Goby/shrimp pair

[dirtycontour]

I'm thinking about adding a yellow watchman(captive bred-Cryptocentrus cinctus) and a pistol shrimp (Alpheus randalli) to my tank.

Good combo as far as likelihood of pairing up?

Any suggestions?

 

[KMench]

Yes they have a good shot of pairing. My one suggestion is to make sure you're ready to have your sand bed thoroughly worked over. My sand gets moved all over the place. Giant piles here burying coral frags, bare glass in the front. It's a bit of a headache, but a very cool symbiotic relationship. I have a tangaroa goby paired with a tiger pistol. They're very reclusive and I only see the goby when he comes out for a bite to eat. I think I actually see the shrimp more often than the goby.

 

[dirtycontour]

Yes they have a good shot of pairing. My one suggestion is to make sure you're ready to have your sand bed thoroughly worked over. My sand gets moved all over the place. Giant piles here burying coral frags, bare glass in the front. It's a bit of a headache, but a very cool symbiotic relationship. I have a tangaroa goby paired with a tiger pistol. They're very reclusive and I only see the goby when he comes out for a bite to eat. I think I actually see the shrimp more often than the goby.

I was thinking about a diamond head goby to stir up my sandbed but decided it wasn’t worth corals being covered in sand.

The whole symbiotic relationship deal is why I’m wanting to grab the pair.

 

[KMench]

Yeah, they're definitely cool to see interact. Just adds a little more maintenance to the schedule. When I get home from work tonight I have to pick up a micromussa frag that they knocked down and then unbury my one mushroom lol

 

[KMench]

I uploaded a little clip of my combo for you

 

[dirtycontour]

I uploaded a little clip of my combo for you

Awesome!

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

When you first get them and are acclimating them, acclimate them in the same container and do it for a bit longer than usual, this will give them a chance to see each other and get to know one another. When you put them in the tank, put them in the same spot at the same time

 

[Dash]

They are awesome. I have a YWG / fine-striped pistol pair. They don't have a very wide area, just keep to a few inches around their cave system, so do not cause any problems for me. Give the shrimp some shells, rubble to work with (he does the digging, not the goby). My pair have stayed together after a move to a new tank, and in both, even with tons of rock, they always open up an entrance at the front. I guess they like to look at us too, ha ha. They respond to the light. As soon as they come on, they appear - I see them every day. The shrimp closes up the entrances for the night after lights out.