How do I catch a pistol shrimp?????

[Eagle_Steve]

The goby is tiny (like 1.25") and very skittish. I don't think it's the killer. OK I have to ask, what is the snapping claw designed for if it isn't to keep other fish out of its burrow?

The claw snaps together so fast it generates an air bubble by causing the cavitation of the water around the claw. The bubbles shoot away from the claw like a bullet. Hence pistol shrimp. I call it bubble bullets, and it takes a large shrimp to generate a bubble big enough to do a lot of damage. Most fish will end up with a small spot on them if hit, as the bubble for a split second is almost as hot as the sun. This can kill fish, but on the smaller types, tigers for example, the bubble is tiny. Think air soft gun for a shrimp that size. Hurts a bit, but not deadly to most fish. Tigers form my experience will use this on gammarid amphipods after light go out and the pods are running around. The bubble bullet will kill those and they become shrimp food.

As for catching one, I have had to do that. A small bottle trap works well, but the bottle opening needs to flush with the sand or it won’t go in. Bait with a piece of mussel or clam. Another option is lifting the rock up and netting it.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

Our goby is a beast.

I’ll second that. My YWM is a straight up B hole. He’s always popping out with that grumpy old man face chasing others away like like they’re some kids trying to walk by his yard to school. He popped out one day and got a bite off on my one spot fox face. Left a big ol mark on his side. I thought the fox face was gonna skewer him. He chased the goby back in his hole and posted up with his spikes out. That was the end of it for a while, but I just moved the tank to a new house yesterday and I’ve noticed the goby has started acting up again. It could very be your goby.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

You have some species of pistol shrimp that prey on small fish and shrimps. Yours is not one of these shrimp.

OK that's that then, the shrimp will live to see another day. I wonder what happened to my dragonet. It was huge and I had it for years. Maybe it got too comfortable with the bubble tip that's right above the shrimps burrow.

 

[LOVEROCK]

You have some species of pistol shrimp that prey on small fish and shrimps. Yours is not one of these shrimp.

i gotten some live rock from tampa recently , and heard some clicking , know if poses a danger?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

i gotten some live rock from tampa recently , and heard some clicking , know if poses a danger?

As far as I know they all click

 

[mkwarner77]

I had the same problem with a pistol shrimp I had. I suspected he was the reason all my bottom dwelling fish kept vanishing, and I heard him firing his"pistol" alot at night after lights out, then my emerals started going missing. The last straw was when I saw him kill my large emerald crab. I tried traps for weeks, he would get close but not quite commit to the trap. I ended up having to take all the rock work out of the tank. Even then it took me almost an hour to catch him, they're very, very fast. I traded him and the goby he was paired with to my LFS. Lesson learned, if I ever want another one I need to have alot bigger tank than a 46 gl. He had tunneled all over the tank, there wasn't an area he couldn't or didn't get to.

 

[madweazl]

i gotten some live rock from tampa recently , and heard some clicking , know if poses a danger?

There are some small smasher mantis that can come in with the TBS rock. They're fascinating to watch and wont hurt your fish despite what many believe. I had three smaller smashers in a tank about five years ago that I absolutely loved; even after one or two of them smashed me while I was working in the tank. I want to grab some of the TBS mantis (wennerae) but they're quite spendy to order on their own.

 

[Trs]

Our pistol shrimp kills peppermint shrimp, small emerald craps, small hermit crabs, and snails (whole clean up crew) and shoots at anything that comes near his rock. We’re trying to figure out how to catch him right now.

 

[Trs]

That's enough, I'm done. This guy has got to go. He's a killer. I can't keep any other burrowing fish or bottom dwelling fish. First my very large dragonet that I had for years eventually wandered to the wrong spot and got snapped and killed. Now the same thing has happened to my engineer goby. Both fish were found dead with their heads sticking out of his burrow.

I need to catch it. Will a standard bottle fish trap work for such a timid shrimp? Or what have you all used?

Also, should I get rid of his mate, the yellow watchman goby as well or will it be happy without the shrimp?

Look on worlds deadliest - pistol shrimp.

 

[Crabby48]

Mine can be hard on snails. Mostly because the pink spot brings them to the shrimp. Pink spot also keeps fish away from the entrance.

 

[DropInTheOcean Matthew]

I witnessed my pistol shrimp killed my twin spot signal goby. I have the largest species of pistol shrimp and it’s more than capable of killing small fish. It also killed another prawn goby that I put in the tank. I need to find a way to catch him. I have sps growing all over the rocks so disassembling isn’t an option.

 

[DropInTheOcean Matthew]

I witnessed my pistol shrimp killed my twin spot signal goby. I have the largest species of pistol shrimp and it’s more than capable of killing small fish. It also killed another prawn goby that I put in the tank. I need to find a way to catch him. I have sps growing all over the rocks so disassembling isn’t an option.