Anyone keeping goby/pistol shrimp successfully?

K

Kay

I really want to get a pair, but how can you qt them in a bare tank? They need the sand. I guess you could qt them in a qt tank with sand and if there's no ich, then add to the main tank. Also, what size tank do you keep them in to keep them from getting lost? I've lost several yellow clown gobies in my 120 and a pistol shrimp, never to be seen again.

Kay
 
i have a black goby that is about 6 months old and is doing well...he is often out and about with the other fish, but mostly props himself up on a rock. I tried another striped goby and never saw him and cant find him (assuming he died and was eaten), but the black one has been a nice addition to my tank. I really like his swimming motions and at night he turns a light beigh color trying to blend in with the rocks. Kewl fish! And as far as QT goes, ill slap myself on the wrist for this one, but i did not QT him so i cant provide and assistance there, sorry.
 
@janakaybravo wrote:
... but how can you qt them in a bare tank? ...I guess you could qt them in a qt tank with sand and if there's no ich said:
That's basically what I did. They lived in a 12 gallon nanocube for a few months.

@janakaybravo wrote:
...Also said:
Sorry, I can't help with this question. I put mine in a 60 gallon tank that's full of rock. I rarely see the goby or the shrimp. I do hear the pistol shrimp on occasion.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
They probably wouldn' t be happy in a bb Qt but will be fine as long as it is temporary. My poor randall goby has out lived two pistol shrimp. Both shrimp died after about 3 years. I had them in a 150 gallon. Mine were always in sight. Sometimes it depends on how bold your goby is whether you see them very much. If the goby always hides then your pistol shrimp won't come out much. I am in the process of trying to find my goby another partner.
 
Well, I bought them, put them in my 18 gal. qt tank with some sand. The shrimp died. I guess I'll be looking for another pistol shrimp too. I got a goby that's white with black stripes and yellow on his face and has a high fin. I don't what he is called. He's so cute, about an inch or so and now lonely. He does stay out a lot in the qt tank, but who knows in my display. Thanks for the input. He's so small, I don't know if I could see ich if it was there.

Kay
 
I added a ?hi fin? to my 10 gal nano about a month ago... they have a ton of character.
Not sure if you will see it much in a larger display. It will kinda depend on where it decides to make a home. Some of them can be shy. Mine is not out all the time, and at the store he almost never came out. But he is slowly loosening up...

They have so many common names... I've heard someone call them a "barber shop goby." lol

I don't currently have a shrimp for him, but I have been considering it.
Not sure how it would work out though, because I have a red headed goby in there as well, and an emerald crab.
I am curious if there will be some sort of competition for the shrimp, or if like with certain gobies, they will all share a burrow.
Also, I am not certain if the emerald will have a problem with the shrimp. He is a bit grumpy. lol
 
I won a pistol shrimp from the last meeting's raffle. I had a choice of putting it in a 10 gallon bb qt or a 24 gallon nano with sand. I chose the latter only because I felt the safety of the sand would help reduce the stress on the shrimp. Well, tonight I noticed the PS has dug out a home right next to the glass for easy viewing. Hope this helps.

MBZ
 
Well, I got my little guy a pistol shrimp and as far as I can tell, they haven't paired up yet. They are staying under different rocks. When I first put the shrimp in, the goby came out and swished around stayed out for a little while. Now I only see him when I feed. The pistol shrimp is a red and white one, not the little candy stripe one. The fish is the high banded goby that is about an inch 1/4 long. Do you think they'll get together?

Kay
 
@janakaybravo wrote:
Well said:
Sounds good... you should post a pic of it. I am sure there are lots of different color variations.

Congrats MBZ? I knew I would be missing out on something this last meeting.
Did I miss anything interesting? I wonder if DFWMAS has meeting minutes to catch up those who didn?t make it?

I'm definitely no expert in shrimp, but I have noticed, similar to fish, if you rearrange the rock work a bit, it usually establishes new boundaries for shrimp as well.
This may help them become more acquainted. Or you can be patient, and perhaps they will eventually pair up. I am certain there is someone here that would have more experience with this.
Click to expand...
 
No, they never paired up. I had a high fin goby and the red pistol shrimp, not randall's. The fish has now disappeared but the shrimp is still there. I think I'll get him Randall's goby and try again. I wonder if he ate my fish.

Does anyone know if pistol shrimps are reef safe? Will they bother other ornamental shrimp? I'm thinking of putting him in my main tank but I have a lot of ornamental shrimp.

Kay
 
Kay,

I moved my pistol shrimp in a 220 a few weeks ago with other ornamental shrimp and haven't noticed a problem yet. I have a few peppermints and cleaners. It settled, once again, right under a rock toward the front of the tank. I've known people that have put a PS in a large tank never to be seen again...only heard. BTW, I have a few gobies and my pistol hasn't paired with one either.

MBZ
 
Well, I took that pistol shrimp back that I suspected of eating my goby and got another little candy cane stripe one, very little, and a little goby and put them in my 18 gallon. There's a store that sells pairs, the one on Camp Bowie. They immediately paired up! So cool. I would like to add them to my main tank but I may not ever see them again if they decide to go to back of the tank where I can't see them. So I'm still debating on that, but they are successfully paired up.

Kay
 
The pistol shrimp will make a little burrow under the rocks/in the sand. Since they are blind (or near enough) they have a relationship with the goby that goes as such...

Blind shrimp makes house and keeps one antenae on the goby while making the house better. If danger comes, the goby will twitch and alert the both of them that they need to go into the cave. The goby gets a house, the shrimp gets insurance. :)
 
Kay, I just moved my hi-fin to my 40g, and fortunately, it decided to live towards the front of the tank.

Originally, it was living in the back, but I have some powerheads directing flow back there, so most of the food usually stays in the water column up front. I'm assuming this prompted his relocation to the front.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top