Goby + Shrimp

[kamil5000]

Hi,

I'm considering getting the goby/shrimp pair and was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the Pistol Shrimp: I understand that they make a loud clicking sound as water escapers there claws.

My question is how loud is this sound? is it clearly audible from a distances? does it eventually become too annoying? will it freak out my kids?

Tks yr thoughts.

kamil

[dascharisma]

Mine sounds like someone is snapping their fingers in the room. I don't find it annoying at all. The only thing negative I have to say about my goby, shrimp pair is that I see them maybe once a week and that is in a 10 gallon tank. In a larger tank my pair would never be seen. They spend all of their time living in burrows in the sand under the rocks. They only come out to feed, and even then they only stick their heads out, not their whole bodies.

[kamil5000]

Is it a continuous snapping sound or just a few times a day? Also, I guess in my 75G I may not see them at all! so maybe not to good of an investment :hmm2:

[Maxxumless]

Mine sounds much like a nickle tapping on the glass every so often. My goby hovers around their hole and darts back in when somthing scares it - so I see it every day. The shrimp however I only see maybe once a month, if that. The only way I know its alive is its snapping.

[Edit: Oh, it only snaps when something is bothering it so it is different for every reef. Until they [fish/shrimp] found each other I never heard it snap. Now it happens at least once or twice an hour.]

[Skorpinok]

:rolleyes:

I've had goby/shrimp, almost 2 years ago, but the goby died 6 months later. I had the pistol shrimp in the 20g for another 8 - 9 months after the goby died.

I hear is a poping sound coming out of the tank 2-3 time a day. It sound like someone poping a bubble gum - kinda.

Would I buy another pistol / goby again? NO! Why...

Bullseye Pistol Shrimp (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1147&TopCatId=525) About $40 at the LFS.

Yellow Watchman Goby (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=20&pCatId=228&TopCatId=1926) About $20 at the LFS.

Not seeing them once they are in your reef tank - Price less.:lol: :lol: :lol:

[kamil5000]

In this case I guess the sound is not too bothersome.

Tks 4 ur help :wavehand:

[kamil5000]

Not seeing them once they are in your reef tank - Price less.:lol: :lol: :lol:

:thumbsup:

That has helped make up my mind - no Goby/Shrimp at this time !

[lawdog]

I have a pair in my 120 reef and I see them all the time. The shrimp ventures out to clear sand and move rocks and the goby guards the entrance to their home very aggressivly. The goby will attack my large tang and foxface if they get too close while his buddy is cleaning up shop.

They are one of my favorite things to watch in my tank. I would get another pair if I could. I think they would be a great fit.

The key to be able to watch is establishing the goby in a place that is in the open and visible first, make a little cave in the rock/sand for him and the introduce him right into that cave when you first put him in. If he acts like mine he will go right into the first hole he sees and hide. After a few days he will begin making his home in that cave. Once established, go get the shrimp and add him to the same hole and they should almost instantly pair up like mine did. I bought each separately so I guess if you buy an actual existing pair just put them both into the hole at the same time or close to it.

If you just dump them in they could end up anywhere and chances of seeing them goes down.

[kamil5000]

Originally posted by lawdog
I have a pair in my 120 reef and I see them all the time.

O.K. now i am getting very indecisive on this matter :hmm3:

I'll ask the audience on this one, i'll let majority decide on my behalf. :hammer:

[AeroD79]

mines just hides all the time bleh the small tank I have in my room. I hear clicks in my tank at night when I sleep but it doesnt bother me

[1reefman]

just word of heads up getting a goby. i lost 2 diamond gobies in the last 8 days from them jumping out of my tank. i wasnt told they were jumpers till after the fact. i have eggcrate top and they still managed to jump thru the 1/2" squares. not sure about watchman, but from what i have now been told is that gobies are classified as jumpers. hope you have a top where they cant get out

[kamil5000]

Originally posted by 1reefman
not sure about watchman, but from what i have now been told is that gobies are classified as jumpers.

I have kept away from gobies because I have an open top tank, but i think that watchmen are not jumpers - rather burrowers, staying near the shrimp on the sand bed most of the time.

[Maxxumless]

Thought maybe you would like to see my Goby... I have never been able to take a picture of them together. Shrimp goes out the back of rocks while Yasha goes out front and guards. I say it is highly likely that a pair will choose thier own home because i placed them near a hole which they adobpted but ended up moving when I added some zoos near thier hole. Now they are way in the back of the tank.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/jlozan87/yasha003.jpg

[kamil5000]

:thumbsup: Very nice pic.

Yours doesn't try and jump out of the tank does it?

[Maxxumless]

Originally posted by kamil5000
:thumbsup: Very nice pic.

Yours doesn't try and jump out of the tank does it?

Thank you... and no, I do not think so. I have a completely enclosed hood though. The only way out would be through the cooling fans. :eek:

[TY31088]

I've never heard my pistol shrimp make the popping noise.

To start with I rarely saw the goby and never saw the shrimp for the first 3-4 weeks. The shrimp molted and I thought he had died. A few days later I saw a bit of tunneling under the sand along the glass. The tunnel would change a little bit each day so I figured the shrimp might be alive. I moved the rocks from this area and the goby started coming out the next day at feeding time. The shrimp started to venture out the following day. I moved some liverock back to the area-- the tunnel opening is at the glass at the end of the tank. It has been about a week since I moved the rock back, the goby sits at the tunnel entrance quite often. The shrimp will come and travel a few inches at feeding time.

I have a Yasha Goby - Stonogobiops yasha - and a Candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp.

Good luck,
Ty

[slik_dude@yahoo]

I have a pistol / goby pair and they are awsome. I see them about once a day and if I put some formula 1 in my clamps and hold it down by the entrance to their hole, they will come out and grab the food. I hear the popping noise every once in a while and I can hear it about 20 feet from the tank, but it is not annoying. My wife and I chuckle when we hear it, it means something is bothering the pistol.

[EMBRYOGUY]

agreed. pistols snap when the are bothered. as with seeing a goby/shimp pair is having pure luck. i intentially set them up in a 6 gallon nano cube with ONE large rock. this way they cant escape my eyes. over time the goby will be more brave in getting food so hopefully you ll see it more if you have them in a crowded tank.

as for the shrimp. ive never seen my shrimp eat, but he constantly digs his holes. and if you have moonlights you might be able to catch it doing it.

they are fun to watch though. i would recommend getting an established pair. as in life, if your not willing to take a chance, you ll never get the reward :)

good luck

[AquAsylum]

I'm getting a YWG in the next week or two and would like to have a pair, even though I might never see them in our big tank. Do they only pair with the pistol shrimp, or would something like a camel/skunk/coral banded work too?

[EMBRYOGUY]

no only with pistol.

[bement14]

Do they need a really fine sand to burrow in or will something like 3-4mm be ok for them?

[EMBRYOGUY]

i set up a tank spec. for a goby/shrimp pair. so keepign that in mind, i used a combination of crushed coral and live sand bed. this way teh holes the shrimp burrows are sturdier and less sand disturbance. i thnk you should have atleast a 2 inch bottom. the deeper the better. you ll see more interesting holes.

[Maxxumless]

Originally posted by bement14
Do they need a really fine sand to burrow in or will something like 3-4mm be ok for them?

No, fine sand will just irritate them due to cave ins :) I go with a range of sizes from oolite to 2mm but 3-4 would be just fine but a little big for my taste though.

[FrozenSurfer]

TY31088
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/frozensurfer/welcome.gif