Pistol Shrimp Habits...

Triple One · 10/26/2011, 05:49 PM

Aloha Reefers!
I am wondering about my tiger pistol shrimp and blue-spotted watchman goby. I bought them separately even though I added them to the DT the same day, and they don't fight but I am not sure they've paired up. Several questions, posited into the void in hopes of a call back from someone with a similar pair:
1) How often do you actually SEE your pistol shrimp? Mine has only been in the tank about a week and though I hear it snapping its claw sometimes I have not seen it once since the first hour I put it in.
2) My watchman generally hangs out near where the pistol shrimp piles sand, but I have never seen him actually enter the burrow. Is this because the shrimp is still working on the burrow or because they're not pairing up?
3) I know this varies by specimen, but on average how long does it take for a shrimp to be "satisfied" with its burrow? Possible translation: Is this guy ever gonna stop?
Mahalo in advance!

BrookR1 · 10/26/2011, 06:18 PM

If you have a 105 gallon tank, chances are you won't see him very often unless you're lucky.

Not sure why your watchman doesn't go into the burrow. Some prefer to hang out at the entrance, and some spend more time in the hole.

He will never be satisfied with with his borrow. Just when you thought things have settled down, a new burrow will appear on the opposite side of the tank. Seems like they are never happy.

I have a high-fin pistol pair and have had a hitchhiker pistol shrimp in a previous tank. Over time, they become more outgoing. My high fin used to be pretty shy, but now he hovers over his hole and is visible most of the time....especially feeding time. I see the pistol on occasion when he's arranging each grain of sand. In my old 40 breeder, I had a hitchhiker pistol that I never saw. I could only tell he was there by the clicking.

Agu · 10/26/2011, 06:22 PM

Excavation by a pistol shrimp never stops, it only slows down as the pistol shrimp finally gets to "almost right".

disc1 · 10/26/2011, 06:41 PM

And anything in the tank that is not glued down is fair game to construct doors and barricades with. Frag disks seem to be a favorite.

Toddrtrex · 10/26/2011, 08:24 PM

After the first 48 hours, my shrimp is pretty much out and about all the time. There are currently 4 burrows under the main rock (( 22 pounder )), that are being excavated regularly. On occasion the shrimp/goby will make a trench (( for lack of a better word )) from one of the burrow entrances out about 10 inches, give or take.

Can't tell you if it will ever stop, since I ruin all the work with each water change -- I gravel vac, so that messes up all but one of the burrows; need to make sure that they can get out.

spamreefnew · 10/26/2011, 09:28 PM

my shrimp snapped at my goby the first time they met,,it stunned the fish and ate him

the shrimp now lives in the sump(shrimp jail)

mndfreeze · 10/27/2011, 02:29 AM

Once your pistol and goby are friends living together, the shrimp will be out a lot more.

I have a blue spotted watchmen and tiger pistol and they are both out constantly, and fat from eating. New burrows are non-stop for them. Loves to bury my coral too.

In my 14G nano, my first tank I had a candy cane pistol and hi-fin goby. Tank crashed and lost the goby, but the candy cane pistol is STILL there. I just saw him pop his head out after almost 6 months of being MIA. This tank is now my Mantis tank and I'm surprised he has survived the mantis and the tank crash. But with no goby he is NEVER EVER out.

BIG_KAHUNA · 10/27/2011, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spamreefnew

my shrimp snapped at my goby the first time they met,,it stunned the fish and ate him

the shrimp now lives in the sump(shrimp jail)

+1 I'm convinced my pistol got my mandarin and I know for sure he backed my one peaceful hermit into a corner under the rocks and killed him. I recall hearing crazy popping in the tank for an hour but couldn't see anything. So he is also in "shrimp jail" PITA to catch...

cody6766 · 10/27/2011, 09:06 AM

Mine was bought paired up with a Randal's, like in the pic above. I have them in a 14g Biocube and see them out a decent bit. The goby is out quite often, the shrimp less so. The burrowing never stops, I think he ate a few snails, but he never bothers the damsel or the goby in the tank. Snail shells are also a favorite burrow barrier once they've been (I"m assuming here) turned into dinner.

Triple One · 10/28/2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mndfreeze

Once your pistol and goby are friends living together, the shrimp will be out a lot more.

I have a blue spotted watchmen and tiger pistol and they are both out constantly, and fat from eating. New burrows are non-stop for them. Loves to bury my coral too.

Thanx for all the responses guys. I guess I just need to be patient. I don't really mind the constant burrowing per se, I just hoped to see the duo exploring/foraging a bit more. But like they say, nothing good happens fast in this hobby. For now I suppose I'll just be grateful that my shrimp is relatively docile compared to the ones from the stories you guys are telling... Didn't get quite so lucky with the dottyback...

JennyH · 10/28/2011, 05:42 PM

1 I just got a tiger pistol for my orange spotted goby 2 weeks ago. He seemed to come out more and more as he started trusting the goby more. Now he's out a good bit of the time. Constantly digging.

2 The first few days my goby didn't go in the burrow. The shrimp is pretty small and i think it took him awhile to realize he needed to make the opening bigger.

3 been 2 weeks and so far no sign of stopping...

Triple One · 10/29/2011, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennyH

The shrimp is pretty small and i think it took him awhile to realize he needed to make the opening bigger.

Good point... I think this may be what is happening with mine as well... The goby is about 4-5" long and the shrimp is barely over an inch. Both are happy though, as far as I can tell without actually seeing the shrimp...

I figure once the shrimp starts growing I'll see it more. They're supposedly able to get to about 3" long.

