Yasha and Pistol

[Schmitty]

Hey guys,
So I got a yasha/pistol paired a couple weeks ago and since theyve been in tank I havent seen either one. I see some burrows that have been dug, but no sign even when feeding. Wondering if there's a way to find out if theyre both alive... Sure hope so. Thanks

 

[Fish Boss]

I'm not sure how big your tank/rocks are, but I've always found mine when I pull out some rocks

 

[RavenSF]

I have no experience with Yashas, but pistols can be pretty reclusive; however, they are hardy. If you're seeing burrows then the shrimp is fine, and you can always drop a little food into the burrow to keep him fed. I'd say don't go pulling things apart just to find them. They will show up when they are settled in.

 

[Schmitty]

Is it ok to have two pistol shrimps? Like could I get another one and add it to the tank? I guess my main concern is if one or both died and they're just stuck under the sand messing up my parameters...

 

[RavenSF]

I wouldn’t add a second one, they can live for many years. My original one lasted 8 years. They are so tiny they shouldn’t mess up your water quality in the event they did die. They’re one of those things that you’ve got to just be patient and let them settle in. They may never be out a lot, I’ve hear Yasha gobies tend to hide more than others.

 

[Schmitty]

Good news and bad news! I found the yasha goby!!!! Bad news is he was on my bucket outside the tank, guess he jumped one of the times I left the top off the tank. Pretty sure the Pistol shrimp is still alive though since his burrows seem to close up at night and open up when lights on. Im thinking to buy another yasha and hope they pair up...

 

[RavenSF]

You can try a yellow watchman I think they are pretty and have decent personalities. They’re also cheap and easy to find.

 

[Schmitty]

You can try a yellow watchman I think they are pretty and have decent personalities. They’re also cheap and easy to find.

Yeah, I had those on radar, but I really want to try the Yasha... If the next one doesnt work out Ill definitely try the Watchman

 

[RandyC]

I currently have two pistol shrimps and a yellow watchman and Yasha goby in my 25G lagoon.

Here's my path to how I ended up with both in the tank
- Started with a Dracula Goby and pistol shrimp - Dracula Goby jumped through my lid mesh a week later and turned to jerky while sunbathing directly below my light on top of the lid.
- couldn't find pistol shrimp a week or two later, so I assumed dead. Bought a Randall's Goby/pistol pair.
- Randall's goby was fine for two weeks, then one day I find his head - no body, no skeleton. Nass snails demolished it in less than a day
- Got a Yasha who has been doing well and has paired up with the pistol from the Randall's Pairing.
- one day about 3 weeks ago, the original pistol shrimp I had with the Dracula goby suddenly appears moving sand and making a burrow on the exact opposite side of the tank as Yasha/Shrimp pair
- Thought, what the heck....let's add a YWG. YWG was introduced to tank using a small deli container and only allowed to escape container into burrow of the original pistol shrimp. Worked like a charm, both gobies and shrimp are paired up and happy on their respective sides of the tank.

I wouldn't be scared about the shrimp dying. They're tiny and wouldn't affect your parameters in the least bit if they bit the dust in your IM40.

 

[Schmitty]

Im not positive that my pistol shrimp is still alive, seems like there's not new burrows and he never shows up when food time... Sadly the LFS is all out of yashas so the waiting game continues

 

[Schmitty]

So Im pretty sure the pistol shrimp has died, because I havent seen any new burrows and or it in weeks... the yasha jumped out so Im thinking of getting another couple to add to tank. Worst case scenario the pistol shrimp is still alive, would one of them kill the other and Id probably not even know cause I didnt know the other existed still? Sorry to be harsh, just want to get this killer combo going in my tank...

 

[euod]

Sometimes pistol shrimps make clicking noise at night and that maybe a clue if it's alive. Either way, having two shouldn't be a problem. I have multiples in my nano.