How long before you declare something missing for good?

[Timfish]

A tank I moved had been set up with about 200lbs of live rock in a 120 gallon tank and we found a 5" Majestic Angel the owner had put in right after setting the tank up as a juvenile several years before and hadn't seen since. (This is part of why I only use about 1/2 lb per gallon or less.)

 

[Coelli]

I put about about 30# in 25g of display, but 20 pounds of it is in two, 10# chunks of Real Reef and there are a ton of little caves in that stuff. I was thinking the pistol shrimp might just stay in there forever, but I guess he missed sand. He's only about 8" away from the goby as the crow flies/fish swims so we're hopeful.

The goby hides all the time too, he's in a high traffic area so he'd just better get used to it! Maybe he'll figure out that pumps off = food and get a little braver. It's only been 4 days, after all... I'm optimistic!

 

[Big_Boss_77]

Glad to hear you found him. I have 3 peppermint shrimp (at least I think there's still 3). There's only 1 that I'll occasionally see. The others I'll catch a glimpse of once in a blue moon such as on a rock in middle of the night or seeing antennas sticking out of rock during the day. My blue gudgeon dartfish trio took about 1 1/2 weeks to really start making appearances.

I got one peppermint shrimp a couple months ago, saw him for about a week then wife got sick and was away from the tank for a few days, haven't seen him since. Picked up 2 more about a week ago, saw them the first night, haven't seen then since. Any tips for spotting them?

 

[Fallling]

I got one peppermint shrimp a couple months ago, saw him for about a week then wife got sick and was away from the tank for a few days, haven't seen him since. Picked up 2 more about a week ago, saw them the first night, haven't seen then since. Any tips for spotting them?

Unfortunately, I haven't found anything in particular. Mine seem to stay where they've staked out homes in the rock during the day (one of them lives is inside a boulder of BRS pukani rock)... I see his antennas sticking out of the rock occasionally. From time to time, another one will make an appearance when I feed. Your best bet is to look at night after the tank lights have been out for a couple of hours. I've seen them actually wandering over rock work then. Otherwise, if you can find their hangout spot, you can keep an eye for them there.

 

[Golden Age]

I added a yellow watchman goby to my 75 gal and he was fine, then a week later got him a candy cane pistol shrimp.

The shrimp immediately dug into the sand and I didn't see him again. The YWG never paired up with him.

Within a couple months I gave up on him because the YWG was still lonely but lo and behold just as I was about to get another pistol shrimp I see that the pistol shrimp was indeed alive and had finally found the goby, now they are inseparable.

It took months but they found each other.

 

[Bryopsis]

When the cops no longer put out an APB.

 

[Coelli]

I added a yellow watchman goby to my 75 gal and he was fine, then a week later got him a candy cane pistol shrimp.

The shrimp immediately dug into the sand and I didn't see him again. The YWG never paired up with him.

Within a couple months I gave up on him because the YWG was still lonely but lo and behold just as I was about to get another pistol shrimp I see that the pistol shrimp was indeed alive and had finally found the goby, now they are inseparable.

It took months but they found each other.

That's so reassuring, seriously. As of last night they're still estranged but the tank being a nano, they can't miss each other for too long.

 

[Mg4life0331]

2 years is my record.

OTOH, while the shrimp-goby pair is cute for a while, as they get older, they get cranky. Mine killed his yellow watchman goby, then went on to do in 2 chromis and a firefish, all with the tell-tale red spot in the same place on the side. I practically took my tank apart to get that little monster out and delivered to the lfs. Species was tiger shrimp.

And I couldn't find posts like this when I got my pair until the tiger shrimp went nuts.

 

[Coelli]

And I couldn't find posts like this when I got my pair until the tiger shrimp went nuts.

According to Live Aquaria, tigers get 3" and red-banded pistols get 2". Does this (potentially along with temperament) make the smaller shrimp less likely to murder their partner? Or is it just always a risk no matter the pairing? (Maybe this should be a separate thread...)

 

[novadan67]

I have a yellow watchman and a candy cane pistol in my 29 gallon. They've been in there for about 3 months and they still live on opposite sides of the tank... sure hope they eventually "hook up". I rarely see the shrimp - I don't think they come out of the burrow without a goby for safety.

For the first month or more I wondered if it was still alive as I never saw it. It seems to be getting a little more brave as I get a glimpse of it and hear a click or two more often. Maybe the goby will find it after it now that it is a little more active?

 

[Coelli]

I have a yellow watchman and a candy cane pistol in my 29 gallon. They've been in there for about 3 months and they still live on opposite sides of the tank... sure hope they eventually "hook up". I rarely see the shrimp - I don't think they come out of the burrow without a goby for safety.

For the first month or more I wondered if it was still alive as I never saw it. It seems to be getting a little more brave as I get a glimpse of it and hear a click or two more often. Maybe the goby will find it after it now that it is a little more active?

Fingers crossed for you! We know where our shrimp lives now and I just heard him clicking this morning, but still no hookup. The YWG got a new tankmate, a baby royal gramma, so we saw him a few times this morning warning the gramma not to get too close. So far, the invisible YWG and pistol shrimp are the least exciting things in the tank. We get more action from the snails.

Also, I started the tank with dead sand... what can the pistol possibly be eating!?

 

[mandarin_goby]

My Hector's goby was missing for 2 days. I had heard the pistol shrimp firing big time - there was a loud pop over the weekend, so I thought pistol got the goby, who shared a burrow with him.

Just yesterday I saw Hector the goby and he was fine. He slept outside the burrow last night - I think he and the pistol had a fight or something :/

 

[Coelli]

Reunited and it feels so goOoOoOood...

Roland found the goby. He burrowed toward the front of the tank and emerged basically in Cuthbert's cave. We saw him come out a couple of times during feeding this morning. Total time: 12 days to travel 8".

 

[TangySushi]

I was missing a firefish for 2 weeks thinking she was under a rock, even rescaped the whole tank and didn't see her. I thought she was a goner, then later that night after the rescape she came out