Burrow/Tunnel contruction

Sarah007 · Feb 7, 2017

Hello, I thought I'd share the results of my burrow build for my watchman/pistol pair. In my previous tank I used PVC pipe cut down the middle to accomplish the same thing. I wanted to make something that looked more like a natural cave system this time. They have been living in the burrow for 5 days now, so hopefully they stay put. I attached a couple pics of the tunnel.

Took 2 tubes.
https://www.amazon.com/Oceans-Wonde...TF8&qid=1486501810&sr=8-3&keywords=reef+epoxy

revhtree · Feb 7, 2017

That's pretty cool!

revhtree · Feb 7, 2017

I put the two photos together! Hope you don't mind!

ahiggins · Feb 7, 2017

THAT IS SO COOL THAT IT DESERVES ALL CAPS!!!!
I would so own a pair if I could keep them in one spot! Do they spend all their time in it or do they make their own burrows as well?
And how did you make it look so burrow-y? Did you sculpt putty for it or something?

Sarah007 · Feb 7, 2017

Totally cool to put the pics side by side. Yeah they have spent all their time in the burrow so far. Only leave to fix up the areas around the 2 entrances. No burrows of their own yet. I've been dropping pellets at the burrow entrance to try and encourage them to stay put as well. I just broke off pieces of epoxy and made about 2 inch sections at a time. Let it harden and then built another short section onto it. Pretty easy really, probably took less than 1 hour. I pressed the tunnel against a smooth flat surface after I completed each little section to make sure it was flat and would fit right against the glass without having sand fall through.

Longnose Hawkfish · Feb 7, 2017

That's awesome!

mta_morrow · Feb 7, 2017

very nice! well done my friend! I sure hope they stay put for your viewing pleasure!

alanbetiger · Feb 7, 2017

That's pretty awesome! Now that you post this I remember seeing something similar they make for reptiles.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_den.php
If they decide to move out, you might try doing what they do with the reptile den. They have a cover outside of the tank so they feel secure and you can remove it to see them and put it back on when you aren't looking at the tank.

beastium · Feb 7, 2017

Love new ideas like this

haanstang · Feb 7, 2017

esolo16 · Feb 7, 2017

Did you add the shrimp/goby and just hope they'd find the tunnel or did you entice them into it in some way?

Alfrareef · Feb 7, 2017

Awesome!!! Congrats for your initiative and build skills.
Now you can do a NG reef documentary about the life of those 2...

reeferparty · Feb 7, 2017

This is awesome! Well done! Think I will adopt this idea! Bump for a video!

gobylove · Feb 7, 2017

in my experience they really enjoy the work of building their own tunnels and caves. i have two tanks with a shrimp/goby pair in each and they make changes daily.

Baldguy · Feb 7, 2017

gobylove said:
in my experience they really enjoy the work of building their own tunnels and caves. i have two tanks with a shrimp/goby pair in each and they make changes daily.

That's my experience also. Mine alternate between 6 or 8 entrances under a big rock. Close up entrances every night.

Monkeytank · Feb 7, 2017

Great idea! Could you post a video if them in the tunnel?

Sarah007 · Feb 7, 2017

Pistol has been busy making the burrow his own. He has been moving a lot of sand up onto the second story of the burrow. Enjoy- I'm not sure I would use that word to describe a shrimp's motivation for building tunnels personally. I would think the shrimp has the drive to find/maintain adequate protection that has safe access to food. If it finds one rather than needs to build from scratch, I doubt he would mind. Just my $.02.

dochow · Feb 7, 2017

Great idea! You should patent that, what an amazing way to see biology. Honestly that is ingenious

Sarah007 · Feb 7, 2017

esolo16 said:
Did you add the shrimp/goby and just hope they'd find the tunnel or did you entice them into it in some way?

I enticed them with pellets to help them find the entrance.

Philt56 · Feb 7, 2017

I just had a sandstorm the other day. I was wondering why the water was so cloudy and then saw the shrimp going crazy going between 2 rocks about 4 inches apart. Looked like a little bulldozer only he seems to have grown since I bought him. First time I saw his whole body since I bought him, usually I just see his front paws pushing sand out of the old hole.