GGtank
Fish Fanatic
Hey guys,
So I have medium sized YWG who I recently added to my new tank. I had bought a relatively small Randall's Pistol shrimp from the same LFS (they were in different tanks though). I acclimatized the two of them together and when they met in the container they stuck to each other (all looks well). Then I added them to the tank. Initially, they stuck to each other in a corner of the tank but then a nassarius snail that was on the glass fell on top of the pair and the goby darted for the back of the tank as the pistol burried itself. A week later, I've found the pistol on the other side of the tank from the goby.
Goby seems to be very extroverted, love swimming high in the water column and chasing his reflection incessently. SO i came up with a make shift solution to make the two pair up. I got a fish trap and co-erced the goby into it. I modified it so that it had one open side. I then placed the trap with the goby directly on top of the pistols hole last night and to me great surprise the goby went into the shrimps hole and I thought my job was done. Removed the trap and saw the two of them together, the pistol happily digging away and the goby in its burrow. Unfortunately after 5 minutes the goby took off and swam to the other side of the tank.
I thought I had perhaps not given them enough time to reconcile. SO I put the goby back into the trap and placed it over the shrimps hole again and left it over night (total of 11 hours... i slept in). WOke up and removed the trap to again find success, the goby was all the way in his burrow, slowly poking his head out and the shrimp busily clearly the burrow. Then after 15 minutes, the goby picked himself up and swam to the other side of the tank chasing his reflection
Has anyone had any similar problems trying to pair a goby and shrimp? Everywhere I've read, it's supposed to be completely automatic, they find each other and become inseparable. I know its not a species thing cause i've found other people with Randall's Pistols and YWG that have paired (even though tiger pistol is its more natural pair). I just find it strange that he initially pairs with the shrimp, shares its burrow and everything and then just picks himself up and leaves. I wondering if I should bring him back to the LFS and get a different goby??? TBH although I like gobies in general, the only reasons I got one was for the interesting pairing relationship.
I'm sure there will be loads of ''just give them time, it will happen'' but as you see this isnt a problem with them meeting, they've met three times; it looks like a compatibility problem.
Thoughts??? What would you do??
So I have medium sized YWG who I recently added to my new tank. I had bought a relatively small Randall's Pistol shrimp from the same LFS (they were in different tanks though). I acclimatized the two of them together and when they met in the container they stuck to each other (all looks well). Then I added them to the tank. Initially, they stuck to each other in a corner of the tank but then a nassarius snail that was on the glass fell on top of the pair and the goby darted for the back of the tank as the pistol burried itself. A week later, I've found the pistol on the other side of the tank from the goby.
Goby seems to be very extroverted, love swimming high in the water column and chasing his reflection incessently. SO i came up with a make shift solution to make the two pair up. I got a fish trap and co-erced the goby into it. I modified it so that it had one open side. I then placed the trap with the goby directly on top of the pistols hole last night and to me great surprise the goby went into the shrimps hole and I thought my job was done. Removed the trap and saw the two of them together, the pistol happily digging away and the goby in its burrow. Unfortunately after 5 minutes the goby took off and swam to the other side of the tank.
I thought I had perhaps not given them enough time to reconcile. SO I put the goby back into the trap and placed it over the shrimps hole again and left it over night (total of 11 hours... i slept in). WOke up and removed the trap to again find success, the goby was all the way in his burrow, slowly poking his head out and the shrimp busily clearly the burrow. Then after 15 minutes, the goby picked himself up and swam to the other side of the tank chasing his reflection
Has anyone had any similar problems trying to pair a goby and shrimp? Everywhere I've read, it's supposed to be completely automatic, they find each other and become inseparable. I know its not a species thing cause i've found other people with Randall's Pistols and YWG that have paired (even though tiger pistol is its more natural pair). I just find it strange that he initially pairs with the shrimp, shares its burrow and everything and then just picks himself up and leaves. I wondering if I should bring him back to the LFS and get a different goby??? TBH although I like gobies in general, the only reasons I got one was for the interesting pairing relationship.
I'm sure there will be loads of ''just give them time, it will happen'' but as you see this isnt a problem with them meeting, they've met three times; it looks like a compatibility problem.
Thoughts??? What would you do??
