Catching a Pistol Shrimp

I was going to get a Blood/Fire Shrimp in my tank once my LFS gets one in stock, but I remember recently that I still have a pistol shrimp in my tank. I never bought the shrimp, it just came out of my Live rock when i first bought it 6 months ago. It was small then, hard to identify. At the time it looked like a bullseye pistol shrimp, but after that day I didn't see it until I moved my rock around again a couple months later. I would say that I would see him an average of once per month. I noticed him in one rock every once in a while, but he is extremely aware of my presence. I completely forgot he existed in my tank for 4 strait months until i saw him the other day, when he darted out of the one rock and snatched mysis shrimp I put in the tank. I got a slight look at him. He isn't really big, about 1.5 inches or so, and he was mostly orange with possible some blue coloring. I think it would be impossible to get him out of the rock, and trapping him doesn't sound very easy.

I am pretty sure he will attack my shrimp, or when he gets bigger. I feel removing him if it is necessary will be a difficult process, even harder than when I tried to remove a large hitchiker crab.

 

It would be difficult because they don't burrow into rock like a mantis will. You would have to remove the rock(s) that it builds its burrows under.

 

my pistol lives in my rock and never leaves. I know it's not a mantis because I have seen it. I read that pistols will burrow in rocks. I personally would love to catch mine as well.

 

I saw a good look at him. Definatly a pistol shrimp. Its online with a dark blue line going down his back. I saw the "pistol claw" so I know it for a fact is one. The rock I have is really porous and has a ton of different places it can hide it. Would carbonated water work?

 

First off you will be needing a pistol permit, Sorry about that.:

You could try a glass jar with a piece of shrimp in it filled with tank water and covered with plastic wrap with a cut in it, Placed in front of it's home. You can use a rubber band to hold the plastic wrap on the jar. May work and May not :-/ Just a thought

 

Short of re-aquascaping COMPLETELY and risking destroying your sandbed there is no good way.

I'd try a couple of different traps :/

 

Interesting Jar thing! I think DRS. Foster Smith have a trap? Not for sure, you might want to look!

 

What, are you currently attending the JohnO School of Bad Jokes?

 

I don't have good luck with traps. Tried using one to get a crab but that never worked, so I resulted into squashing him with a rock. In this case its harder. I will try the glass trick tho.

 

Yup that one defiantly came from down under