Collapsed sand on fishes/invert

[foxngn]

Hi Guys,

Today when i cleaning my tank, i found out the tunnel entrance for my pistol shrimp & YWG had collapsed. But I'm not sure is it possible that collapsed sand could kill/suffocate a fish/shrimp?
Or lets say even if the entrance had collapsed, do they have the intelligent to go out from another exit? As my pistol shrimp had already established quite a number of other exit.
OR do i need to clear the entrance for them?

Thanks

 

[Sk8r]

Best policy is---if you can see the situation clearly and reach the area without disturbing any rock, intervene with a chopstick or net. If it requires disturbing sand or rock, don't. Nature has been providing its own fixes for millions of years. Tinkering with something that could close down and crush some other fish, or the one you're trying to help, not always helpful. Trust Mama Nature most times. And very likely the YWG has moved house (they can dig their own burrow) and the shrimp is neglecting this one to start over again. Smart, no, but well-wired by Mother Nature, yep.

 

[Cliving1]

Im sure it could kill them... did a rock drop on it or is it just sand? Have you seen either since? Depending on the tunnel, the fish should be able to make it out. Not sure if its an intelligence thing, more like did you crush it by accident or did it manage to escape.

 

[foxngn]

No rock had been dropped. All the rockwork still intact.
Only the tunnel entrance had been block by sand.

I tried to check other tunnel exit but nothing to be found.
Usually this time around I could heard my pistol shrimp doing clicking sound, but not now.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I've had pistols become totally buried on many occasions. If it's dead, it may be unrelated to the collapse. Or maybe it initiated the collapse as a defense mechanism. Or it decided to move. Lots of possibilities here.

 

[foxngn]

Well, i certainly would wish they move out though.
But others exit is not too visible thus i can't really sure are they there or not.

Here's an attached picture of the current tunnel, the parts where circle in red is where the collapsed happened. It supposed to be the entrance.
There is some new poop there, not know for sure is from who. :lmao:

3 hours ago, I saw nassarius snail snooping around the entrance though, not sure is this relevant or not.

 

[bice0004]

When my pistol shrimp and goby get disturbed by tank cleaning they often retreat to under the rocks and close all the entrances by piling up sand. Sometimes it takes a day or two before I see them again. The first few times this happened I thought the same as you but this literally happens anytime I stick my hand in tank for an extended while, be it gluing frags or turkey basting the rock. Mine will disappear for the rest of the day and then I will see them again the next day or so. If this just happened today I wouldn't worry too much until 48 hrs had passed, and even if the worst happened there is not much you can do. Definitely don't go disturbing your rock to find out.

 

[bice0004]

Also, from your pic it looks more like the sand was piled than collapsed.

 

[foxngn]

hmm, alright. I guess too much worries won't do good at all.

On another note, I read this article(https://www.zbglobal.com/goby-fish-pistol-shrimp-know-thing-two-alliances/) while the below sentence sounds interesting:

The unlikely partnership occurs inside of the burrow as well as outside. Due to excavation action, the tunnel often collapses trapping the Goby under sand. And yet, the fish doesn’t panic. The shrimp (through smell) comes to the rescue and simply digs out its partner.

 

[foxngn]

Thank god !

 

[Cliving1]

Excellent, glad to hear. And nice looking ywg