yellow watchman goby help?

[HunterBryan]

I am wanting to get a yellow watchman goby but i don't want to get it if it will shift my rocks around. The question is, is it the pistol shrimp that does the burrowing or the goby? i would love to have both but i dont want my rocks falling everywhere.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

The pistol shrimp will do most of the burrowing but the goby will also move things around to it's liking.

 

[ilikefish34]

Is the concern about the aesthetics or structural support? If it's aesthetics, then that is your preference. If it's the latter, then just make sure that the base of your rocks sit directly on the bottom of the tank or on pieces of egg crate and enjoy the relationship of the two... unless that part of the planning is too far past.

+1 that the goby will shift things around all on its own.

 

[TY31088]

I am wanting to get a yellow watchman goby but i don't want to get it if it will shift my rocks around. The question is, is it the pistol shrimp that does the burrowing or the goby? i would love to have both but i dont want my rocks falling everywhere.

My pistol shrimp moves a lot of sand around, but I have base rock sitting on the glass bottom. The shrimp created many passages between and behind the rocks. The watchman goby I have rarely moves sand, usually just sits between the rocks watching for food.

 

[falconut]

I've got a YWG without a shrimp and he doesn't really dig. Maybe moves a little sand, but nothing significant. So, if you did just the goby, I doubt you'd have any issues.

 

[HunterBryan]

alright thanks everyone and yes i have some of my rocks on the bottom but i have to add some more. I would love to get a pistol with him but i dont want to take the chance or move around everything just to get the shrimp. thanks alot

 

[Fishypapa]

I'm the same as falconut: Just have the one goby and no pistol shrimp (because I like my peppermint shrimp too much and they'd be food). All he does is sit in the rock caves looking grouchy and waiting for passing food.

 

[rssjsb]

alright thanks everyone and yes i have some of my rocks on the bottom but i have to add some more. I would love to get a pistol with him but i dont want to take the chance or move around everything just to get the shrimp. thanks alot

If they were placed in the tank before you added sand and were stable, they should be fine.

 

[TeenyTank]

Make sure you provide the shrimp with a lot of small pieces of rock or unused shells. If they aren't readily available in the sand, he'll find some from somewhere. Watch those frags!

I'm the same as falconut: Just have the one goby and no pistol shrimp (because I like my peppermint shrimp too much and they'd be food). All he does is sit in the rock caves looking grouchy and waiting for passing food.

Yes! Mine is forever saying "I don't like it" with his face. So cute!

 

[J2T]

I'm the same as falconut: Just have the one goby and no pistol shrimp (because I like my peppermint shrimp too much and they'd be food). All he does is sit in the rock caves looking grouchy and waiting for passing food.

I've had two cleaner shrimp in with my pistol/goby pairs for going on 2 years now. The pistols just snap and run away if the cleaners get near.

As far as the rockwork, so long as the base rock is on the glass or on some eggcrate I don't see any issues with the pistol or the goby. The problems come when you set your rock on the sand and they start digging away.