How to lure out tiger pistol

[jmowbray]

About almost a week ago I purchased a tiger pistol from BZ. It arrived healthy and well. I acclimated it and put it in the 90 right up front. Within seconds of hitting the sand it ran to the nearest rock and dug a borrow. I kept an eye on it for about an hour or two and then went shopping up town. When I came back I couldn't see him under the rock anymore. I left it for the night.

In the morning I still couldn't see him so I picked the rock up and he wasn't there. Now the hunt. I purchased him to pair with a prawn goby that's in QT right now. I have yet to ever see him return which leads me to believe that he has dug his burrow on the back of the rock work. Is there any way to lure him out and get him back out front. I'm not going to be happy is the goby finds him back there and hangs out with him where I will never see them. I'm guessing he's still alive as I only have 2 clowns and a firefish so no one that would eat him.

Ideas?

 

[Calappidae]

He'll come out on his own. Pistols NEVER stop digging, it's the thing they're most well known for, even known more than their (useless) gun. Sometimes they disappear for awhile and reappear.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

Leave the tank alone. The burrow will end up having several openings & the shrimp will always be working on it. Sometimes they will be out front & sometimes in back. Make sure there is plenty of rubble & empty snail shells for building materials.

 

[jmowbray]

Thanks for the help guys. I will hope for the best as I have yet to see him. My major concern is that he may not have much area to burrow as there is egg crate in the bottom of the tank. I also picked flat stable rocks to put on the bottom to support the rock work. Then put in all the sand.

 

[Betta132]

Give him lots of pebbles and shells and such to mess with, and he'll create a network of tunnels. They do prefer to tunnel under rockwork, so it would be good to provide that, but it's amazing what they can build given the right materials.

 

[jmowbray]

Well some of you may know but some may not I have been having issues with my orange prawn goby not eating in the QT tank. I have since moved him on Saturday morning and now returning home I find. He not only is still alive but has also paired up with my missing tiger pistol. Tonight I feed the tank and seen him eat a chunk of mysis that landing on the coral in front of his new hole. The mystery is solved. Case closed.

 

[scoot15638]

Enjoy the pair. I lost sight of mine for a month and a half. Then all of a sudden there is my YWG and pistol shrimp making a burrow in my tank. I have gone for weeks without seeing him. Then all of a sudden there he is.

 

[Betta132]

Putting a bunch of rubble and prime building materials near a rock will sometimes cause the shrimp to tunnel over in order to get said materials more easily.