Pics of my pistol shrimp

They are cool. I hand feed mine once and a while and it amazes me how he cuts throught a silver side like you were using scissors to cut through something. Makes me shutter to think if he got my finger!! Almost did one day when I was going to feed my anemone and he came out from underneath it and started his snipping.

They are very cool!

 

Here is mine after they paired up. Its soo cool to watch them work together. That pistol is always workin and diggin!

http://s165.photobucket.com/albums/u76/almadmanbundy/fishes2/?action=view&current=shrimpandgoby.flv

 

Can you get some better pics. I love looking at these things even though I find them creepy.

 

We have a Tiger Pistol that was actually our second or third addition to the tank after our clowns, and maybe after the six line. Our LFS made us wait until the tank was fully "stable" before we got a pricey invert like their tiger pistol. The goby he was paired with in the store died shortly after acclimation (he never did look well...), the second goby which was a pinkbar goby went carpet surfing after about a month (sad, but it was a shy skittish fish), and he is still on his third goby. He's a yellow watchman who is NOT shy and eats like a pig. He now knows what the silver tongs mean at feeding time. We target feed him with those, and he stands on his tail for food. He's a fat, pretty pig.


Goby about to take food from tongs






Here's what I mean by standing on his tail for food...

I love our shrimp and goby combo. They are some of the most fascinating creatures you could have in a reef tank, and they keep your sand squeaky clean. The only downside is we've never been able to keep peppermint shrimp for longer than a few weeks...but our cleaner shrimp has always gotten along with the pistol. So I don't know if it's pistol pete or not.

You've got a nice pistol shrimp there! They are definitely very enjoyable to watch bulldoze your tank into oblivion

And since anyone interested in a pistol shrimp will probably read this thread, a shrimp and goby will not simply dig a hole and stay there for the rest of their lives. They are constantly redoing your sandscape...so if you don't like seeing your sand in a different shape every few days, don't bother with them. Ours have roughly 5 or 6 different burrows throughout our 36" long tank (46 bowfront), and each and every hole is connected underneath the rock like tunnels in Iwo Jima. I've seen goby guarding one hole, only to find the shrimp pop out of another wondering where his goby was. I guess they like it that way, but don't expect your sand to stay still, and be sure your rock is resting on the glass bottom, not the sand. Or they will collapse it most likely.

And another thing...don't put corals on or near the sand bed unless you don't care about them too much. I've had to go digging for mushrooms before because of our dynamic duo.

EDIT: and another thing...we don't have a small goby if you are wondering. we have a big pistol shrimp. He is quite fully grown.

 

I put a (tiny)tiger pistol in with a yellow watchman a couple weeks back. Not only did the pistol burrow in the back never to be seen again, but I don't thing the goby has any interest in him

 

In the picture above is a nice snail shell......... can anyone tell me what type of snail it is as i have one in my tank
Thanks Kiarah

 

my sixline was taking out my peppermint shrimps within 2 days. this was b4 i even had the pistol/goby combo. he somehow mysteriously died a month after the pistol addition...only explanation i have is that the pistol got him? all params were good and he ate well. ive since added another peppermint shrimp and its been 3 weeks and still alive it pretty much walks around the pistol's cave to avoid him. but like every1 else, i love my combo!

 

Funny my Red Blood snail likes to hang out here as well. He used to be a bit shy and only comes out during feeding time. Since the Tiger and Goby were introduced he is seen much more. He even likes to (try at least) to get inside their caves and scavenge for food! ;D Pretty cool to say the least!

 

I would love to have one.. but I like having other shrimp as well.
I have 3 peppermints.. That yellow watchmen is awesome looking.

 

I have 5 peppermints, 2 skunks, 1 red, a coral banded, and 2 pistol shrimps. (one is paired with the Goby), and I haven't lost any of them. They pretty much stay out of each others way. Execpt for the cleaner shrimp, they hang together. Pistol's kill peppermints?