pistol shrimp and gobie irresistable,or oh no

[dianezoo]

Hi all It's been a long time, and I recently starting paying more attention to my well established tanks and got the bug again. I'm considering getting a pistol shrimp (LFS is holding shrimp and gobie for me) while I look for me info.
Is this a mistake to get for a small tank? I have a 29 gal with a Hipo tank, clown and two flame fish. a couple of hermits and softie corals. All of these have been in my tank now for 4 years. The sand bed is like sugar sand very fine and not more than 3" deep in sots. The LR arrangement is on top of the sand. Oh and the glass on my tank is typical thin for 29 gal (all glass make).
Ive read some time ago these shrimp are bad news they can nail your finger or crack the glass ...Is that true or false info? How large do they get in this type of setting? Is my sand too shallow and too fine? The gobie is a randals I believe. It has yellow stripes and high fin with a bulleye in yellow on it. The shrimp is oragne striped. I look forward to your comments.
Regards
Dianezoo

[Witfull]

pistols really dont have the capacity to crack a tank (mantis yes). i would be a bit concerned of a landslide due to digging. has your rock settled into the sand any since setup? and are the bottom rocks large-bigger footprint will help prevent shifting.

the pair are great fun to watch,,,i would be tempted...if i had sand~~

[Woodstock]

*Ditto to Witfull*

I've seen pics of gobies and shrimps pairing off... they look really cool. keep us posted~

[dianezoo]

I have been watching them at the LFS and the pair are just amazing. The shrimp appears to be re-decorating another spot in the tank. I'm going to pick them up this afternoon. It is a tiger pistol and a randals goby. I'll keep you posted how they do.

[Witfull]

congrats....its a symbiosis

[gussy]

Witful is correct, pistol shrimp can't crack glass. Mantis can, but they have to be really big. My biggest is a peacock at 6" in a 24 nano cube. I hold my breath everytime he dings the glass...but so far no cracks. I think they have to way, way big to do it.

[dianezoo]

update - It didnt take long for the two to reunit once they got home in my tank. The other fish did not even quarrel with the new gobbie. This is very entertaining to watch. First the shrimp started pushing fine sand out from under the rockscaping and bringing back small pices of shells and stuff to build a doorway. He pulled a small peice of rock to the enterance with a closed up mushroom on it. As the day went on the mushroom opened fully over the entrance and the shrimp started rearrainging and pushing the mantel of the mushroom back. Then he started to dump sand on it. Then he moved it to the side. Wherever the shrimp goes ergoes the the gobbie. Heres the bad part - my tank is no longer clear it looks powdery due to the fact that my substrate is the finest sand you can get. When the shrimp is hard at work it looks like smoke in the water. He looks like a little snowplow pushing sand around. There are now mounds of sand tank. I hope it settles out of the water column because the finger leather is not a happy. I suppose I should give them names now.
Later
Regards
Dianezoo

[dianezoo]

I ment to say [there are now mounds of sand all over the tank.] I need to proofread my type better.d

[Woodstock]

I can't wait to see pics of the pair!! It sounds like they are doing a great job of stirring the sand. Blow the silt off of the rocks and corals usning your hand or a turkey baster.

[Cougra]

Definately sounds like a fun pair to watch! They definately sound like something I would love to have in the tank.

[LisaB]

Good luck! It sounds like they've picked a spot in the front so you can watch them. I passed on a pair once because I just knew they'd pick a spot in the back where I couldn't enjoy them.