Pistol shrimp discussion

[Kapachuka3]

How are peoples experiences with pistol shrimp. I have a ywg and i am looking into possibly getting one. Do they hurt snails and conchs or urchins or coral?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

candy cane pistol shrimp is very small, they dont bother anything, and should pair with your ywg.
I'm not familiar with other pistols (i.e... tiger pistol)

 

[Sharkbait19]

Tiger and candy cane shrimps are harmless - they are basically blind. They will steal anything that isn’t glued down or too heavy to move, so make sure everything is secure. My tiger has stolen many hermits and snails. Once it realizes that it’s not a rock it lets them go.
Tiger or candy should pair with a ywg. Tiger’s bigger size makes it more destructive, but even then it isn’t bad at all. Very good member of the cuc as well, helping to keep the sandbed clean and eats bristleworms.

 

[Kapachuka3]

Tiger and candy cane shrimps are harmless - they are basically blind. They will steal anything that isn’t glued down or too heavy to move, so make sure everything is secure. My tiger has stolen many hermits and snails. Once it realizes that it’s not a rock it lets them go.
Tiger or candy should pair with a ywg. Tiger’s bigger size makes it more destructive, but even then it isn’t bad at all. Very good member of the cuc as well, helping to keep the sandbed clean and eats bristleworms.

Sounds good the gobies been by itself for a lonng time would you advise getting one anyway?

 

[sfin52]

Sounds good the gobies been by itself for a lonng time would you advise getting one anyway?

Yes

 

[Sharkbait19]

Nothing wrong with adding at 2 different times…unless it’s my aurora and tiger who live in the same burrow but aren’t paired

 

[Rp8]

My tiger was a murderer. Snails and fish. Even his ywg. Was wondering where everything was going. Found the graveyard under his rock. Looked like the cave of a carnivore. Always shot first, questions later. No remorse

 

[aurora.k]

My tiger (paired with a blue spot WG) is a model citizen, so I guess it always depends…

 

[Wyatt57]

Forty dollars for my tiger pistol shrimp and i never see her. However my yellow watch goby is doing real well. I can see the piles of sand the shrimp has moved but very little of the shrimp, and the watchman is on duty. Good thing i redid my aquascape because if the rock on the bottom of the tank there is no telling where they would be now. I have never heard the pistol yet

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I introduced pistol shrimp alone as I'm not excited by ywg. My pistol shrimp (unsure of species but something to do with claws/left hand/right hand, I don't think it's tiger)
has found a cave that it has lived in for nearly a year now. From what I can tell he loves house mates, it's hard to catch him at work moving sand but he has deffenitly took shells to his man cave.
hopefully these videos will show him poking out, he is currently hosting a fire shrimp and firefish
I have added new livestock today including a high fin goby, I'm sure he will be a great addition to cave but obviously pistol shrimp is the boss of 'cave'

Start of video (bottom left) you will see firefish head,
Pistol shrimp follows .. then fire shrimp

 

[Rick's Reviews]

So hard to catch this camera shy guy

I don't think it would be a bad introduction as they seem really good at turning sand over in an area, some people expect 'pairing' but to be honest
Its not the most important thing.
Mine has been brilliant from day one, I might even push my sand around inside his cave just to entertain him

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I have a couple tiger pistols, in different tanks. They’re great! Mine have never hurt any snails or hermits but they do occasionally throw them if they just won’t move away from the burrow. Otherwise, there’s just some snapping. One of my two has gotten pretty big and whenever I turn the flow off to feed my seahorse, he likes to do laps around the tank. It’s strange behavior but he seems to enjoy it. I snapped this pic of him last night. He’s paired with a high fin red banded goby.
my other one is paired with a yellow watchman goby and I did add them at different times but they still found each other. I’ve been lucky that they made their burrow front and center!

 

[Alexopora]

Here’s mine Banana & Pepper, absolute joy to watch them especially during feeding. And yes Pepper the shrimp has the tendency to kidnap my hermits. Its either getting kidnapped by a pistol shrimp or being accessories for my urchins.

 

[jpark457]

I got a candy cane (also called I think randals?) pistol shrimp as a hitchhiker. It was neat for a minute and the yellow watchman goby I already had seems to like having it but I basically never see it. Wouldn’t buy myself if it hand come in free. Basically like hiding $30 under the live rock but sounds like other peoples come out sometimes

 

[Alexopora]

I got a candy cane (also called I think randals?) pistol shrimp as a hitchhiker. It was neat for a minute and the yellow watchman goby I already had seems to like having it but I basically never see it. Wouldn’t buy myself if it hand come in free. Basically like hiding $30 under the live rock but sounds like other peoples come out sometimes

Agreed. For some theirs are out alot and for some are mostly hidden but heard. Mines out alot but to be fair its because the YWG is THE Biggest fish in my tank. The other two are damsels that are generally hanging at the top of my tank and generally steer clear of the YWG.