Candy cane pistol shrimp wandering away from burrow

cd459 · Jul 26, 2021

I bought a candy cane pistol for my Dracula goby, and they were living in the same burrow (far left side of tank) for the first few days. One morning I noticed there was some digging next to my elegance coral (far right side of tank) and when I lifted it up I saw the candy cane pistol underneath. I gently placed the shrimp back on the left side of the tank and he was back to moving sand with the goby. However over the next couple of days the same thing happened where the shrimp would wander over to the elegance and make a home underneath it. Is there any particular reason why it's doing this?

admiralmcstabby · Jul 27, 2021

Because that's probably where it really wants to be

As with anemones, mushrooms and other corals (and of course fish!), you don't tell an inhabitant where it wants to live, it tells YOU where it wants to live (insert Soviet Russia joke) lol.

If it otherwise seems happy, not being attacked...it just may be where it wants to hang out. Pistol shrimp are notorious for digging...some people say they'd dig all the way to China if they could...they often build "caves" for themselves but at the same time many report their shrimp never stop digging.

So, you may want to consider whether or not you want something rearranging your sand often! Hey, at least it's a free sandsifter!