Is this a shrimp burrow?

[abizzle117]

I added a very small (1/2in - 3/4in) candy cane pistol shrimp to my tank a week ago. I have a watchman goby I'm hoping it pairs with. I acclimated for two-three hours before introducing to the tank.

As mentioned, it's been one week and I have seen no evidence whatsoever the shrimp is alive. No burrows, no real sand out of place, no snapping.

This hole, which is in the back right corner of my tank may not be new, I only just noticed it. I do have cerith snails and small hermits in my tank. But I was hoping someone might restore some of my hope that this little shrimp is alive somewhere and confirm whether it seems like the end of a shrimp tunnel. Thanks!

 

[jhadaway117]

I can't say for sure, but I can say that my pistol has never borrowed directly into the sand like that. It tends to build it's den for him and my watchman under different rocks.

 

[Chris Spaulding]

I have had and still have a candy cane pistol that is paired up with a high fin goby for the last 3 years. I rarely see the pistol maybe once a month. He does not burrow around and push sand like other larger pistols. Mine is at least 4 years old and is only 1.25 - 1.5 inches. I also only hear him once or twice a week usually at night.

 

[Fish Fan]

I feel you! I have tried two of these Candy Cane pistol shrimps (Alpheus randalli). The first I saw for maybe a minute after adding it to my tank, then I never saw it again (or heard it!). The second shrimp I saw for maybe a day or so, then I didn't see that one ever again. Most recently I tried a larger Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) and it too lasted about a day, as far as I can tell. I simply cannot keep a pistol shrimp lol! Tagging along to see what I'm doing wrong lol!

 

[abizzle117]

I feel you! I have tried two of these Candy Cane pistol shrimps (Alpheus randalli). The first I saw for maybe a minute after adding it to my tank, then I never saw it again (or heard it!). The second shrimp I saw for maybe a day or so, then I didn't see that one ever again. Most recently I tried a larger Tiger Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus bellulus) and it too lasted about a day, as far as I can tell. I simply cannot keep a pistol shrimp lol! Tagging along to see what I'm doing wrong lol!

Your description of the first shrimp is exactly what happened to me. Saw him for a minute, he climbed into the rocky region where the goby lives and that was it. The goby is still doing his thing, with no indication he's sharing his spot with the shrimp.

Did you ever get any indicator they died? Like an ammonia spike? Or they just disappeared, and that was that.

 

[Fish Fan]

Your description of the first shrimp is exactly what happened to me. Saw him for a minute, he climbed into the rocky region where the goby lives and that was it. The goby is still doing his thing, with no indication he's sharing his spot with the shrimp.

Did you ever get any indicator they died? Like an ammonia spike? Or they just disappeared, and that was that.

OK, totally by coincidence, I just right now saw my Tiger Pistol Shrimp! He's alive, living under a rock, apparently.

But to answer your question, with the first two candy cane shrimps I tried (and I tried them separately, I did not add two to my tank), they just disappeared. I did not think to check for ammonia, but there was no sign of a dead shrimp, they just disappeared. I never heard them either, which is a tell-tale sign you have a pistol shrimp in your tank. And, this is in a 10 gallon tank with dry rock and sand, no fish, just other snails and hermits and inverts like that. When I added my first candy cane shrimp, I did have a fairly large Emerald crab (Mithraculus sculptus) in the tank, and I thought maybe he got the shrimper. But when I added the second candy cane shrimp I had taken out the emerald crab, so the only thing in the tank with the pistol shrimp was a few hermits and snails. So I don't think it was aggression.

But for now, my Tiger pistol shrimper seems to be doing his thing I house them and every other invert I get in a 10 gallon holding tank for up to 90 days, to help prevent them from introducing fish parasites to my main tanks. He's been in that tank since July 11th. After about 60 days, I can move him over to a 15 gallon AIO and hopefully he pairs with a Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) that I have in a separate QT tank now.

 

[abizzle117]

@Fish Fan well I'm happy you found the tiger! Guess you can keep em alive after all. best of luck with the goby pairing.

 

[Fish Fan]

@Fish Fan well I'm happy you found the tiger! Guess you can keep em alive after all. best of luck with the goby pairing.

Thank you! Based on my experience, I wouldn't give up on your shrimper yet, he may be in that hole or somewhere else in your tank. Good luck!

 

[JayM]

Sounds like a familiar story. Saw mine for a minute, then gone for a couple of months. Long story short, I set and baited a fish trap for a nasty clownfish. Looked in the trap the next morning before work and the pistol shrimp was in there munching the bait. That was about 7-8 months ago and haven't seen him since. I may or may not still have the little guy.

 

[abizzle117]

Sounds like a familiar story. Saw mine for a minute, then gone for a couple of months. Long story short, I set and baited a fish trap for a nasty clownfish. Looked in the trap the next morning before work and the pistol shrimp was in there munching the bait. That was about 7-8 months ago and haven't seen him since. I may or may not still have the little guy.

Hm so far it seems this symbiotic relationship is not exactly as advertised in the YouTube videos...

 

[JayM]

Hm so far it seems this symbiotic relationship is not exactly as advertised in the YouTube videos...

Maybe not with the Candy Cane, but after I first thought he was a goner, I bought a Tiger Pistol to pair with my YWG. They found each other within minutes and have been inseparable ever since.

I'm fairly certain at this point that the Candy Cane is gone. Most likely a midnight snack for my Flame Hawkfish.

 

[sangria517]

I added a very small (1/2in - 3/4in) candy cane pistol shrimp to my tank a week ago. I have a watchman goby I'm hoping it pairs with. I acclimated for two-three hours before introducing to the tank.

As mentioned, it's been one week and I have seen no evidence whatsoever the shrimp is alive. No burrows, no real sand out of place, no snapping.

This hole, which is in the back right corner of my tank may not be new, I only just noticed it. I do have cerith snails and small hermits in my tank. But I was hoping someone might restore some of my hope that this little shrimp is alive somewhere and confirm whether it seems like the end of a shrimp tunnel. Thanks!

Did they pair up?

I just added a YWG and a candy cane pistol today. I added them at the same time to hope they would pair. The shrimp went into a hole in the rock and the goby is hovering near the rock.

 

[abizzle117]

Did they pair up?

I just added a YWG and a candy cane pistol today. I added them at the same time to hope they would pair. The shrimp went into a hole in the rock and the goby is hovering near the rock.

It's been almost a month and I've haven't seen the shrimp even once. I have to assume it either died some time after being added, or it burrowed somewhere I can't see and never comes out. I've seen no second hand evidence of its existence either. The goby does behave slightly different now but that could be for other reasons.

Wish you better luck than me! Maybe one day months from now I'll be in for an amazing surprise..