<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11475621#post11475621 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
I learned to love my pistol shrimp after 3 or so years of unsuccessfull efforts at trapping him.
He is now about four and a half years old. I have read that the life expectancy for this shrimp is about 4 to 5 years.
Mine takes crabs, snails and I can't keep any cleaners or peppermints in my 90 gallon.
It will even take small corals and drag them and the rock they are on into it's burrow for some remodeling.
After several failures with pepermints and cleaners, I tried a coral banded and it has done well for over a year.
My pistol got a firefish that wandered too close to it's burrow and almost snapped it in half. It emerged sporting two large gashes. I was surprised it was able to heal.
Every month or so the pistol decides to remodel the right half of the tank. It moves surprising amounts of sand and I must be carefull not to place corals on the bottom in the areas where it makes dunes.
It got me with it's pincher twice and clicked at me numerous times. Trouble is I never know where it will pop out of the rock work which makes tank maintenance an adventure.
At this point, I'm resigned to leave it alone to live out it's days. I don't think I'll miss it when it's gone,althouhg it has added excitement to the tank and given me stories to tell.
