Time for a new pistol shrimp?

[Teeter]

Around 1.5 months ago I bought a Yasha goby and a candy cane pistol shrimp. The first day, the shrimp dug himself a pit in a corner of the tank while the goby went and hid in a rock. The next day, the shrimp was gone, so I figured it made its way over to the goby. I have a few concerns, though.

1. The goby seems to not even live in a dug out hole. When he’s not out, it looks as if he just squeezes into a crevice in the rock.

2. I know I’m supposed to hear occasional popping from the shrimp, but I haven’t heard it once. I believe this is on account due to it not having its pistol claw when I bought it (but I was reassured it would grow back).

3. I have not seen any evidence of that shrimp except the first day when I put him in.


Is it just time to get a new one? And if the other is somehow still alive, will a new one mess things up?

 

[littlefoxx]

I would wait and see. Mine only pops off when another fish goes in the hole he made. He made it under a rock. I thought I lost him cause I went 6 months without hearing him pop and hadnt seen my yellow watchmen in almost a year. About 3 mo the ago I heard the shrimp popping and saw a glimpse of my yellow watchmen. Both are really shy. Sounds to me like your shrimp dug under the rock and the goby might be at the entrence of the cave guarding like they do! Maybe put up a camera near the tank and see if it comes out at all while youre not home? I know mine do. Ill get to the back door when I come home from work and see the goby peeking but the second my dogs bark in the hole he goes!

 

[dangles]

I almost never see my pistol shrimp. There was a stretch of a couple of months where I didn’t see him and it turns out he found his way into the return chamber of my all-in-one. Another time he got into the refugium.

They’re very sneaky. And small. So don’t give up yet.

 

[dangles]

Also if you can track down a red flashlight go look through your tank late at night. Mine is more active at night.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would wait.

Honestly, many of these inverts are the same, pay 30$-40$-50$ for them, add them to the tank, and then watch them crawl under a rock only to get a glimpse of them once every 6 months, or maybe never....

 

[Teeter]

Y’all have given me hope lol, I’ll setup a camera and get a red filter for a flashlight and report back if I end up finding him!

 

[Mppp]

I enjoyed my pistol shrimp yellow watchman goby relationship for quite a long time and my pistol shrimp passed ( I dosed too much iodine is my guess, but that's another story and I won't mess with iodine dosing again just to see zoas grow a bit quicker). Frankly, I see my goby so much more now that that pistol shrimp isn't making him paranoid to always retreat under rock so quickly so I won't be getting another one.

 

[littlefoxx]

I enjoyed my pistol shrimp yellow watchman goby relationship for quite a long time and my pistol shrimp passed ( I dosed too much iodine is my guess, but that's another story and I won't mess with iodine dosing again just to see zoas grow a bit quicker). Frankly, I see my goby so much more now that that pistol shrimp isn't making him paranoid to always retreat under rock so quickly so I won't be getting another one.

Hum thats interesting. I wish I could see them more than I do cause they are super cool! My goby is the skitty one. The shrimp just freaks with the goby freaks. The shrimp probably thinks the tank is full of sharks or something with how nervous the goby always is anytime some one is in the room or another fish swims on that side of the tank

 

[merkmerk73]

They're really reclusive so it's hard to say

But they also don't really fight eachother much so you can always add another one.

In theory I have 5 or 6 in my 120g. I only see my oldest one regularly but there's another one that lives with it and the goby (they paired)

The other small ones I haven't seen in a while.

 

[deafasa]

Hmm, I guess we got lucky. I will usually see our goby hovering outside one of the pistol shrimp tunnel entrances. Not everyday, but several times a week. I'll also see our pistol shrimp it is paired with once or twice a week. I hear the pistol shrimp several times a day.
Jeff