Question about YWG + Pistol Pair

[JNalley]

So, I bought a YWG and Japanese Pistol shrimp back in October (Sold separately not as a pair). I first put them in my daughter's tank (Fluval Flex 32.5G AIO) and they both just stayed hidden for 3 months, in separate locations. The Shrimp made a burrow, and the YWG found a nice nook behind a rock. That's where they remained, the YWG would only come out for food, the Pistol never came out. So, when I got my new tank setup with a deeper sandbed, I transplanted them to that tank. Now, the YWG is out very often, but the pistol just created a burrow and stays there. The only constant between the two tanks other than those two is a flame hawkfish. The Hawkfish is about 1/2" smaller or so than the Pistol, and it really does look like the Pistol would win in a fight, the thing looks like a lobster, it's big and beefy.

So I am going to make a few assumptions, and need to know if I'm correct in my thinking.

1) The YWG and Pistol haven't bonded, which is one of the reasons the Pistol stays in its burrow
2) The Flame Hawkfish may be the reason the Pistol doesn't come out.

The only other thing I can think is that the YWG is too timid... Any help/advice is appreciated. If I have to re-home the Hawkfish I am not opposed to it, just have to figure out what I want to replace it with.

Am I correct in this assumption?

 

[MnFish1]

So, I bought a YWG and Japanese Pistol shrimp back in October (Sold separately not as a pair). I first put them in my daughter's tank (Fluval Flex 32.5G AIO) and they both just stayed hidden for 3 months, in separate locations. The Shrimp made a burrow, and the YWG found a nice nook behind a rock. That's where they remained, the YWG would only come out for food, the Pistol never came out. So, when I got my new tank setup with a deeper sandbed, I transplanted them to that tank. Now, the YWG is out very often, but the pistol just created a burrow and stays there. The only constant between the two tanks other than those two is a flame hawkfish. The Hawkfish is about 1/2" smaller or so than the Pistol, and it really does look like the Pistol would win in a fight, the thing looks like a lobster, it's big and beefy.

So I am going to make a few assumptions, and need to know if I'm correct in my thinking.

1) The YWG and Pistol haven't bonded, which is one of the reasons the Pistol stays in its burrow
2) The Flame Hawkfish may be the reason the Pistol doesn't come out.

The only other thing I can think is that the YWG is too timid... Any help/advice is appreciated. If I have to re-home the Hawkfish I am not opposed to it, just have to figure out what I want to replace it with.

Am I correct in this assumption?

You might be. Or they might not be bonded. Hawkfish can certainly eat pistol shrimp - and flame hawks are one of the culprits apparently especially with 'tiger' pistol shrimp. I think the only way you could know for sure - would be to put the hawk into an acclimation box - or another tank - for a couple days, and see what happens? Or - just keep them all - and wait. I might not re-home the hawk if it were me.

 

[JNalley]

You might be. Or they might not be bonded. Hawkfish can certainly eat pistol shrimp - and flame hawks are one of the culprits apparently especially with 'tiger' pistol shrimp. I think the only way you could know for sure - would be to put the hawk into an acclimation box - or another tank - for a couple days, and see what happens? Or - just keep them all - and wait. I might not re-home the hawk if it were me.

yeh, I don't WANT to get rid of the hawkfish if I can help it, I have a TankMatez fish trap coming because I haven't been able to catch it to put it into an acclimation box. The hawkfish doesn't seem interested in the Japanese Pistol, the hawk hangs out in the same cluster of rockwork, but it doesn't try and swim into its burrow to get it or anything, and the few times 1/2 its body is outside the burrow the flamehawk still seems disinterested. But my wonder is if the Pistol Shrimp perceives it as a threat and thus is not coming out because of that.

 

[Trouble1375]

Not all pistol shrimp pair with gobies. There are some that do not have that symbiotic thing going.

 

[JNalley]

Not all pistol shrimp pair with gobies. There are some that do not have that symbiotic thing going.

I get that, it's not so much about the pairing as it is the fact that it NEVER comes out of its hole. Japanese Pistols are supposed to be of the bonding type, but each individual is different (true of any animal really). So my 3 theories are:

1) Not coming out because it isn't bonded
2) Not coming out because it's afraid of the Hawkfish
3) Not bonded because the YWG is timid or they just simply don't want to bond...

I'd just like to see more of it... I am up 20 hours a day typically, and constantly looking into the tank (at night with a red light) and I never see it out, I always see its white antennae in the opening of the cave moving about, but never out and about.

 

[MnFish1]

I get that, it's not so much about the pairing as it is the fact that it NEVER comes out of its hole. Japanese Pistols are supposed to be of the bonding type, but each individual is different (true of any animal really). So my 3 theories are:

1) Not coming out because it isn't bonded
2) Not coming out because it's afraid of the Hawkfish
3) Not bonded because the YWG is timid or they just simply don't want to bond...

I'd just like to see more of it... I am up 20 hours a day typically, and constantly looking into the tank (at night with a red light) and I never see it out, I always see its white antennae in the opening of the cave moving about, but never out and about.

