig in the sandy substrate, they can undermine reef structures that are not secure. Meaning small pieces of LR that may topple and crack a tank wall. That seems easy to prevent though, so not much to worry about really.
As far as aggressiveness goes, seems to be somewhat dependent on the individual. I had a coral banded shrimp that attacked my hermit crabs, dragged them out of their shells and ate them. Also ate an unluck turbo who got caught upside down. Coral banded shrimp are not usually thought of as that aggressive except toward each other.
My solution to stopping my shrimps destructive behavior was to keep her fat and happy. She loved cocktail shrimp. Used to literally fly up the side of the tank using her back swimmer feet and take it right from my fingers. Sadly, she was eventually killed by my Basslet. Caught her unaware I guess.
Sounds like your goby should do OK if they are bonded. I'd still watch out for any aggressive behavior, especially towards your cleaner shrimps. But like I said, make sure he/she has enough to eat, and you should be fine. :-} angus
I was going on my own experiences and stories I have heard about the pistols being somewhat aggressive, but after doing some research on them, seems I may have been a bit harsh in my last post. My humble apologies if I freaked you out... They certainly are not in the same category as mantis shrimp. Those little buggers are really nasty.
You are correct about them having symbiotic relationships with certain fish, and actually anemones as well. (made me want to get one) :-} The thing I did remembered in regards to them being reef safe, is that because of their tendency to dig in the sandy substrate, they can undermine reef structures that are not secure. Meaning small pieces of LR that may topple and crack a tank wall. That seems easy to prevent though, so not much to worry about really.
As far as aggressiveness goes, seems to be somewhat dependent on the individual. I had a coral banded shrimp that attacked my hermit crabs, dragged them out of their shells and ate them. Also ate an unluck turbo who got caught upside down. Coral banded shrimp are not usually thought of as that aggressive except toward each other.
My solution to stopping my shrimps destructive behavior was to keep her fat and happy. She loved cocktail shrimp. Used to literally fly up the side of the tank using her back swimmer feet and take it right from my fingers. Sadly, she was eventually killed by my Basslet. Caught her unaware I guess.
Sounds like your goby should do OK if they are bonded. I'd still watch out for any aggressive behavior, especially towards your cleaner shrimps. But like I said, make sure he/she has enough to eat, and you should be fine. :-} angus