Pistol Shrimp in a Reef Tank?

ReefJunkie · 10-18-2001, 09:13 PM

Hey everyone, I have located two Pistol Shrimps in my 75 reef. Should I have any concerns with them being in there? or should I just let them be? I belive I have a third one while I was watching the first two I heard a snapping at the other end of the tank.

Drew · 10-18-2001, 09:18 PM

LUCKY!!!!!

They will dig up your sand I'm sure, and that can't be great for your DSB but I don't think they will hurt anything else. Get a goby and see if they will pair up, that'd be very cool! In fact, consider yourself lucky, I am going to pay to get one of these shrimp

Have fun!

Drew

MontanaRocknReefer · 10-18-2001, 09:33 PM

Hi! I had a pistol shrimp with a goby in my 72 bow front reef tank and believe me it liked to dig holes and move the substrate around. Need to watch but did not care for the excavating that went on. Johnny

ReefJunkie · 10-18-2001, 10:13 PM

Hey Drew and Johnny, So far they arent digging in the DSB they are both hidding in some holes in the rock right at the level of the DSB.

Drew I was think the same thing "LUCKY!!!!!" Just had to make sure

I was also thinking about the symbiotic goby pair. Do you know wich goby they pair with?

Thanks

Drew · 10-18-2001, 10:32 PM

Without a positive identification of the species of your pistols, there is no guarantee that we can get a species of fish that will pair. However, just for the sake of helping out, I know of two gobies off the top of my head that should pair up. one being the Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) and the other is the Threadfin Goby (Stonogobiops nematodes)

Good luck!

Drew

Doug1 · 10-19-2001, 12:44 AM

Pistols arent usually much threat to fish and such but the digging can raise hell on a DSB

Drew · 10-19-2001, 12:53 AM

Just don't tell Dr. Ron

Wrasse Man · 10-19-2001, 11:02 AM

Dr. who?

Alice · 10-20-2001, 02:31 AM

That's kewl Scott! I think they're fun critters to watch even though they can borrow like mad. I was watching one the other day, digging just like a dog with it's head under a rock, pushing the sand out the back with it's swimmerettes. I don't know the sp of the pistol shrimp but it's been pairing up with a Pretty Prawn Goby.