# pistol shrimp question.....



## jeff20578 (Mar 3, 2009)

i was just reading about the pistol shrimp - and they say not to put it in a tank with cleaner shrimp or other small shrimp. If i were to get a pistol shrimp, what other shrimp would be peaceful with it and clean as well?

I also understand that they need to be paired with a goby to truly be happy.

Im just starting my tank off and trying to get an idea of what fish i'd like.


----------



## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

you can keep a pistol with a cleaner shrimp, but thats prob. about the only shrimp i would try. anything else would get killed, and the coral banded will prob. kill it. 
they dont actually clean, they will dig in your sand but thats about it. when getting a goby make sure its a watchman type and not a sleeper. as the watchmen will pair up and the sleepers just eat sand. i suggest a randali pistol and a yasha goby or hi-fin.


----------



## Bartman (Mar 17, 2009)

Would an orange spotted goby pair up with a cleaner shrimp? And what exactly is this pairing I have been reading people speak of


----------



## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

and orange spotted wont pair up with a cleaner. a cleaner is an interesting shrimp IMO with alot of personality but they do not form a symbiotic relationship with gobies. they may clean them, but thats about it. i have heard of cleaners in the wild hanging out infront of eel burrows and even being able to climb inside the eels mouth to clean it. they will sit out front of the eel's hole and when a predator comes to eat the shrimp, the eel grabs the predator. 
i got a definition from the web from ask to help explain.


> *Symbiosis* is a close ecological *relationship* between the individuals of two (or more) different species. Sometimes a *symbiotic relationship* benefits both species, sometimes one species benefits at the other's expense, and in other cases neither species benefits


Pistol shrimp and watchman gobies share a burrow. The shrimp has poor eyesight so the goby sits outside the hole keeping gaurd while the shrimp digs and keeps the place tidy. its pretty cool to watch if you can get them to find eachother in the tank and if it isnt in the back where they are out of sight. youtube has some videos.


----------

