Pistol Shrimps Are HORRIBLE Reef Tank Inhabitants.

[Tnops]

TIGER pistol shrimps more specifically, they are the only species which I have kept. I can't speak for other pistol shrimps. Almost every reef site and even most hobbyists label them as reef safe. Does not being able to have any frags on your sandbed count as "reef safe"? Heck even if you have a full grown or stabilized coral on your sandbed your pistol shrimp and goby can just bury it over the course of a few days if you don't realize.

My pair constantly moves my frags into their borrow or turns them over, often times severely damaging them. You might say just to move the frags away from their entrance. Guess what, they have an entrance system ALL over my tank (75g) and use all entrances. I am honestly shocked that not many hobbyists have a problem with this apparently. Last time I looked into this some people told me to lay some frag plugs around their layer. Haha, straight up ignored and went for the acan.

And I know the only way to get them out of your system is to completely tear apart your aquascape. So today I tried to but I just couldn't disassemble my main aquascape as it is all glued together. At this point I would take everything out and just set the tank to boil with the shrimp in it. Don't get me wrong they are absolutely fascinating creatures with a shrimp goby pair, that is actually what got me hooked to saltwater in the first place. But dang have they ticked me off. That's just my little rant, if you have any ideas to get them out I would appreciate it.

TLDR: Absolute AWFUL and NOT reef safe. Say bye to any corals on your sandbed and have fun trying to get them out. (please suggests ways for me to get them out)

 

[Derrick0580]

I 100% agree, plus the one I had killed multiple peppermint shrimp and a skunk cleaner along with most of my cuc! Needless to say he got banished to the sump and I assume eventually died.

 

[Tnops]

I 100% agree, plus the one I had killed multiple peppermint shrimp and a skunk cleaner along with most of my cuc! Needless to say he got banished to the sump and I assume eventually died.

dang, how did you get him out?

 

[shakacuz]

the candy pistol shrimp/randall’s pistol shrimp stay smaller. i’ve had mine for over a year and it has never left it’s burrow.

sorry you had unfortunate luck with the tiger pistol

 

[Derrick0580]

dang, how did you get him out?

It was in a 13.5 nano, so I got angry enough that I took all of the rock out to get it. No remorse over its death!

 

[Tnops]

It was in a 13.5 nano, so I got angry enough that I took all of the rock out to get it. No remorse over its death!

now just imagine ruining an entire 75 gallon aquascape that you have had for a year just for a single blind shrimp

 

[Derrick0580]

now just imagine ruining an entire 75 gallon aquascape that you have had for a year just for a single blind shrimp

Might try baiting a trap for it!

 

[Tnops]

Might try baiting a trap for it!

This shall do.

But seriously any ideas?

 

[reaper93]

Haha! He and a goby are my only inhabitant in my 5g reef, but he sure likes using my Blasto as a door

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Haha! He and a goby are my only inhabitant in my 5g reef, but he sure likes using my Blasto as a door

Not sure what is worse...shimp using the blasto as a door or an collector urchin using it as a hat!!

 

[Karen00]

I too have only had the smaller candy pistol. Having said that I also had some problems. My tank is only a 5g and he would literally move half the tank's sand over to his rock which happened to be a low rock with corals on it. Yep... the corals would get buried. I could hardly see the rock because there was so much sand on it. I got the pair from a fellow reefer so I don't know how old they were when I got them. I had them for about 8 months then he died for some reason. I target fed them daily so honestly don't know what happened. Not long after my beloved goby he was paired with committed suicide by finding the smallest space in the lid and he jumped out. That was weird and sad. Never once did he swim to the surface so I was shocked to find him on the floor in the morning. I loved them dearly as inhabitants but admittedly I am happy to have a calm tank again. Would one of the bottle traps work or is he too big? Put food in it and put the opening in front of the most used entrance?

 

[brahm]

Anytime you have a sand bed or more specifically put frags in the sand it’s a huge risk. Sooner or later they are gonna get buried flipped upside down or something along those lines and die.

gotta glue stuff down or have corals large enough they can handle partial burials .. imop can’t blame the shrimp . My pistols are great.

 

[JGT]

I have pistols and had sim probs. Broke the stalk off the frag plugs and glued them to nice size rocks. No more wandering corals.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

You could try glueing the Frag plug stem to stem with another Frag Plug, and bury that. i don’t have a Pistol Shrimp and still have to blow sand and gravel off of some corals.

 

[Derrick0580]

Will never have another pistol shrimp or a sifting goby in a reef tank again. Too much extra work!

 

[HBtank]

Some sort of bottle trap or similar would have to work.

 

[HBtank]

And all shrimp annoy me mostly, even the popular reef safe ones like peppermints and cleaners make target feeding corals impossible.

 

[ReefLife_Guy]

I wish my YWG and pistol shrimp came out of their cave! Mine are both scared of their shadows, I can count on one hand how many times I have seen both of them since I added them 4 months ago.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I wish my YWG and pistol shrimp came out of their cave! Mine are both scared of their shadows, I can count on one hand how many times I have seen both of them since I added them 4 months ago.

I don't see my pistol shrimp often but I sure see his handiwork! Completely rescapes my sandbed at least once a week after lights out... looks like a bulldozer came through! And loves to decorate his burrow with pretty coral... Can't really blame him for that, lol!
But I also will never get another tiger pistol shrimp. I'll keep this one until he dies of old age, but will definitely NOT be putting him in my new tank! He can live in the biocube or sump.