My Pistol shrimp is killing everything

[Basile]

It like having Dr Jekill and Mr Hyde in my tank. First snails, then my Yellow whatchman and his replacement another watchman. How can i catch that little B... and take him back to the LFS.I got him about 5 month ago. And it seem to be fine at first but 2 fish now thats enough! Any suggestions

 

[dennyamy]

can you bait him with some food in a net?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Are you 100% SURE it's the pistol shrimp? I'm not terribly familiar with them, but I don't think they'd be able to take out a watchman, unless there's a HUGE size difference. It sounds more like a mantis to me...

 

[jski711]

I would say mantis as well. I have a pistol in my tank with 4 other shrimp tons of snails and crabs. Check out the tank at night and see what u can find!!!

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Where did you get your rock from? Any rock can have a mantis, but I hear that TBS and other Caribbean rock is a lot more prone.

Also, just cuz the tank's been up for a while doesn't mean there isn't a mantis. This one guy on another forum had his 125 reef up for over a year and a half before he realized he had a mantis.

 

[SeaLover]

I have had a pistol and watchman for about 2 years. My pistol has never harmed anything! I would be sure 100% its the pistol before I would take him back. They are very docile. My pistol will even crawl all over the goby an the goby is so playful an will just kick him off. lol

 

[reefjitsu]

There are many kinds of pistol shrimp and some of them will definately kill fish. Not all of the pistol shrimps will form sybiotic relationships and even the ones that do should only be trusted not to harm their respective symbiotic partner species.

 

[cheeks69]

There are many kinds of pistol shrimp and some of them will definately kill fish. Not all of the pistol shrimps will form sybiotic relationships and even the ones that do should only be trusted not to harm their respective symbiotic partner species.

Ditto !
Any of the Atlantic sp. in particular !
Can you tell us which sp. you have ?

 

[Dentoid]

Pistol shrimps are capable and will kill and eat a symbiotic or potential symbiotic partner goby. Unless you purchased the two already as a pair, there is no guarantee that the two will pair-up.

There are prerequisites to pairing pistols and gobies. As Robert eluded to, pairing species that match well and are known to pair. Matching size between the symbionts is important. Smaller species shrimp with smaller species goby and vice versa.

The goby's appearance is also key. Here is a quote from an article written by Professor Ellen Thaler, Coral magazine, Dec. '07/Jan. '08, Vol. 4, Num. 6; page 35:

...The fish (goby) should not appear emaciated. In particular, the shape of the stomach must be convex (bulging to the outside) not concave (curving to the inside). Emaciated fish are rarely active, and will thus not react naturally toward pistol shrimp-which, in turn, makes the shrimp see them not as a partner, but as prey.

Therefore, it's important to ensure that the goby is healthy and well fed before attempting to marry the two.

 

[yungreefer2410]

no shrimp stands a chance in my tank! my 2.5in sixline thats 2-3 yrs old killed a 5 in cb in one day. there was shrimp parts all over the tank!

 

[Dentoid]

So it was a shrimp yard sale!

 

[yungreefer2410]

it was!! lol

 

[Basile]

Are you 100% SURE it's the pistol shrimp? I'm not terribly familiar with them, but I don't think they'd be able to take out a watchman, unless there's a HUGE size difference. It sounds more like a mantis to me...

That's the Killer

The yellow watchman usually for a symbiosis with those guys usually, it did for a while but then...and it got its replacement who was smaller. How do i trap it.any ideals.

 

[Basile]

Ditto !
Any of the Atlantic sp. in particular !
Can you tell us which sp. you have ?

Thats the guySometime called the bullseye shrimp.Any ideals how to trap him. They paired up for 4 months no problem. Could it be because it was hungry?? How do i trap him. He'll go back to the LFS.

 

[Basile]

I have had a pistol and watchman for about 2 years. My pistol has never harmed anything! I would be sure 100% its the pistol before I would take him back. They are very docile. My pistol will even crawl all over the goby an the goby is so playful an will just kick him off. lol


Yes they where quite a pair , i don't know why, but the shrimp became more agressive, Could it be because she wasn't fed enough, was hungry? I give her a piece of sole every 2 day, a faire chunk.She takes it from a pair of tongues is use(not my finger lol) But she clicks at everything. snails, fish ...

 

[cheeks69]

Thats the guySometime called the bullseye shrimp.Any ideals how to trap him. They paired up for 4 months no problem. Could it be because it was hungry?? How do i trap him. He'll go back to the LFS.

That isn't one of the sp. that forms a symbyotic relationship with Gobies !

I've kept Gobies/Pistol shrimp on and off for years and have never fed the shrimp.

 

[Basile]

Its funny i've asked one question HOW DO I TRAP IT. Can anybody answer please thanks:angel3:

 

[cheeks69]

Its funny i've asked one question

No you asked several questions

Trapping it will be extremely difficult since he's built tunnels all along the rockwork, you'll have to take the tank apart IMHO.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

That's the Killer

Listen man, I'm not trying to be an ass or break balls, but if you didn't see the pistol killing your livestock, then you don't know for SURE that it was him. If you did, then that's another story, but you haven't said so yet..

Yes they where quite a pair

Even more of a compelling argument as to why it's possible the pistol didn't do this.

It's your tank and ultimately you'll do what you want, but I'm just saying if it were me, I would be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that the pistol is the culprit. I know for a fact it would be easier to think it's the pistol than a mantis, but I also know I'd be even more frustrated and upset in the end if it wasn't the pistol and I went through all the trouble of capturing him and returning him.

 

[Basile]

Sorry about the outburst but, kinda desperate to save whats left. The watchmans whent into those caves and lots of clikingfrom the shrimp and they don't come out. Plus it has been more agressive lately, can't tell why. Nothing has change; just the goby and other deaths.My cleaner shrimp got her head chopped off , the snails, my starfish lost one leg after another till she disapeared. There's not too many in the tank who are equipped to eat a starfish in a few nights, leg by leg. The only one with tools(claws ) is the pistol shrimp.

I think i got a way; using an empty pill bottle with a piece of fish in it and put it in front of one of the entrance, and a net near by. When she enter to feed scoop the hole bottle with the net. Hope it gets it. What do you think.

Its a shame she so beautiful. But she's on a rampage.