Pistol Shrimp Questions

[Idyfohu]

A few questions regarding Pistol Shrimp:

#1: How long would you recommend acclimating a Pistol Shrimp? I plan on doing so via drip method.

#2: For obvious reasons, I'd like the shrimp (and future shrimp goby) to have their cave or burrow near the front of the tank in full-view. Will pre-making a cave/burrow and HOPE that the shrimp finds it do any good?

#3: At my LFS there are (2) Pistol Shrimp. How should I determine which to pick? The bigger of the two...or?

Thanks, I can't wait to pick him up.

[kmk2307]

Idyfohu,

I would say drip the shrimp at a rate of 1 drop / second until the volume of water it came in has been substantially diluted. I usually shoot to let the water volume double and then take out half of the water 3 or 4 times before putting it in. Don't forget that the water is cooling to room temperature as it goes through the airline tubing (or whatever you are using) so I try to use a space heater in the room to keep it warm (but not too hot).

I don't think anything you can build will be anything like what the shrimp can do but if you provide something for it to hide under in the front of the tank then it might build a burrow adjacent to that.

Be sure this is a species that will interact with a goby if that is what you want. Many do not.

HTH,
Kevin

[Idyfohu]

Kevin-

Thanks for the advice! Fortunately at my LFS they have two Tiger Shrimp (Pistols)that are already paired up with tow High-Fin or Yellow Rose Shrimp Gobies and this would be the combo that'd I'd be interested in getting.

I'll try to make a little burrow in hopes that the shrimp likes it, but I'm not counting on it staying.

I'll do a drip acclimation and also include a heater as you recommended.

Thanks again and I'll post pictures once I get it.

Lastly, how tolerant are shrimp of Nitrates? I've had Nitrates around 20-30PPM lately, not sure why. I'll do another water change before I get the shrimp and I'm slowly removing my bioballs.

[kmk2307]

I think less than 30 is good. 5 is probably optimal.

Note that I meant that I use a space heater (the kind that heats a room) and I don't put a heater directly into the bucket w/ the animal. Since there is no water flow the heater itself gets very hot while little of that heat is moved away from it into the surronding water.

Kevin

[Idyfohu]

Good thing you said that...I now owe you $40, the cost of the soon to be had fish and shrimp. :)