Pistol Shrimp Extraction

[ajremington68]

Sooooo I got a pistol shrimp and yellow watchmen goby and they have been paired up since day uno in my tank. Now, I got them 6 months ago when I started up my first reef tank, and I thought great idea. YEA NO the shrimp is comfortable and not scared of my other fish. It decimates any hermit crabs that he can see, smell, and touch as well as snails. It also believes to be an aquarium scaper and chooses to rescaoe my tank E V E R Y S I N G L E D A Y. So I need Ideas on how to remove it. Cannot empty the tank, can't move the rock that his main den is under due to a 10in RBTA on that rock, and can't have it walk. I have tried to snatch it with tongs and you guessed it TO SLOW. Any ideas or suggestions shoot them over!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Giant syringe/water gun to suction it out? I've seen these called "Shrimp Guns" or "Ghost Shrimp Guns" because they're commonly used to fish Ghost Shrimp/Mud Lobsters out of their burrows.

You can DIY one pretty easily with some PVC.

 

[ajremington68]

Giant syringe/water gun to suction it out? I've seen these called "Shrimp Guns" or "Ghost Shrimp Guns" because they're commonly used to fish Ghost Shrimp/Mud Lobsters out of their burrows.

You can DIY one pretty easily with some PVC.

I shall look it up right now...

 

[Katrina71]

Good luck! I've had Satan in my tank over 2 years. I think he's going to outlive me.

 

[rhitee93]

I can rent you a snowflake eel for a few nights...

 

[ajremington68]

I can rent you a snowflake eel for a few nights...

Now, the problem is I have a cleaner shrimp who is my buddy and cleans my hands while I clean his tank... Cant lose him to

 

[rhitee93]

Now, the problem is I have a cleaner shrimp who is my buddy and cleans my hands while I clean his tank... Cant lose him to

No problem! Remember that Bugs Bunny cartoon where Elmer builds the hunting robot and gives the robot a picture of a rabbit to "Program" to hunt Bugs? We'll just do the same thing.

Ok, now that I've dated myself, I'll stop wrecking your thread...

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Any updates on how this went?

 

[jabberwock]

Sooooo I got a pistol shrimp and yellow watchmen goby and they have been paired up since day uno in my tank. Now, I got them 6 months ago when I started up my first reef tank, and I thought great idea. YEA NO the shrimp is comfortable and not scared of my other fish. It decimates any hermit crabs that he can see, smell, and touch as well as snails. It also believes to be an aquarium scaper and chooses to rescaoe my tank E V E R Y S I N G L E D A Y. So I need Ideas on how to remove it. Cannot empty the tank, can't move the rock that his main den is under due to a 10in RBTA on that rock, and can't have it walk. I have tried to snatch it with tongs and you guessed it TO SLOW. Any ideas or suggestions shoot them over!

Well, it is his home, not yours. Let it do its thing? Mine does the same thing. I just roll with it. The only way you will be able to catch it is a total tank breakdown.

 

[Not_Erick]

Well, it is his home, not yours. Let it do its thing? Mine does the same thing. I just roll with it. The only way you will be able to catch it is a total tank breakdown.

I sometimes regret mine, he’ll cover some zoas I have at the bottom of the rock with sand when he’s rearranging, then I’ll uncover them and they’ll be covered again the next day

 

[ajremington68]

Just accepted that I cannot put anything on his side of the tank, besides the one thing I have gotten away with is a 20 head hammer. Only because it’s so big and heavy he can’t move it. But one you get lemons make lemonade I was told

 

[Sump Crab]

Easy. Get a small section of thin pvc pipe, maybe 10". Put a 45 elbow on one end and a cap on the other. Bury it in front of the shrimps primary burrow entrance. Put some food inside the pvc pipe and the shrimp will eventually go inside the pvc pipe and then pull the pipe from the aquarium.

 

[Sump Crab]

Easy. Get a small section of thin pvc pipe, maybe 10". Put a 45 elbow on one end and a cap on the other. Bury it in front of the shrimps primary burrow entrance. Put some food inside the pvc pipe and the shrimp will eventually go inside the pvc pipe and then pull the pipe from the aquarium.

Also for ppl who want a shrimp/goby pair bit want to minimize the sand movement should construct a pvc burrow for their shrimp and goby pair. Use appropriate size pvc pipe and a combination of T fittings, 90, and 45 to create a closed tunnel network. Drill some random small holes throughout it (too small for the shrimp to get out of them). Then place that on the glass bottom and bury it under your sand and rocks. Just have a couple 45 fittings above the sand as entrances. The shrimp and goby will utilize this and won't leave it. You can control exactly where they live. It works.

 

[driciladr]

Also for ppl who want a shrimp/goby pair bit want to minimize the sand movement should construct a pvc burrow for their shrimp and goby pair. Use appropriate size pvc pipe and a combination of T fittings, 90, and 45 to create a closed tunnel network. Drill some random small holes throughout it (too small for the shrimp to get out of them). Then place that on the glass bottom and bury it under your sand and rocks. Just have a couple 45 fittings above the sand as entrances. The shrimp and goby will utilize this and won't leave it. You can control exactly where they live. It works.

Mine is creating a 4” sand mountain but I kind of like it - if I had to redo it I’d probably build it borrows

 

[ajremington68]

Also for ppl who want a shrimp/goby pair bit want to minimize the sand movement should construct a pvc burrow for their shrimp and goby pair. Use appropriate size pvc pipe and a combination of T fittings, 90, and 45 to create a closed tunnel network. Drill some random small holes throughout it (too small for the shrimp to get out of them). Then place that on the glass bottom and bury it under your sand and rocks. Just have a couple 45 fittings above the sand as entrances. The shrimp and goby will utilize this and won't leave it. You can control exactly where they live. It works.

I like this idea, what size PVC do you think 1in?

 

[Sump Crab]

I like this idea, what size PVC do you think 1in?

That should work. A candystripe pistol paired with a yasha goby can have a smaller pipe that a YWG with a tiger pistol.

 

[Sump Crab]

I like this idea, what size PVC do you think 1in?

If you do this release the shrimp so it goes immediately inside the tunnel. Like hold it in your hand and place it inside the entrance.