How will a Goby and a Pistol Shrimp find each other?

simecircle

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Hi there

I purchased a tiny Hi-fin Goby and an even tinier Randall's Pistol Shrimp, sold specifically as a pair from my LFS today. They were very tactile with each other in the shop, in the bag on the way home and in the tub as I drip acclimated. I then netted them in turn and put them close to where I was kind of hoping they'd set up camp.

I put the shrimp in first and he just zoomed off as I put the goby in. The goby has dug himself a little hole under one of my rocks, exactly where I was hoping he would and as he's darting out every so often on the hunt for a snack, I consider him to be starting out ok. I mean I'm calling him a him, but I suppose I have no idea?

I also have no idea where my shrimp is. Assuming they are pretty bonded, will the shrimp find the goby? Is he hiding in some other nook, wondering where his buddy is? Is he behind my goby, maybe, already there, but out of site? Is this the sort of thing it is normal to worry about? :)
 

ewoolpert

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They will find each other eventually, in my experience it was quick within a few hours but no doubt they will find each other. In my experience they haven’t really settled on one home but more or less work on one cave then move to another and work on that then move over and over and over. They have about 4 main caves in a 13.5 gallon. They are fun but sometimes it’s a hassle with all the sand piles and I swear I had a zoa frag glued to a rock that is probably in a cave wall now. So make sure smaller frags are glued well otherwise the shrimp will use them for supporting his caves.
 
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simecircle

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Excellent! Thank you both for the confidence - I shall keep watching!
 

homer1475

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More then likely if your goby is by a cave, the shrimp is in there too. I've never seen my goby "dig" a hole, thats the shrimps job.

Even if you haven't seen the shrimp, listen for clicking/snapping sounds coming from the tank(usually when at night when lights are out). That will assure you he/she is still alive and well.
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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More then likely if your goby is by a cave, the shrimp is in there too. I've never seen my goby "dig" a hole, thats the shrimps job.

Even if you haven't seen the shrimp, listen for clicking/snapping sounds coming from the tank(usually when at night when lights are out). That will assure you he/she is still alive and well.
Actually gobies do dig holes on their own. My two red headed gobies have excavated a large hole underneath my rocks as if there lived a pistol shrimp. I will take a picture and share it. I was shocked and believe me I also thought they do not dig. This might be a mating behavior in my system.
 

homer1475

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Nope never seen any goby I've had dig, but I have always had a pistol too. So maybe my gobies didn't need to dig?

No idea, but cool to know they will dig if need be.
 
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simecircle

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Well, mine kind of looked like it was just kind of slithering out the hole, but who knows? The shrimp could have already been in there. It's really quite small, but I have. heard the odd clicking sound this evening. I'm sure they'll get together, if they aren't already!
 

najer

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Well, mine kind of looked like it was just kind of slithering out the hole, but who knows? The shrimp could have already been in there. It's really quite small, but I have. heard the odd clicking sound this evening. I'm sure they'll get together, if they aren't already!

Update, have they found each other yet? :)
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Nope never seen any goby I've had dig, but I have always had a pistol too. So maybe my gobies didn't need to dig?

No idea, but cool to know they will dig if need be.
This observation was seen in my 12 gallon AIO under a rock as a pair of red-headed gobies started excavating a small hole tunnel. I would see one of them grab sand in his mouth and remove sand to clear the fron entrance and then go in over and over pulling out sand, occasionally the female which I assume since she has a swollen abdomen goes in and then comes out. The other goby shakes to entice her, maybe to lay eggs, they been doing this over a over for weeks. I read that this goby has spawned successfully in hobby tanks. So, I assume during mating season, tnis is why they can or do make tunnels, remember this particular goby is very very small in comparison to the watchman goby or diamond goby.
 

Townes_Van_Camp

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This observation was seen in my 12 gallon AIO under a rock as a pair of red-headed gobies started excavating a small hole tunnel. I would see one of them grab sand in his mouth and remove sand to clear the fron entrance and then go in over and over pulling out sand, occasionally the female which I assume since she has a swollen abdomen goes in and then comes out. The other goby shakes to entice her, maybe to lay eggs, they been doing this over a over for weeks. I read that this goby has spawned successfully in hobby tanks. So, I assume during mating season, tnis is why they can or do make tunnels, remember this particular goby is very very small in comparison to the watchman goby or diamond goby.
This fellow
A51B720D-6818-41FC-ABF6-95293E412A46.jpeg

Is sitting on what was almost 3 inches of substrate. There is a pile about 7 inches high just off screen. He moved every grain a mouthful at a time. He moves all the time and digs a new cave every time.
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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I wish they were allowed in smaller systems, both my 12 gallon tanks have each 20 lbs live sand and no goby to move and turn all that detritus.
 

fachatga

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The goby is a sand softer so he will move some sand. But if he could build a sufficient tunnel for himself he wouldn’t need the pistol shrimp in the wild. I didn’t find mine paired up in my tank for like a month. I’m sure they found each other before that but just not where I could see. They’re so much fun to watch. If they can find each other in the ocean for sure they can in your tank.
 

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