Pistol Shrimp harmful to other shrimps??

[Kresge408]

I bought a pistol shrimp/Goby pair a few weeks ago and was hoping to add a cleaner shrimp. I saw a video on utube of a pistol shrimp attacking/eating a cleaner shrimp...has anyone had success keeping both types of shrimp without the Pistol eating the other for lunch??

 

[Sean Irwin]

It depends entirely on the shrimp species. Pistol Shrimp are territorial and will attack interlopers. A small Randall's (candy cane) shrimp probably won't attack other shrimp unless they go near the burrow entrance but could be injured by banded coral shrimp (ill tempered) or Fire Shrimp. My tiny Randall's has snapped at me and stunned one of my clown gobies but only after being really agitated. Tiger pistol shrimp seem alot more aggressive and daring so they are probably be more likely to kill the cleaner if it gets in it's territory.

 

[Cheetos]

Pistol shrimps are a real PITA! I have one in my nano paired up with a watchman and he steals everything he can that isn't anchored down. He also killed all my hermits and a small feather duster!

 

[Clurin]

I have a Tiger Pistol paired with a Yellow Watchman in my 24G Aquapod. They've shared the tank with a Peppermint Shrimp for over a year, and an Emerald Crab for a month or two. I don't think he's ever killed any hermits either, and I only have Blue Legs. He will snap at them if they get close to the burrow though.

I'd say it depends on both the shrimp, the presence of a paired goby, and the layout of the rockwork. The reason I consider the presence of a paired goby is that my pistol seems to be very dependent on signals from the watchman, and the goby shoos him back into the burrow if the peppermint or the algae blenny starts coming close.

 

[SaltCreep]

I was stuck with a pistol for a few years. It was orangish with a purple spot.

He would fire off rounds at any shrimp that touched him with an antenna.....and I think he stalked them at night trying to assasinate them.
Blood / fire shrimp and cleaners all slowly dissapeared until it was just him.

King of the shrimps.......


He's gone now and I have no real proof that he killed them.........but c'mon...... I KNOW HE DID IT !!!

 

[Scott]

Shrimp Assassin. lol, what an image. I'm giving him a french accent in my head.


I've got a banded shrimp who is pretty ornery.

I caught him munching away on a blue-legged hermit a few days ago, shell nearby. I'm guessing he pulled it right out of the shell. He'll snap at anything that ventures by his daytime spot, especially an anemone crab that set up shop not too far away.

I'm thinking that most animals can get along if there's enough room (afterall, they all live in the ocean ). It's when we jam them together that they get in each other's faces.

I won't be adding any more shrimp to this tank as long as it is close quarters (20L).

 

[saltnut]

coral banded and tiger pistol in a 29 for about nine months. They are rarely even near each other. Pistol owns the bottom of the tank moves sand and corals around. Pulls coral under the rocks if he can fit them. Has killed lots of frags. Banded stays on top of rocks. I have never seen either one eat a snail or hermit. The pistol was paired up with a yellow watchman when I got them about 2 years ago but the fish disappeared a year ago.