YWG and Alpheus spp.

[amrakweno]

I ordered a pair of blue zoo aquatics received them Tues acclimated and put them in the tank. They went different directions of course. The first place the YWG went was over towards the occelarius clowns "side of the tank". They kept biting him and putting his tail in their mouth shaking him and imo bullying / trying to kill him. Suppose rightly so since its "their" territory. Anyhow the pistol moved under a rock and dug out the back side and a couple holes up front. I helped the matter and cleared out some more up front so hopefully the goby would go over there and meet up with his buddy. I got the goby in the net and basically trapped him near the shrimps burrow about 7 times. Of course the first few he got out and swam back over to the furthest side of the tank away from the clowns. So no matter where he goes in the tank, besides by the shrimps rock( which is by the clowns side of the tank) the clowns will surround him and peck and bite him. They will kill him if I let it continue to happen so that's when yesterday I trapped him the 7 times. I lured the shrimp out front with brine and he touched the goby with his antenna and has repeatedly closed the entrance that I made. This morning I got him again in the net cause the clowns were at it again. He actually got snapped at when the shrimp sensed him. The goby went in the burrow head first got snapped at twice and swam out the back side unscathed. So I got him again cause the clowns are still at it and he is now sitting next to the hole not moving. I know he's alive but I'm sure he is stressed as hell,feeling he has nowhere in the tank to go for safety that or he's got a date with death. I'm doing all I can to save him. As it plays out today since the shrimp dosent want his partnership atm (maybe the shrimp isn't settled into the tank yet or he wants the privacy to molt or......) I'm going to catch the clowns and have them sit in timeout while the goby gets to roam free. That's about the last thing I know to do. Anyhow I know things are going to play out anyway but anyone got comments or suggestions. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[amrakweno]

Update over the last few mins the clowns are basically hovering in front of the rock where the goby is laying as if they are just asking him to make a move.

 

[amrakweno]

He's moved back over to the opposite side of the tank of the clowns . The trap is in the tank over on that side so the clowns are kinda staying on their side but still showing aggression from time to time.

 

[amrakweno]

Well the YWG has been hanging out opposite side of tank by the trap and actually went under it yesterday and hung out probably feeling secure from the clowns. But was only under it for a bit then hung out in and around it. The clowns are staying on their side of the tank. Probably scared of the trap. I was going to trap them and put em in check to let YWG free to roam. Hopefully he will join his buddy at some point if he'll have him. The pistol came out further than ever today while feeding so... We shall see.