Pistol Attitude Pistol Shimp

[lt.smash]

Is it normal for a pistol shrimp to kill every non swimming critter.

We watched this guy drag a peppermint, all my cleaning crew, my cleaner shrimp into his hole, then for fun burys all my frags that are not glued.

The Watchmen goby and the shrimp have been paired for about a year and get along great, but any new CUC does not last a few days. Ive stopped replacing them all together

Do I just have an aggressive shrimp, or is this normal?

 

[rffanat1c]

From what I have seen, yes normal. You can hear my pistol shrimp at night going after my peppermint and crabs. He makes at least 5 attempts an evening and hasn't succeeded yet. First video I saw of these guys was taking down a big cleaner shrimp.

 

[jonwright]

Mine doesn't mess (much) with my CUC. I think he gets some of them when they are dumb enough to go into/near his burrow which is rather frequently. He's doesn't climb up on the rocks and hasn't messed with any of the fish nor my skunk cleaner shrimp. I also have a clam that's too big for him to drag off as a door to his lair.

What I've done is give him a pile of shells and rubble to create his burrow. He's going to get his building materials anyway (as you've seen) so you might as well help him out. When the pile gets low, I drop more in.

But, he's cool enough to where it's worth it for me to drop in more stuff for him to build. And when I clean the tank I mess with his tunnels so he stays busy.

I think he's really cool and glad I have him. Always busy, always up to something. Perhaps you can help direct his energy in a more "positive" direction.

 

[BlackTip]

What type of piston shrimp do you have?

 

[goliwala]

I had a tiny Red Banded Pistol paired with YMG and my snails and crabs would just disappear over night. I had a Green Mandarin that was 5X the size of pistol, eating like a pig but it vanished one night. Also lost a cleaner shrimp one night. Finally caught the pistol and traded him in, no more mysteries in the tank. In my honest opinion, THEY ARE EVIL..

 

[jonwright]

Red tiger pistol. I really try to keep him busy. Idle claws are the devils workshop

 

[BrianKC]

I have two that hitchhiked in on my live rock. They're the brownish ones with blue legs. They've become BFFs and take turns guarding the burrow. They seem pretty docile; several crabs hang out right by the burrow entrance. I think they only threaten things that try to go inside. Here are four crabs practicing the YMCA for the talent show right by the entrance.

https://vimeo.com/148964064

 

[Buzz1329]

Yeah, I have a Tiger Pistol Shrimp paired with a Yellow Watchman Goby in my 75. Cannot keep frags or small LPS on sand. Burrows are littered with snail shells and frag plugs. They move from burrow to burrow around the tank so you can't hide anything from them. PITA, but I stopped keeping frags on sand. Realized that snails, along with all other parts of CUCs -- especially crabs -- make little to no difference in controlling algae. Just sat back and watched the show. They are really entertaining.

Mike

 

[Fishfreak_MA]

I think this is what killed one of my hermit crabs this week. I was wondering what could rip it from its shell. I actually thought he was dead as I hadn't heard a snap in over a week and hadn't seen him in about 3 but he was out at feeding time today. I didn't read anything about them being that aggressive before I bought him. Luckily most of my clean up crew stays up on the rocks. He also had nothing to do with my orange spotted goby. That bugger is paired with my 3 peppermint shrimp and won't split off to go with the pistol.

 

[lt.smash]

I found my kids beach shell collection in a closet, cleaned it up and my kiddos and I added about 5 quarter size shells to the entrance of the Pistol Shrimps home. This AM all were gone,