diabeetus Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 i have a tiger pistol in my 29 g bicube right now and i havent seen him in a while, but i know he is there becuase of the holes he digs. i am just wondering if it is possible to have two pistol shrimps in the same tank successfully? i have found one i really like, but idk if the tiger is going to get territorial? do any of them get territorial? thanks, -Corey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 29g is probably to small for two pistols. He probably has tunnels all over the tank. Heck, my tiny red striped pistol has tunnels under the sand in my entire 75g tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonSequitur Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 They can definitely be territorial, I've heard stories of them killing hermits that wander into their burrows. Supposedly pairing them with a shrimp goby can help (the goby helps keep others out of the burrow), but 2 in a 29g is probably not a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I've kept up to 3 in a 75 but would worry about a smaller tank. Even in the 75 from time to time they would rip one or the others claw off. Especially with the much larger Micheal's pistol shrimp, which is the one everyone wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeetus Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 yeah, i have a yellow watchmen goby, but i havent seen them together yet. thanks for all the replies! i think i will definitely hold off on the new pistol then thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeetus Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 i am noticing alot more tunnel openings around the tank! poor guy might have to rebuild most everything when i add more rock soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKilpatrick Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I have been out of reefkeeping for a few years, but last I remember pistol shrimp were bad and everyone was trying to get rid of them. Has that changed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Sure your not thinking about mantis shrimp? Pistol shrimp are a symbiote with many popular gobies. Awesome duo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockport Roo Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I've got a pistol and yellow watchman in an 8g biocube by themselves. They certainly make a good team. I wouldn't recommend two pistols in that small of a tank either. Especially if they different kinds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeetus Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 i finally see the goby paired up with the shrimp!! yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKilpatrick Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Aren't pistol shrimp the ones that make a popping sound? I remember people used to get mad when they got those as hitchhikers on live rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Aren't pistol shrimp the ones that make a popping sound? I remember people used to get mad when they got those as hitchhikers on live rock Both pistol and mantis shrimps make the popping sound. Mantis are the undesirable hitchhikers. Pistols are generally pretty harmless as they are blind and slow and live by pairing up with a goby that provides them with food. Mantis are fast freaky and scary predators with uncannily good eyesight that will plit your finger in half if you give them a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeetus Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 yup, mantis is what youre talking about. i love them tho!! i went thru a mantis shrimp phase a while back and just loved to watch him eat! fun stuff, but yes, they will hurt you and everything in the tank usually. my pistol has caused no harm tho as expected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarathustra2 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I might need to start up another thread for this but... Has anyone found a good overall resource for Goby/Shrimp pairings. I'm trying to research a good pair for my 90G tank. I've seen a lot of sources that say that you need the right shrimp for a species of goby (similar to clown fish/anemone pairings.) What I haven't found is a list of available shrimp gobies and what shrimp they pair with. I'm particularly looking for a largish goby/shrimp so they wont get lost in my tank. Any suggestions or links? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeetus Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 you got me. i know RCA has large shrimpgobies every once in a while, besides wtchmen, which can sometimes get fairly large. but im not sure the best matches for the specific types. i just assumed my yellow watchmen and tiger pistol shrimp would form a team ad they eventually did. does it make a difference on what kind of goby or shrimp you put together? i just thought you could put any pistol with and shrimpgoby and they would team up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKilpatrick Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 There is a vivid aquariums group order going on now in the "Group Orders" section. Free shipping and 10% off. They have paired gobies / pistol shrimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Seconds on vidid, they sell established pairs. However, I got my watchman from Vivid back in May, got my Tiger Pistol last month. They paired within a day. If you buy them at the same time but "unpaired" it is cheaper. All you need to do is float them in the same bag when you acclimate and release them at the same time, they'll pair immediately and you'll save the "established pair" cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Aren't pistol shrimp the ones that make a popping sound? I remember people used to get mad when they got those as hitchhikers on live rock Yes, they once were on the bad hitchhiker list. About 20 years ago (*cough*) when I started into saltwater, pistol, mantis, and even bristle worms were all thought to be super bad hitchhikers. People went to great lengths to get rid of them. I remember getting an arrow crab to help get rid of bristleworms And now we all love these little critters, with people setting up specialize tanks for mantis shrimp and what not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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