watchman goby left shrimp for another goby?

[Todd Kellley]

Just wondering if anyone has had this issue? We have 2 yellow watchman Gobies and 2 candy cane pistol shrimp. They each paired up and have dens at opposite ends of our tank. Tank is 90 gallons so they are some distance from each other. Anyways a couple weeks ago I see both gobies just chilling next to each other at the entrance to one burrow with the one shrimp working away behind them. Other shrimp was all alone, just antennas sticking out now and then like it was looking for it's Goby. That shrimp moved no substrate at all that night. The next afternoon I get home from work and everyone is back to where they should be and the shrimp is happily doing what they do.

So I get home late last night and my wife says she had not seen any of them though there is clear sign both shrimp were working away earlier. I turn the wave makers off and feed the tank which usually draws them out and eventually did only for me to find both gobies shacked up again at one end of the tank and this morning they were both still there together. So sorry for the long explanation but these are my questions; for one has anyone had this happen? I have read that gobies can be very territorial yet these two seem to be best buds when together. If they stay together do I need another goby for the lonely shrimp? It does not come out at all when no goby is with it or will this change if the goby does not come back after a few days?

Sorry for the long explanation, but new here and nothing I can find addresses this. Everything wants to focus on goby shrimp relationship but not Goby/Goby relationships.

 

[OrionN]

They my pair up, will be mated pair?

 

[Scotty Buttons]

I haven't heard of this but I'm no expert, I'd agree you might be looking at the gobys becoming a mated pair. Let's see what the #reefsquad has to say.

 

[OrionN]

Apparently these gobies are hermaphrodites. They can change from male (yellow) to female (larger and grey instead of yellow). I found this awesome article from Amy Drehmel here:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/ft/index.php

 

[Todd Kellley]

Apparently these gobies are hermaphrodites. They can change from male (yellow) to female (larger and grey instead of yellow). I found this awesome article from Amy Drehmel here:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/ft/index.php

OrionN, thank you. One is quite a bit bigger but so far they are both still yellow and sharing the same shrimp. What really has me wondering is after a little over 2 days I still have seen no activity from the shrimp that got orphaned. Which I know is not unusual, before we got the second goby for it we never saw it during the day but in the morning there were signs of it moving sand. But nothing has been disturbed in over 2 days. So my wife asked is it possible the shrimp moved with it? I said I do not think so, however the amount of sand that has been moved since the second goby moved in is more then twice what the one shrimp would move on its own which does make me wonder if the both shrimp are working the same burrow?

Anyone heard of that?

 

[OrionN]

I have seen pair of shrimp and single goby and pair of goby and single shrimp.
Have not seen pair of shrimp and pair of goby but I don’t see why not.

 

[Todd Kellley]

I will have to crawl

I have seen pair of shrimp and single goby and pair of goby and single shrimp.
Have not seen pair of shrimp and pair of goby but I don’t see why not.

under the tank tonight and see what I can see. My wife may just be right, but as with all the other critters, new discoveries coming out of live rock and anemones that go from looking like they are dying one minute to full of life the next I am learning that other then water parameters, life in a reef tank is full of amazing surprises!

 

[OrionN]

I often go to the tank with a dim red flashlight to looks at things that come out at night.

 

[Dash]

My observation is that a shrimp will not venture out without his goby. My YWG was moved to a hospital tank for 4 months and during that time, the shrimp never came out. Only the slightest change in the burrow opening gave me hope that he was alive. When the YWG was returned to the DT, they showed up together the next day and now are active as ever. I also know when the shrimp is molting as the burrow will be sealed for a few days -even the goby won’t come out. Fascinating creatures. I also love that they like to have their burrow front and centre.

I think your gobies have paired up. Hope his shrimp will show his face soon.:)

Ps. I’d love a goby pair. You are lucky! I believe Paul B has/had a mating pair.

I do the flashlight thing too haha. My family thinks I’m a bit of a nerd

 

[Todd Kellley]

My observation is that a shrimp will not venture out without his goby. My YWG was moved to a hospital tank for 4 months and during that time, the shrimp never came out. Only the slightest change in the burrow opening gave me hope that he was alive. When the YWG was returned to the DT, they showed up together the next day and now are active as ever. I also know when the shrimp is molting as the burrow will be sealed for a few days -even the goby won’t come out. Fascinating creatures. I also love that they like to have their burrow front and centre.

I think your gobies have paired up. Hope his shrimp will show his face soon.:)

Ps. I’d love a goby pair. You are lucky! I believe Paul B has/had a mating pair.

