Bulldozer shrimp

Henry22

New member
I want a hi-fin red banded goby and a pistol shrimp but the two times I have asked my LFS says they have bulldozer shrimp that will pair up with a shrimp goby but are more peaceful than a pistol shirmp. Is this true? He couldnt find the bulldozer they said they had but said it was red and white stripped which makes me think it is a tiger pistol shrimp. Are these the same thing? If they arnt, which one is better in terms of reef safeness and being able to pair up with a shrimp/prawn goby? I found through a google search that they do pair up with shrimp gobies(http://marinebio.org/Oceans/BioticStructure.asp , scroll down to symbiosis) and that the shrimp are almost completely blind and require the goby for protection? If that is true, then I dont think it will be any harm to my tank. Any suggestions welcome, thanks!
 
I dont know about bulldozer shrimp, but red and white striped that has a symbiotic relationship with gobies, I'd be tempted to think they're talking about these. http://seacrop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=IVH002&Category_Code=INV This however is a pistol shrimp. Form what I understand they are peaceful and are best kept with an appropriate goby. I placed one in my tank, it never paired up with my gobies as far as I can tell and disappeared a week after it was introduced. It may however still be in there somewhere that I cant see it.
 
Pistol shrimp and bulldozer shrimp (first time I've ever heard this common name) are all alpheids and make the characteristic snapping sound. I guess that the only real difference between the two "types" is life style so bulldozer is used for the ones that normally live in burrows & pair with gobies while pistol shrimp is used for everything else in the family.
 
Yeah, I was at the LFS today and the marine biologist who runs it says that the bulldozer is in the pistol shrimp family and that its eyesight is poor which is why it relies on the shrimp "watch"man goby to look out for him. I ordered a hi fin red banded goby and a bulldozer shrimp that should come in the next few weeks. Would it be better off to go with just a regular yellow watchman, because I have heard that the hi fin or antennae gobies are finnicky eaters.
 
Henry22, either one will be fine. Just based on your preference. Just make sure you have them eat at the LFS before purchasing it, that's all.
 
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