Dang Pistol Shrimp!!!!!

[Skipper]

A couple of days ago I bought a new zoanthid rock and added it to my tank. I placed it about 1/3 up in the tank on the rockwork. It had about 60 polyps of Green Bay Packer and Dragon Eye zoanthids on it. Beautiful piece!!

So yesterday, I come home from work and noticed that about half the polyps are missing. This morning I check the tank and the rock (about 5") is blocking the pistol shrimp's hole on the sand. Of course, I move the rock back to its original spot and find there's only about 8 or 10 polyps left!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!! Never thought a pistol shrimp would eat zoanthids. Maybe he cut them off and is using them somewhere in his tunnel to patch holes or something.

Anyone had an experience like this?

[buckeyegirl]

I hope this isn't typical of Pistols! Just bought one a couple days ago for my Yashia - I hought they were peaceful. Maybe yours was thanking you for the new rock you gave him by getting rid of those nasty zoa's that were all over it :)

[palawan]

Maybe it's not the pistol shrimp. Could be a eunicid worm hiding in your tank.

[Skipper]

I would think that since the rock is so large, and the fact that it was moved from up high down to the entrance of the shrimp's burrow (with all the polyps facing inside toward the shrimp's tunnel) that it would not be a worm. How would a worm move the rock and position it like that?

[MUCHO REEF]

Hey Skipper, turn up your volume and click play " If you feel lucky...........well..........do yah?"

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/62380/detail/


Dirty Harry

[Skipper]

Cool video! I knew they preyed on other shrimps, which is why I don't have any cleaners in this tank.

Additionally, I added a very large zoanthid rock about a month ago (10" long x 5") and I kept noticing it being moved off of its ledge. However, no polyps seem to be disappearing. It must be that the shrimp will not eat or pick them off unless he has the rock right by his tunnel.

[650-IS350]

Well when I had my 100gal. I had a Dozen pistols in there ( NO KIDDING ) THats when I had my large collection... they never bother my collection.. most they would do is slightly bury a small frag near their home during their excavations....

Im more going with the ENUNIC worm idea... these can decimate corals big time.

[Pufferpunk]

Mine only gets me when I'm near his cave forgeting every time that he's there, until... snap... right on my nuckle! Never bothered a single zoanthid & I have 2 in there.

[Guygettnby]

my buddy had a pistol shrimp kill some of his zoas as well. after he moved the rest of them to a different spot they were fine. the pistol also destroyed a small frag of GSP. i on the other hand have never had a problem with any of the ones i have owned in the past.

my buddy makes sure he doesnt put any coral near the pistol shrimps bury now and he hasnt had any more problems.

[650-IS350]

Im wondering if those were regular brownish or Tan type pistols?

[Skipper]

Mine is a dark brown and pretty large (about 2-2 1/2").

Guess what? More zoos are missing this morning on my big rock. I'm going to move this rock into my main display and catch this sucker!!! :(

[Skipper]

It's odd that this rock has been in there for over a month and no zoos were bothered.

When the halides come on, I'll take a picture.

[puckbs]

my pistol likes to use my monti cap frags as doors...but no reason to believe he ever affected my zoas

[650-IS350]

I doubt you'd have issues with the Yasha type pistols, but could with the larger brown or Tan????

[Skipper]

Lousy picture, but the middle of the picture shows the area affected:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1005MVC-770S.JPG

[livingcorals]

I did not think Pistols leave the sand bed much....

[Guygettnby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14290534#post14290534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 650-IS350
Im wondering if those were regular brownish or Tan type pistols?

my friends pistol is a tiger and it is around 2 inchs.

[650-IS350]

There are the brown tiger types too...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=747+2663+1148&pcatid=1148

I wonder if there's a difference in the caribbeane, japanese, baja , yasha and other type shrimps.

The ones I had were brown tigers like the ones I have used for refrence.

[Guygettnby]

i dont know if there is a real difference. i havent had any problems from any of mine and i was very shocked when i saw his destroying his zoas and GSP. but since he has moved all corals away from the burrow he hasnt had anymore problems as far as i know.

i was thinking about puting 1 in my new tank but i am scared after seeing what his did. i have too many frags and such on the sand.

[650-IS350]

I'm thinking its more of the pistol not wanting the polyps growing near his borrow. More kinda like clearing the fields.

[Guygettnby]

that could very well be. of course everyone is going to be different so there is no real way of knowing that. i would like to pick up another goby/shrimp combo for my new tank. i wonder if they would get along with my golden head sleeper goby....hmm probably just compete for food.

[650-IS350]

GSHG- is not a shrimp goby...