I do the flashlight thing too haha. My family thinks I’m a bit of a nerd

So, just an update for everyone for I have not been on in about a month! How time flies!

I went out and purchased a Randall's Goby and it has paired up with the other shrimp and they make a happy little couple. However having done so made this shrimp more adventurous then it used to be. I got up one night at about 2am and while passing the tank I see this long looking things swimming or jerking more like at one end of the tank. No glasses on and just 1% of blue light I had to stop and look like "what the heck!" nothing we put in the tank looked like this. Once focused I realized it was the two shrimp locked together in battle. The shrimp and Randall Goby are both small, inch to an inch and a half at the most while the other shrimp and YWG are closer to 3 inches. I grabbed a flashlight and they separated, why the smaller shrimp ventured all the way down to that end of the tank I do not know, but 2 days later I found his large defensive claw outside his burrow. I was hoping it was just a molt but it was not! I patiently waited and watched to see if the bigger one killed it or simply tore its claw off. Luckily he finally emerged pushing as much sand as he could with only one claw. At least the little guy was alive and a molt later now has both of his claws back and is living peacefully at the other end of the tank with his goby.

What I find is amazing is that the smaller shrimp and Randalls Goby have one burrow under one small rock at one end of the tank yet the larger one and the pair of YWG's have turned 2/3rd of the tank into burrows. I never know where they will pop out from but when they do the YWG's are always side by side and their shrimp is quite the little excavator! I certainly could not put any frags near them. Every piece of shell or small coral skeleton he can find is used in one way or another at burrow entrances. It is neat to watch him move them, stack them and then shovel sand over them to build these little walls and doorways. Some of natures best work if you ask me!

 

[eggplantparrot]

super cool, I'm waiting on a more unique goby to show up at my lfs as I want something different from a YWG.

 

[Dash]

Very cool! It’s amazing to me how these little shrimp with their tiny simple brains can engineer all these structures. I love watching my pair, who promptly open shop as soon as the lights come on. I’m also contemplating getting a second pair.

 

[Hemmdog]

super cool, I'm waiting on a more unique goby to show up at my lfs as I want something different from a YWG.

Yasha’s are unique.

 

[russell13]

Don’t worry little shrimp. Plenty of fish in The sea. ( hey maybe that’s where the saying comes from)?

 

[eggplantparrot]

Yasha’s are unique.

i asked them to notify me if either a Randall's or Yashas came in but their expression when they heard the word 'Yasha' told me they have never gotten one before and probably never will. the woes of living in Canada lol

 

[mta_morrow]

I have 2 Wheeler gobies and 2 candy cane pistol shrimp.

The gobies are a male and a female and I purchased them as a bonded pair from DD.

They came with one of the shrimp and I already had the other shrimp.

I also have a pink spot goby.

The 2 Wheelers have multiple sends throughout the tank. They are normally apart and not always with a pistol shrimp.

However, there is a mating cycle, and during that time they share a Den and I may not see them for days.

Then the male will eventually come out. Followed by the female a few days later.

I assume she stays with the eggs but I’m not sure.

I think our situation sounds very similar.

 

[Todd Kellley]

I have 2 Wheeler gobies and 2 candy cane pistol shrimp.

The gobies are a male and a female and I purchased them as a bonded pair from DD.

They came with one of the shrimp and I already had the other shrimp.

I also have a pink spot goby.

The 2 Wheelers have multiple sends throughout the tank. They are normally apart and not always with a pistol shrimp.

However, there is a mating cycle, and during that time they share a Den and I may not see them for days.

Then the male will eventually come out. Followed by the female a few days later.

I assume she stays with the eggs but I’m not sure.

I think our situation sounds very similar.

MTA I agree, my Randall's Goby was only about 3/4 of an inch long when I got him. Seems to be growing well and ventures out in the tank far more the the YWG do. They are twice his size, have 2/3rds of the tank bottom tore up with their shrimp yet if I even reach over the tank to feed them "poof" they are gone in a puff of sand. But I too have noticed that they will both be out for days and then I will only see one for 2 or 3 days then they are both back out.

Yet that brings me to another question. I read in an article about breeding YWG that the female will turn brown or basically lose the bright yellow. Neither of mine have changed. They are both still a very vibrant yellow with the beautiful blue spots. So I am not sure if they have turned into an actual mating pair or just buddies enjoying the space of a very aggressive shrimp? Any ideas anyone?