Invert compatability, pistol shrimp/porcelain crabs etc.

[Octoberfest]

I have a bunch of invertst that I would like to add to my tank but not sure if I should or not, hopefully you guys can give me the thumbs up or down.

Currently I have one porcelain crab in my tank, very small, and one small pistol shrimp. I also have about three pepermint shrimp, 10 blue leg hermits, 2 scarlet hermits, and two white leg hermits.

I was considering adding a larger porcelain crab and another pistol shrimp, both which currently live in my sump. Would there be a problem with this?

 

[Tennyson]

First, how big is your tank? I'm not 100% sure, but i don't think two pistol shrimp are compatible in a small tank. They probably would be though, but there might be territorial disputes between the two.

Adding another porcelain crab to the tank would be fine.

 

[Octoberfest]

Tank is 72 gallons

 

[Myrddraal]

My pistol shrimp took out my porcelain crab one night He went back to the LFS shortly after that, but not before killing my two firefish.

 

[ROB2005]

What type of pistol shrimp and color was it?

 

[HappySkittles]

yeah what kind of pistol? the symbiotic kind can be kept in pairs and are safe (they snap at things like hermits of they feel like they are invading their cave but they wont hurt em)
there are usually more colorful ones which are never symbiotic and will kill fish and other critters...the one i have seen most is orange and purple.

but a candy pistol shrimp is pretty and symbiotic...do research on what you plan on buying

 

[Octoberfest]

Not sure what species the two I have are, they are red and yellow with blue legs, not sure if that is enough of a description or not.

 

[ROB2005]

From what I can make from that description, it looks like you may have the Atlantic type of pistol shrimp. Correct me if I am wrong, but that type of pistol have been know to kill small invertebrates and fish.

Usually those type of shrimp will make their homes in rockwork rather than to dig burrows like the pacific type pistols.

 

[HappySkittles]

that doesnt sound like a friendly type of pistol shrimp

 

[Octoberfest]

same one that liveaquaria sells?

it dug a burrow in the sand bed and its sharring the "home" with a couple of peppermint shrimp, been in there over a week with no problems...yet

 

[Octoberfest]

This is what it looks like

http://www.everythingsalty.com/gallery/files/3/3/PistolShrimp.jpg

 

[Myrddraal]

That's what mine looked like too, minus the yellow stripe on the back.

 

[Octoberfest]

Did you see it actually kill these things? Mine never even comes out of its burrow

 

[bunzaroo]

I have on those (Carribean Pistol Shrimp), came as a hitchhiker in live rock. Had him for 5 months and has never hurt any fish. Usually just scavenges for food etc.. It is very shy hardly coming out of it's burrow.

 

[CapitalO]

I had a pistol shrimp that was very aggressive. It killed almost every other invert in my tank (I actually saw him in the act on several occasions). It never showed any interest in fish, only inverts. It was an Atlantic species, Alpheus armatus. Heres a pic of the little villain:

 

[bubbly]

That's a very pretty pistol, but I would hate to not be able to have any other inverts with him.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13542129#post13542129 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CapitalO
I had a pistol shrimp that was very aggressive. It killed almost every other invert in my tank (I actually saw him in the act on several occasions). It never showed any interest in fish, only inverts. It was an Atlantic species, Alpheus armatus. Heres a pic of the little villain:

 

[Tennyson]

Wow, thats a beautiful one, but it looks mean and was :lol:

is that a carribean one? what species?

 

[CapitalO]

Yea, he was really nice looking -thats the only reason he stayed in my tank as long as he did.

It is a Carribean species, Alpheus armatus. Ive read that it can form a symbiotic relationship with curlique (sp.?) anemones, but I never tried it.