[Guygettnby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14307949#post14307949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 650-IS350
GSHG- is not a shrimp goby...

yea i know, what i was meaning was for me to add a goby and pistol combo to what i already have in my tank. i am just not sure how well they would do together in my tank. not to mention i would hate to wake up and 1 of my frags to be destroyed :lol:

i would think that the GHSG, scooter blenny and the goby/pistol combo would compete for food and or space. i would hate fo them to do that.

[650-IS350]

I have a 2 1/4" stripped, prawn goby in there that I just added 2 days ago. But I also just added a 1" yellow watchman. He doesn't bother the wathman at all. thankfully cause he could probably literally swallon that little guy.

I'd be more worried about the scooter going hungry unless he's eating prepared foods.

[Guygettnby]

the scooter is eating prepaired foods as well but it would still worry me. so i guess i gotta scrap that idea, i like my scooter too much for him to starve.

[Skipper]

I discovered today that my ricordea is half gone, too. :(

[650-IS350]

dANG Skip, you might wanna catch that little terror, trade him in for another one.

[bozoman]

Indeed, catch him and trade him in for a randalls pistol shrimp. I give my two randalls zoo frags all the time and they promptly use it to extend their burrows. Looks really nice with zoos growing on your sand over the burrow openings. Also, symbiotic pistols are blind and get into far less trouble. I keep mine with a yasha and a wheelers. I will always recommend the stonogobiops genus over any of the other symbiotic gobies due to their behavior and high activity level.

[Guygettnby]

sounds like the hunt is on for some shrimp :lol:

good luck

[xskyzx]

whats the best way to catch the pistol shrimpn goby?

lol its seem impossible for me.

well if you take everything out then yes any other way?

[Skipper]

I've ordered a pest trap and hope to catch him that way.

[juancho24]

I don't know if you can cancel that order but this is cheaper and faster. Get any plastic bottle cut the top off flip it over put it back in the bottle like a funnel; add some bait place it on the sand bed near it's burrow and check back in a few hours.

[Guygettnby]

the bottle trick does work. i have used that method a few times to catch different shrimp.

[Skipper]

Good idea, juancho24! I just built one and will set the trap tonight. The one I ordered won't be here until Monday.

[Skipper]

Ok, I've had the trap in 6 days now with no luck. However, the pistol has now cut my ricordea in half and confiscated it as well as stealing a fairly large gorgonian. This guy is outta control!!

I used krill as bait in the trap the first few days and then changed to a fresh piece of Gulf shrimp, both with no luck.

What eats pistol shrimps? Maybe an eel or a really tough crab that's small enough to get in his tunnel???

[Myrddraal]

I had to completely tear down my rockwork to catch one in my tank. He ate both of my fire fish one night, and had the heads sitting right outside his cave in the morning.

[650-IS350]

A large mystery wrasse LOL.

I just put in 2 candy pistols.... my 1" mystery ate 1 or both the 1/2" candy pistols within 5mins of getting in to the tank. Very expensive and hard to get party favor for him....

[Skipper]

Ah ha! It's a eunicid worm! I found him with a red light tonight.

How do I get this beast out? He's well over a foot long!!!!! Yikes!!!

[650-IS350]

Thats not that big Skip. I've seen bigger... its on here on RC some guy took the whole tank just to get it out.. about 3-4feet... LOL.

Find his hole and use gloves and good tongs...hunt at night with the red light.

BTW- they are known to take out corals, fish and other inverts.

[Skipper]

Here's what I'm trying to catch the eunicid worm. The trap has 3 peek holes so I can tell if he's in there or not. I'm not expecting to catch him for a while. I want this to be his new home. Once that happens... whammo!!! :D

I put a shrimp on a string and placed it near the upper top right, hoping to get him used to going in there.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1005MVC-773S.JPG

The far left pipe was placed within easy reach of his hiding hole.

[Myrddraal]

That's an interesting approach, I haven't seen anyone make a trap like that before. You'll have to let us know if it works or not.

[Skipper]

Woohoo!!! Bingo!!! I caught the sucker!! :D

About 45 minutes after the lights in the tank went out in the tank, I checked in the tank with my red light and found him scurrying all around looking for food. He had never got the shrimps I put in the PVC trap or the shrimp pellets I loaded in there from several days ago. Since he was on the prowl, I poured some tank water down into the top end of the pipe so the smell would come out the other end of the pipe where he liked to hang out. Sure enough, I spot him going into the trap!!! I waited until he was completely inside, then pulled the whole contraption out (fully expecting him to make a bee line out the same way he came in) and dumped the whole thing in the bucket standing by. By this time the PVC pieces came disconnected and I was sure he would have escaped. Heck no!! When the pieces came undone, it broke HIM in half, and two separate pieces spilled out into the bucket!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so relieved. I took the bucket outside in the yard and if the sucker is still alive in the morning, I'm getting out the blow torch!! :D

It turns out he was over two feet long.