When I had a paired shrimp and gobie - I rarely saw the shrimp - but often saw the fish bringing food into the hole. PS - are you sure you got a Japanese pistol - as compared to another version?

 

[Sharkbait19]

I never knew these to be a pairing species. Just read into it, turns out it is, but even then it will only pair with certain goby species. Yellow watchman likely isn’t one of them. My tiger has been with a aurora goby since august 2021 and still no pairing.
I know my tiger really only comes out for food or for occasional maintenance. Otherwise I may just see it’s antennae.

 

[JNalley]

When I had a paired shrimp and gobie - I rarely saw the shrimp - but often saw the fish bringing food into the hole. PS - are you sure you got a Japanese pistol - as compared to another version?

Yep, positive. I mean short of a DNA analysis, it's a Japanese Pistol

 

[SlugSnorter]

So, I bought a YWG and Japanese Pistol shrimp back in October (Sold separately not as a pair). I first put them in my daughter's tank (Fluval Flex 32.5G AIO) and they both just stayed hidden for 3 months, in separate locations. The Shrimp made a burrow, and the YWG found a nice nook behind a rock. That's where they remained, the YWG would only come out for food, the Pistol never came out. So, when I got my new tank setup with a deeper sandbed, I transplanted them to that tank. Now, the YWG is out very often, but the pistol just created a burrow and stays there. The only constant between the two tanks other than those two is a flame hawkfish. The Hawkfish is about 1/2" smaller or so than the Pistol, and it really does look like the Pistol would win in a fight, the thing looks like a lobster, it's big and beefy.

So I am going to make a few assumptions, and need to know if I'm correct in my thinking.

1) The YWG and Pistol haven't bonded, which is one of the reasons the Pistol stays in its burrow
2) The Flame Hawkfish may be the reason the Pistol doesn't come out.

The only other thing I can think is that the YWG is too timid... Any help/advice is appreciated. If I have to re-home the Hawkfish I am not opposed to it, just have to figure out what I want to replace it with.

Am I correct in this assumption?

what kind if pistol? not all pair, YWG need tigers

 

[JNalley]

I never knew these to be a pairing species. Just read into it, turns out it is, but even then it will only pair with certain goby species. Yellow watchman likely isn’t one of them. My tiger has been with a aurora goby since august 2021 and still no pairing.
I know my tiger really only comes out for food or for occasional maintenance. Otherwise I may just see it’s antennae.

There are several posts online about Alpheus bisincisus (Japanese Pistol/Snapping Shrimp) and YWG bonding/pairing, and they occupy the same region of Ocean. I did research it before buying them, but I also know that animals gonna do what animals gonna do. Again though, it's not so much about the pairing (though I'd like to see that happen), and more to do with the fact it never comes out. It's been out of its hole twice... Once to move locations (right after I first got it), and then once when I moved it from that tank to this one. It literally never comes fully out of its burrow, not to eat, not for anything. It's to the point that I drop food into the rockwork where its domain is hoping he's getting enough nutrients at least once a week.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Younger ones are going to be more active. My tiger used to be very active, now I’m lucky if I see it.

 

[GARRIGA]

My wallet

 

[SlugSnorter]

There are several posts online about Alpheus bisincisus (Japanese Pistol/Snapping Shrimp) and YWG bonding/pairing, and they occupy the same region of Ocean. I did research it before buying them, but I also know that animals gonna do what animals gonna do. Again though, it's not so much about the pairing (though I'd like to see that happen), and more to do with the fact it never comes out. It's been out of its hole twice... Once to move locations (right after I first got it), and then once when I moved it from that tank to this one. It literally never comes fully out of its burrow, not to eat, not for anything. It's to the point that I drop food into the rockwork where its domain is hoping he's getting enough nutrients at least once a week.

Multiple,"YWG" yours might not pair, the most common "YWG" does not have the same ranges. Alpheus bisincisus are tricky to pair. Ive heard good things about Yashas

 

[SlugSnorter]

Maybe trade in the red snapping and get a tiger. Either way, the goby and the shrimp can smell eachother

 

[homer1475]

I rarely if ever see my pistol, I do see his bumblebee goby buddy just about as much. No really, in 3 years I've had him, I may have seen him a handful of times. The goby comes out about once a week for food, but other then that, I never see them.

If the pistol isn't paired, it will not come out of it's hole. Thats what the goby is for, to keep watch and tell the shrimp when theres danger. Pistol shrimp are nearly blind and rely on the symbiotic relationship for their safety.

If you hear it snapping from time to time, it's eating.

 

[homer1475]

An excerpt from an interesting article I just found about the pair....

The goby, which has good eyesight, is responsible for protection. When the two leave the burrow, the goby will rest its tail fin against the shrimp's antennae. If it senses danger, it will flip its fin and the shrimp will retreat back to the safety of the burrow.

I have seen this same thing in my tank, and wondered if that was how they communicated.

 

[SlugSnorter]

An excerpt from an interesting article I just found about the pair....




I have seen this same thing in my tank, and wondered if that was how they communicated.

its that, and smell. Different shrimps and gobies have different sent and movement clues, a mismatch of these clues (almost always due to a pair that couldn't exist in nature) can lead to a pair killing eachother