Pistol shrimp with golden head goby

[Jonathan Troutt]

Is this possible? Will the pistol shrimp and goby pair up or does it have to be a watchman goby.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Is this possible? Will the pistol shrimp and goby pair up or does it have to be a watchman goby.

Has to be a watchman style goby, Gold Heads are in a group collectively known as "Sleeper Gobies" and they do not pair up with a shrimp (they may live in the shrimp's burrow occasionally but that's about it).

Here's a short list of some commonly available gobies that pair with pistol shrimp:

Randall's Goby (My personal favorite)
Dracula Goby
Yellow Watchman
Wheeler's Goby
Yellow Rose Goby
Yasha Goby
Aurora Goby

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Right on I figured so. I was asking because my brother got a diamond goby and a pistol shrimp and has been telling me about how they act. I find it really cool. I only got a 40breeder at the moment. I more than likely couldn't keep another goby in there could I?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Right on I figured so. I was asking because my brother got a diamond goby and a pistol shrimp and has been telling me about how they act. I find it really cool. I only got a 40breeder at the moment. I more than likely couldn't keep another goby in there could I?

You could keep a few, some species will show aggression towards each other if they are similar in body shape but most are really peaceful. If you want a variety of gobies, I would suggest a sand sifter/sleeper goby like a diamond goby, a watchman style goby, and a neon/sharknose goby or a clown goby. Just be aware that sand sifters need a well established tank and plenty of food to supplement their diet if they can't get enough from the sand. They will also bury corals close to the sand and cause dust storms in the tank from time to time if they find a patch of silty sand to work.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Yeah I have the golden head goby. Its one of my favorite fish. He does bury by star polyps though. Funny thing is this guy will scoop up some sand and swim to where he is on top of my star polyps and then lets it out... He hardly ever dumps it anywhere else. He eats just about everything I put in the tank as well.

I love the gobies and the idea of having one that is paired up with a pistol shrimp sounds great to me. My brother was telling me that his goby was started bringing random shells to the burrow and the pistol shrimp would then stack them around the hole.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Yeah I have the golden head goby. Its one of my favorite fish. He does bury by star polyps though. Funny thing is this guy will scoop up some sand and swim to where he is on top of my star polyps and then lets it out... He hardly ever dumps it anywhere else. He eats just about everything I put in the tank as well.

I love the gobies and the idea of having one that is paired up with a pistol shrimp sounds great to me. My brother was telling me that his goby was started bringing random shells to the burrow and the pistol shrimp would then stack them around the hole.

My goby is a good babysitter and will follow my pistol shrimp around as it goes on adventures around the tank, usually looking for shells and bits of rocks for burrow supplies. It is by far my favorite partnership among animals on Earth and I will always have a pair in any of my reef tanks

Gobies are super particular sometimes and will have a favorite spot or location where they sift their sand. I know personally I have to level out my sand bed once a month because my Randall's goby and shrimp will gather it around their favorite rock.