tiger pistol trapping goby

[Snowgrrl83]

Hi everyone,

So about a month ago or so I got a yellow watchmen goby and put him in my 20 gallon that already had a little over 20 lbs of LR, a few snails, a few blue-legged hermits and 2 occillaris clown.

Then, 2 weeks later, I added a tiger pistol shrimp hoping that it would pair up with the goby. The goby had already established a territory under a piece of LR and had dug out small burrows. The pistol shrimp hung out with the goby for a few hours put it seems as though they didn't pair up because they aren't always together. Ever since, every couple of days, I have to lift up the LR to "free" my goby because the pistol shrimp closes all the burrow holes that the goby had initially made. The goby finds himself stuck under the LR without any holes to come out of....

HELP!
Any solutions? How do I get them to pair up!

 

[smoothdog]

They already have. The gobies don't alway hang out right next to the shrimp, especially when there is no perceived threat. It is normal for the fish to hole up with the shrimp when it closes the opening, there may even be an opening on the backside where you can't see it (mine has many exits in it's burrow).

 

[Snowgrrl83]

That's funny, I rarely see them together. Only about 5% of the time do I see the shrimp and the goby together... maybe the shrimp is hiding most of the time.

 

[Lance M.]

I have a pair of yellow watchmans with a pair of tiger pistols in a 20H and I usually dont see the pistols with the smaller watchman because he likes to hang out in the open but whenever I see the larger watchman there is always at least one of the pistols with him. Then every now and then, I will see just the shrimp together moving sand everywhere.

Don't worry about the goby getting trapped. If he wants to go outside it will. Remember it is also burrowing.

 

[footballdude2k3]

love the ywg and pistol pair, hope it works out!

 

[Snowgrrl83]

Looks like the YWG made an escape hole for himself yesterday. I hear the clicking of the pistol once in a while...sign he's still in there!