Triple One · 10/29/2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cody6766

Snail shells are also a favorite burrow barrier

+1, i did see the shrimp today, first time since i put it in, and it was at the edge of the big rock it's burrowing under, but opposite the side of the rock the goby hangs out on. the shrimp was pushing snail shells out from who-knows-how-far under the rock, lining the rim of an entrance I have actually seen open and collapse a few times in the last couple days. it is filled back in, as i write this, but i did see the shrimp so that's cool (and ironic, since apparently i just needed to be patient...)

hopefully that's also the case with the goby, and they'll start groovin' soon enough...

10/26/2011, 05:49 PM	#1
Triple One Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Landlacht Arizona Posts: 115	Pistol Shrimp Habits... Aloha Reefers! I am wondering about my tiger pistol shrimp and blue-spotted watchman goby. I bought them separately even though I added them to the DT the same day, and they don't fight but I am not sure they've paired up. Several questions, posited into the void in hopes of a call back from someone with a similar pair: 1) How often do you actually SEE your pistol shrimp? Mine has only been in the tank about a week and though I hear it snapping its claw sometimes I have not seen it once since the first hour I put it in. 2) My watchman generally hangs out near where the pistol shrimp piles sand, but I have never seen him actually enter the burrow. Is this because the shrimp is still working on the burrow or because they're not pairing up? 3) I know this varies by specimen, but on average how long does it take for a shrimp to be "satisfied" with its burrow? Possible translation: Is this guy ever gonna stop? Mahalo in advance! __________________ symbiosis is enlightenment. PLAH!!! LASHAMANAHAMMA! Current Tank Info: Hello My Name Is Wild Widescreen Wonderland: 125G mixed reef w/ 45G fuge and 40G DIY sump. Coddling is Ill-Advised.

10/26/2011, 06:18 PM	#2
BrookR1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boise Posts: 297	If you have a 105 gallon tank, chances are you won't see him very often unless you're lucky. Not sure why your watchman doesn't go into the burrow. Some prefer to hang out at the entrance, and some spend more time in the hole. He will never be satisfied with with his borrow. Just when you thought things have settled down, a new burrow will appear on the opposite side of the tank. Seems like they are never happy. I have a high-fin pistol pair and have had a hitchhiker pistol shrimp in a previous tank. Over time, they become more outgoing. My high fin used to be pretty shy, but now he hovers over his hole and is visible most of the time....especially feeding time. I see the pistol on occasion when he's arranging each grain of sand. In my old 40 breeder, I had a hitchhiker pistol that I never saw. I could only tell he was there by the clicking. __________________ Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick! Everybody knows a Burrow Owl lives--in--a--hole--in--the--ground. Why the hell do you think they call it a Burrow Owl, anyway?!

10/26/2011, 06:22 PM	#3
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	Excavation by a pistol shrimp never stops, it only slows down as the pistol shrimp finally gets to "almost right". __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

10/26/2011, 06:41 PM	#4
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	And anything in the tank that is not glued down is fair game to construct doors and barricades with. Frag disks seem to be a favorite. __________________ David Current Tank: Undergoing reconstruction...

10/26/2011, 08:24 PM	#5
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	After the first 48 hours, my shrimp is pretty much out and about all the time. There are currently 4 burrows under the main rock (( 22 pounder )), that are being excavated regularly. On occasion the shrimp/goby will make a trench (( for lack of a better word )) from one of the burrow entrances out about 10 inches, give or take. Can't tell you if it will ever stop, since I ruin all the work with each water change -- I gravel vac, so that messes up all but one of the burrows; need to make sure that they can get out. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

10/26/2011, 09:28 PM	#6
spamreefnew Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: rhodeisland Posts: 1,491	my shrimp snapped at my goby the first time they met,,it stunned the fish and ate him the shrimp now lives in the sump(shrimp jail)

10/27/2011, 02:29 AM	#7
mndfreeze Invert Sexy Time! Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 2,255	Once your pistol and goby are friends living together, the shrimp will be out a lot more. I have a blue spotted watchmen and tiger pistol and they are both out constantly, and fat from eating. New burrows are non-stop for them. Loves to bury my coral too. In my 14G nano, my first tank I had a candy cane pistol and hi-fin goby. Tank crashed and lost the goby, but the candy cane pistol is STILL there. I just saw him pop his head out after almost 6 months of being MIA. This tank is now my Mantis tank and I'm surprised he has survived the mantis and the tank crash. But with no goby he is NEVER EVER out.

10/27/2011, 09:06 AM	#9
cody6766 Super Best Friends! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: OKC, OK Posts: 3,772	Mine was bought paired up with a Randal's, like in the pic above. I have them in a 14g Biocube and see them out a decent bit. The goby is out quite often, the shrimp less so. The burrowing never stops, I think he ate a few snails, but he never bothers the damsel or the goby in the tank. Snail shells are also a favorite burrow barrier once they've been (I"m assuming here) turned into dinner. __________________ "The moral is the chosen, not the forced; the understood, not the obeyed. The moral is the rational, and reason accepts no commandments." - John Galt Current Tank Info: Cadlights 60G Arisan II mixed reef with 2x MP40s and 24" ATI

10/28/2011, 05:42 PM	#11
JennyH Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Milwaukee WI Posts: 45	1 I just got a tiger pistol for my orange spotted goby 2 weeks ago. He seemed to come out more and more as he started trusting the goby more. Now he's out a good bit of the time. Constantly digging. 2 The first few days my goby didn't go in the burrow. The shrimp is pretty small and i think it took him awhile to realize he needed to make the opening bigger. 3 been 2 weeks and so far no sign of stopping...

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