Pistol for the YWG or no???

[Barb0713]

Do I get my yellow watchman goby a pistol shrimp in my 20 gallon nano reef or not? Real life pro and cons ? He turned pale as the sand when I got him. He is fine has a cave. Dug a sand pit in front. Comes out sometimes perch’s on a hairy mushroom for hours. I’m just wondering if a pistol will turn him yellow again it’s been a couple weeks. Thank for time guys :)

 

[Tahoe61]

No the presence of a Pistol Shrimp may have no affect on the fishes coloration. I would not consider it a reason for purchase.

Pro: Very interesting commensal relationship to observe. Shrimp will actively move sand.
Con: Decline in water clarity. Shrimp will move corals and inverts to build a burrow.

I never witnessed any aggression from my Pistol Shrimp towards other tank inhabitants.

 

[Generator]

My YWG was very yellow when it was little, it's changed some as it's grown getting lighter and darker again now that it's an adult. I don't think having the pistol shrimp had any affect but they are fun to watch. The main thing I think with having a pistol shrimp is making peace with your tank becoming what your shrimp wants and not what you want. Your scape will be the ever-changing home of your pistol shrimp. It will eventually take sand from every corner of your tank. More so if your sand bed is like mine and not particularly deep. I really don't mind though, it turns the sand like nothing else. It made what I initially created in there look more natural than I ever could. Occasionally I have to put things back that it incorporated into it's latest build. Sometimes I need to unbury a coral. When it abandons a section of it's expansive house I'll redistribute some of the sand back to areas it has left a little naked. It's a very busy little bee, quite the bulldozer and builder. I've never had an issue with water clarity though, might be a difference in sand size. Mine is a bit coarse.

 

[Barb0713]

No the presence of a Pistol Shrimp may have no affect on the fishes coloration. I would not consider it a reason for purchase.

Pro: Very interesting commensal relationship to observe. Shrimp will actively move sand.
Con: Decline in water clarity. Shrimp will move corals and inverts to build a burrow.

I never witnessed any aggression from my Pistol Shrimp towards other tank inhabitants.

Thanks. I know what Google says. But, I always come here for experience advice before I decide to add something.

 

[Barb0713]

My YWG was very yellow when it was little, it's changed some as it's grown getting lighter and darker again now that it's an adult. I don't think having the pistol shrimp had any affect but they are fun to watch. The main thing I think with having a pistol shrimp is making peace with your tank becoming what your shrimp wants and not what you want. Your scape will be the ever-changing home of your pistol shrimp. It will eventually take sand from every corner of your tank. More so if your sand bed is like mine and not particularly deep. I really don't mind though, it turns the sand like nothing else. It made what I initially created in there look more natural than I ever could. Occasionally I have to put things back that it incorporated into it's latest build. Sometimes I need to unbury a coral. When it abandons a section of it's expansive house I'll redistribute some of the sand back to areas it has left a little naked. It's a very busy little bee, quite the bulldozer and builder. I've never had an issue with water clarity though, might be a difference in sand size. Mine is a bit coarse.

Thank you so much :) that’s a good experience. So I have to decide if I watch a pistol shrimp or corals on the sandbed ?

 

[bubbgee]

No the presence of a Pistol Shrimp may have no affect on the fishes coloration. I would not consider it a reason for purchase.

Pro: Very interesting commensal relationship to observe. Shrimp will actively move sand.
Con: Decline in water clarity. Shrimp will move corals and inverts to build a burrow.

I never witnessed any aggression from my Pistol Shrimp towards other tank inhabitants.

To add to this, don't put any corals on the sandbed if you want to keep those. They will be buried, mushrooms, zoas, acans.. etc..

The shrimp and goby will move around so it's not just one place they will dig into.

 

[bubbgee]

Thank you so much :) that’s a good experience. So I have to decide if I watch a pistol shrimp or corals on the sandbed ?

Yes, pretty much. Any corals at the sandbed or close to it will be irritated.

 

[Barb0713]

My YWG was very yellow when it was little, it's changed some as it's grown getting lighter and darker again now that it's an adult. I don't think having the pistol shrimp had any affect but they are fun to watch. The main thing I think with having a pistol shrimp is making peace with your tank becoming what your shrimp wants and not what you want. Your scape will be the ever-changing home of your pistol shrimp. It will eventually take sand from every corner of your tank. More so if your sand bed is like mine and not particularly deep. I really don't mind though, it turns the sand like nothing else. It made what I initially created in there look more natural than I ever could. Occasionally I have to put things back that it incorporated into it's latest build. Sometimes I need to unbury a coral. When it abandons a section of it's expansive house I'll redistribute some of the sand back to areas it has left a little naked. It's a very busy little bee, quite the bulldozer and builder. I've never had an issue with water clarity though, might be a difference in sand size. Mine is a bit coarse.

Thank you so much :) that’s a good experience. So I have to decide if I watch a pistol shrimp or corals on the sandbed ? In in

To add to this, don't put any corals on the sandbed if you want to keep those. They will be buried, mushrooms, zoas, acans.. etc..

The shrimp and goby will move around so it's not just one place they will dig into.

yeah that’s what I’m how bad do I want a trachy on the sand lol

 

[bubbgee]

Thank you so much :) that’s a good experience. So I have to decide if I watch a pistol shrimp or corals on the sandbed ? In in

yeah that’s what I’m how bad do I want a trachy on the sand lol

You can have the watchman goby. It's the pistol shrimp that digs all day. Also the diamond goby (my current headache for sandbed corals I have).

 

[Barb0713]

You can have the watchman goby. It's the pistol shrimp that digs all day. Also the diamond goby (my current headache for sandbed corals I have).

Thanks Good luck. My watchman doesn’t move anything. Yet. Just sits down n a hairy mushroom most of the time lol