Cleaner Shrimp Imposter?

gdwb10101 · 08-29-2006, 04:55 PM

I noticed that my cleaner shrimp has disappeared a couple weeks ago. Today, i found this "imposter" cleaner shrimp, fighting with a bristle worm in my tank. It has the same white line that runs down the back like the cleaner, but it has bigger claws and no long white antennas. I'm not sure what this shrimp is, but it also, likes to make burrows under the rockwork. Could it be a type of pistol shrimp? Is it dangerous? I'm not very familiar with shrimp species so any help would be beneficial.

I think that i may have been able to partially identify it. It is very skiddish, so i won't be able to take a pic. Something along the lines of these two. Also I hear popping at night, so it might be a pistol right?

Jonno · 08-29-2006, 05:07 PM

yep it differently looks likes a pistol shrimp. If i was you i would take it out before it does any other harm to your fish. But its up to you , you might like to keep it.

flamingo · 08-29-2006, 05:31 PM

If you ask me i'd say 100 percent it's a type of pistol shrimp due to the claw it's sticking out in the first picture. Looks pretty neat if you ask me.

Reefneck · 08-29-2006, 05:46 PM

It IS indeed a Pistol shrimp and it will NOT harm your fish! No need to take it out. Get it a "Buddy". Get a Yellow Watchman Goby.

leveldrummer · 08-29-2006, 07:08 PM

yea, reefneck is right, a buddy is what it needs, it burrows, clicks, its a pistol, cool shrimp to have! it may kill some hermits and snails if they go in its burrow, but if you get a watchman goby, it will keep them out. so... go get one!

Damon · 08-29-2006, 07:10 PM

Not that you need it but they are all correct. Nice hitchhiker to a reef tank. The popping noise is the shrimp opening and closing its claw. Water is expelled. Be happy its not a mantis shrimp! Congrats on the find. It will be hard to add any other shrimp to your tank though.

**Fishfirst** · 08-29-2006, 07:18 PM

my pistol was not aggressive to anything else in the tank, including shrimp... it maybe species dependent though.

leveldrummer · 08-29-2006, 07:52 PM

my tiger pistol isnt aggresive to anything either, unless it goes in its burrow. but thats a given.

gdwb10101 · 08-29-2006, 10:31 PM

Well, I had several other shrimps, including my cleaner and 3 peppermint which have all disappeared...prolly the pistol? It is kinda cool, but it has its burrows at the back of the tank so i never really see it. If i do, its for like 2 seconds and then it runs away.

Do yellow watchman gobies burrow? I had a diamond goby and that made a mess of my tank and i can have no more of that. But thanks for the suggestion. I wan't to keep a cleaner or cbs or fire shrimp, will this pistol kill them? Also, how would i catch this if it wanted to get rid of it. Thanks.

(Simpte, where is that quote from? I had to write about it as an essay, but don't remember author, maybe it was anon.)

gdwb10101 · 09-14-2006, 10:14 PM

I would like to get another cleaner or blood shrimp but am weary with that pistol. I am scared that it will kill them. I like it, but if i wanted to take it out, is there a way to catch a shrimp that is hidden almost all of the time? It is fairly large 2".

If i wanted a yellow watchman, do they burrow? What is the deal with them? I had a diamond that made a mess of my tank until i moved it to another tank.

Also, the LFS in my area said that the Royal Grammas do not live long in their stores. Are they just not taking care of the fish? Or are they hard to keep? I really wanted one, but the selection wasn't very good at 3 stores.

Reefneck · 09-15-2006, 06:13 AM

Pistol shrimp do not kill other shrimp. I have 2 in my tank with a Fire/Blood shrimp and have had for months.

Yellow watchman pair up with the pistol shrimp and share their burrow. They are not Sand Sifters like a diamond goby is.

Royal Grammas are fine tankmates and I've had one for almost a year. Your LFS's may be getting bad fish from a bad wholsaler.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdwb10101

I would like to get another cleaner or blood shrimp but am weary with that pistol. I am scared that it will kill them. I like it, but if i wanted to take it out, is there a way to catch a shrimp that is hidden almost all of the time? It is fairly large 2".

If i wanted a yellow watchman, do they burrow? What is the deal with them? I had a diamond that made a mess of my tank until i moved it to another tank.

Also, the LFS in my area said that the Royal Grammas do not live long in their stores. Are they just not taking care of the fish? Or are they hard to keep? I really wanted one, but the selection wasn't very good at 3 stores.

