Keeping watchman/pistol in sight

[hockeyhead019]

Hey everybody,

I was wondering if anybody had any tricks to have the watchman and pistol pair stay in sight lol. I just snagged a candy cane pistol and yellow watchman goby for my 20 gallon. I couldn't tell you where the shrimp went lol I have an island-esk aquascape with three large islands. I really don't care which one they end up hanging under, but i wanted to see if there were any tricks so that they would be visible from the front of the tank? I'd hate to have them build their burrow on the backside where I can't watch them.

Cheers

 

[Baldguy]

I got the same pair for my 120g. Dropped them in and had no idea what happened to the candy cane. Watchman was always out and about. I gave up on the candy cane and got a tiger pistol which paired up with the watchman within minutes. Both have been out and visible. I see the tiger completely out of their den multiple times daily. About a year after I gave up on the candy cane lo and behold I'm checking out a hole with a flashlight and see movement. It was the candy cane. To this day I have never seen the candy cane out of its hole. At most I can spot about a 1/4" of it deep in it's hole.

So bottom line, IME the candy cane are very shy whereas the tiger are very bold. If you give up on the candy cane try a tiger. And no, I don't know any tricks.

 

[KJ Coral shop]

Try a smaller goby like a yasha.

 

[keddre]

No need to. Mine made their entrance in the back of my tank, but I still see them daily.

But if you want, you could try putting a heap of rubble where you want them to burrow. If you are lucky they will stay there, but they may just take the rocks and go somewhere else

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

I had a small island rock front and center that I wanted them to home. I did this with some inexpensive 1/8" acrylic panels from Home Depot. It worked just the way I wanted it to; they move their entrance side to side but they're still under the same rock:

 

[fredjr]

I have a yellow watchman and a pistol shrimp and they dig all over the places.

 

[hockeyhead019]

Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like it's a complete craps shoot lol.

Great idea with the acrylic! I thought of something similar but was too behind the 8-ball to implement. I only dropped them in yesterday so I'll keep an eye out and see what I can see lol

 

[fredjr]

Thanks for all the replies! Sounds like it's a complete craps shoot lol.

Great idea with the acrylic! I thought of something similar but was too behind the 8-ball to implement. I only dropped them in yesterday so I'll keep an eye out and see what I can see lol

Give then time. Once they settle in I'm sure they will be all over the places if they are anything like mine.

 

[jlanger]

I have had many goby/shrimp pairs and I have always had good luck keeping them visible.

I will first make a small depression in the sand bed under the rock where I would like them to set up shop. When I add the fish and shrimp to the tank, I place them all in the net at the same time. I keep the net "closed" while placing them at the depression that I created. Once the net is in that location, I will slowly open up the net towards the rock and let them find their own way out. The shrimp are very good at getting to work immediately after being released and the gobies will usually hang out in that area. If the gobies do wander, they eventually find the shrimp and set up watch.
Over time, the gobies and shrimp will learn where it is best to place their own entrances (multiple); which is usually where food passes by. So by feeding the tank so that the food will pass in front of the burrow entrances, it will help ensure that they stay visible.

 

[hockeyhead019]

Interesting point about the feeding. I do minimal feedings right now but it looks like they've stayed put under that island and I can see the goby poking out of what I assume is an entrance. Pretty visible but under the shadow of a rock. I'll have to wait for him to be less skittish and try and snag a picture.

Thanks for all the responses everybody!

 

[fredjr]

Little man standing watch.

 

[lion king]

They'll likely have a few openings to their "cavern", really nothing you can do. They'll likely have at least one forward facing opening up to the expanse of the tank.

 

[Baldguy]

What lion king said. Mine are under a big rock and have 8 or 10 openings they rotate too.

 

[fredjr]

Mine stay on one half of the tank and have holes all over the places.

 

[hockeyhead019]

Little man standing watch.

Awesome picture!

Ok next silly question, are watchman gobies sand sifters? I don't recall seeing anything about that in my research prior to picking this little guy up. However I'm currently sitting and watching him eat the sand and blow it out his gills lol

 

[fredjr]

Awesome picture!

Ok next silly question, are watchman gobies sand sifters? I don't recall seeing anything about that in my research prior to picking this little guy up. However I'm currently sitting and watching him eat the sand and blow it out his gills lol

Yes

 

[FFKiwi]

I had a small island rock front and center that I wanted them to home. I did this with some inexpensive 1/8" acrylic panels from Home Depot. It worked just the way I wanted it to; they move their entrance side to side but they're still under the same rock:

 

[FFKiwi]

I had a small island rock front and center that I wanted them to home. I did this with some inexpensive 1/8" acrylic panels from Home Depot. It worked just the way I wanted it to; they move their entrance side to side but they're still under the same rock:

Wow Sierra Bravo ... did you drill all those holes or did you buy it like that?

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Wow Sierra Bravo ... did you drill all those holes or did you buy it like that?

Looks worse than it was. I marked the pattern in a piece of 1x6, then stacked and clamped everthing together and drilled all four sides at the same time. Took about 20 minutes to drill.

 

[FFKiwi]

Looks worse than it was. I marked the pattern in a piece of 1x6, then stacked and clamped everthing together and drilled all four sides at the same time. Took about 20 minutes to drill.

Wow, and this was just some acrylic sheets from Home Depot? and they didnt crack when drilling? wow i wanna try this. i'm not very handy but think i can do it?