Strange Pistol Shrimp Behavior...

[ArowanaLover1902]

I've had a pistol shrimp for about a year now, initially he was paired with a yellow watchman goby, but the goby was killed (the killer, a frogfish, choked to death because the goby was bigger than he was). After the goby's death the shrimp started harvesting all my calpura macroalgae by grabbing it with his small claw and literally shooting it off. After a few months of this he harvested (he takes it down to his caves, no idea why) almost of it, except for a few small patches, he lets these grow and then harvests them, I'm pretty impressed by the organization. A few days ago, I added a new yellow watchman, they immediately paired up and live together, but now the shrimp, usually almost invisible, is going crazy full time (ex: running around, pushing sand, even coming far out of his tunnels).

Anyways I had a huge shipment of coral in today and the moment I put my gorgonian in the tank (I placed it on the substrate so it would have low light and flow) the shrimp ran out, grabbed a branch and started shooting at it (it wouldn't break), because of this, I moved it to a slightly higher area in the tank, he proceeded to go here and find it too. I moved it yet higher except this time, I moved a zoa where it was the second time (I've had a zoa here for a week or so, he's never been bothered by it, I moved it away so I could put my gorgonian here) and he ran up to it and snipped through a polyp before I could snatch it away. Since then he has left the corals alone, but I'm thinking it may grow to be a serious problem, any suggestions? He really is an amazing specimen and I'd hate to get rid of him, but I don't want anything terrorizing the rest of the tank.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

nah, it's just want something new to decorate its house to impress the goby

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

He started months before the new goby, and one time I lifted up one of his rocks and found a few strands, but not nearly as much as he should have, I imagine he is eating it.

 

[rkpetersen]

Sounds awesome, I'd be fine with a critter like that taking a zoa polyp now and then.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

What's species of your pistol shrimp?
I one time got a Japanese Pistol shrimp and this guys basically making new burrow after burrow through out entire my tank bottom, it's more destructive as it get older. If you have common pistol shrimp like tiger then I would not worry, you just have to make sure to clue your frag in place if its learn and like to taking frag for decoration

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

He is a tiger pistol, I really really like him, he has so much personality, he's just a bit annoying.

 

[BootyPup]

He is a tiger pistol, I really really like him, he has so much personality, he's just a bit annoying.

Yeah, my tiger stole some frags I bought before, one of which, my blue gorgonian, I never got back. One of the other ones he stole was a GSP frag. I just epoxyed it down and it was fine, hes been fine since. They just like to build when new things are added.