GoodMike · 09-15-2006, 09:41 AM

i agree with reefneck here, at the LFS i work at, we keep pistols with other shrimp all the time. We have them with cleaners and peppermint shrimp with no problem. i have a feeling that somethin else was the cause of death to your shrimp. make sure you are spending plenty of time acclimating your shrimp slowly, that is probably the main cause of peoples shrimp dieing, along with starfish too. just get yourself another shrimp and enjoy.

gdwb10101 · 09-15-2006, 03:26 PM

thanks. I think ill get a fire shrimp

08-29-2006, 04:55 PM	#1
gdwb10101 Newblit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Miami Age: 19 Posts: 251	Cleaner Shrimp Imposter? I noticed that my cleaner shrimp has disappeared a couple weeks ago. Today, i found this "imposter" cleaner shrimp, fighting with a bristle worm in my tank. It has the same white line that runs down the back like the cleaner, but it has bigger claws and no long white antennas. I'm not sure what this shrimp is, but it also, likes to make burrows under the rockwork. Could it be a type of pistol shrimp? Is it dangerous? I'm not very familiar with shrimp species so any help would be beneficial. I think that i may have been able to partially identify it. It is very skiddish, so i won't be able to take a pic. Something along the lines of these two. Also I hear popping at night, so it might be a pistol right? __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-2X8l49uQ Last edited by gdwb10101; 08-29-2006 at 05:03 PM.

08-29-2006, 05:31 PM	#3
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 17 Posts: 1,878	If you ask me i'd say 100 percent it's a type of pistol shrimp due to the claw it's sticking out in the first picture. Looks pretty neat if you ask me. __________________ I'm still around from time to time. If you'd like to chat, send me a pm and i'll tell you where to contact me

08-29-2006, 05:46 PM	#4
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 47 Posts: 1,351	It IS indeed a Pistol shrimp and it will NOT harm your fish! No need to take it out. Get it a "Buddy". Get a Yellow Watchman Goby. __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

08-29-2006, 07:08 PM	#5
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,931	yea, reefneck is right, a buddy is what it needs, it burrows, clicks, its a pistol, cool shrimp to have! it may kill some hermits and snails if they go in its burrow, but if you get a watchman goby, it will keep them out. so... go get one! __________________ The meek shall inherit the Earth. Big deal. By the time they get it the rest of us will have messed it all up.

08-29-2006, 07:10 PM	#6
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,972	Not that you need it but they are all correct. Nice hitchhiker to a reef tank. The popping noise is the shrimp opening and closing its claw. Water is expelled. Be happy its not a mantis shrimp! Congrats on the find. It will be hard to add any other shrimp to your tank though. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

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08-29-2006, 05:07 PM	#2
Jonno Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Devon, UK Age: 20 Posts: 511	yep it differently looks likes a pistol shrimp. If i was you i would take it out before it does any other harm to your fish. But its up to you , you might like to keep it.

08-29-2006, 07:18 PM	#7
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,650 Blog Entries: 5	my pistol was not aggressive to anything else in the tank, including shrimp... it maybe species dependent though. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

08-29-2006, 07:52 PM	#8
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,931	my tiger pistol isnt aggresive to anything either, unless it goes in its burrow. but thats a given. __________________ The meek shall inherit the Earth. Big deal. By the time they get it the rest of us will have messed it all up.

08-29-2006, 10:31 PM	#9
gdwb10101 Newblit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Miami Age: 19 Posts: 251	Well, I had several other shrimps, including my cleaner and 3 peppermint which have all disappeared...prolly the pistol? It is kinda cool, but it has its burrows at the back of the tank so i never really see it. If i do, its for like 2 seconds and then it runs away. Do yellow watchman gobies burrow? I had a diamond goby and that made a mess of my tank and i can have no more of that. But thanks for the suggestion. I wan't to keep a cleaner or cbs or fire shrimp, will this pistol kill them? Also, how would i catch this if it wanted to get rid of it. Thanks. (Simpte, where is that quote from? I had to write about it as an essay, but don't remember author, maybe it was anon.) __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-2X8l49uQ

09-14-2006, 10:14 PM	#10
gdwb10101 Newblit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Miami Age: 19 Posts: 251	I would like to get another cleaner or blood shrimp but am weary with that pistol. I am scared that it will kill them. I like it, but if i wanted to take it out, is there a way to catch a shrimp that is hidden almost all of the time? It is fairly large 2". If i wanted a yellow watchman, do they burrow? What is the deal with them? I had a diamond that made a mess of my tank until i moved it to another tank. Also, the LFS in my area said that the Royal Grammas do not live long in their stores. Are they just not taking care of the fish? Or are they hard to keep? I really wanted one, but the selection wasn't very good at 3 stores. __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-2X8l49uQ

09-15-2006, 09:41 AM	#12
GoodMike Banned Join Date: May 2006 Age: 22 Posts: 558	i agree with reefneck here, at the LFS i work at, we keep pistols with other shrimp all the time. We have them with cleaners and peppermint shrimp with no problem. i have a feeling that somethin else was the cause of death to your shrimp. make sure you are spending plenty of time acclimating your shrimp slowly, that is probably the main cause of peoples shrimp dieing, along with starfish too. just get yourself another shrimp and enjoy.

09-15-2006, 03:26 PM	#13
gdwb10101 Newblit Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Miami Age: 19 Posts: 251	thanks. I think ill get a fire shrimp __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-2X8l49uQ

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