pistol shrimp

[YahooFishKeeper]

i called my LFS today to see if they had gotten the mantis in, i am planning to buy, but no luck. the guy i was talking to knows me and suggested a pistol shrimp as an easier alternative, and possibly cheaper since they have been unable to get the smithii mantis i wanted. im not sure of the exact species, and anm actually on the phone with him this very second trying to figure that out... he doesnt know for sure... he thinks it comes from asia, and it is bright red, and forms a symbiotic relationship with watchman gobies. on the internet it says they pose no threat except to other shrimp... i guess my coral banded shrimp is screwed. how would an emerald crab fare? does the sand bed need to be a certain depth? i also read they like to hide in rocks, and dig in the sand. what would you guys call an exceptable price for this type of shrimp? the store said they will probably be selling them for $20-25. also if there is anyone with first hand experience, advice would be appreciated.

 

[ram man]

no!!! yahoo, just wait for the mantis, you could buy them online, and chances of you getting a smithii is very slim either way, tampabaysaltwater sells a very nice species called N. wennerae that is interactive and colorful. or you could order of of liveaquaria, they sell assorted mantis shrimps. and if you dont feel comfortable with shiping, just look through the live rock shipments your lfs gets in, in at least one box there should be some mantis shrimp running around. and how is a pistol shrimp an easier alternative?

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

no!!! yahoo, just wait for the mantis, you could buy them online, and chances of you getting a smithii is very slim either way, tampabaysaltwater sells a very nice species called N. wennerae that is interactive and colorful. or you could order of of liveaquaria, they sell assorted mantis shrimps. and if you dont feel comfortable with shiping, just look through the live rock shipments your lfs gets in, in at least one box there should be some mantis shrimp running around. and how is a pistol shrimp an easier alternative?

HAHAHAHAHA ram... i knew you'd be all over this. its easier, because it will be cheaper to buy, and my lfs cant get the smithii in. and they lounge about with gobies. i have no experience with mantis's or pistols, this is what the "dude" said. i'll see if my mom would be totally opposed to letting me get one off line.

 

[ram man]

not realy cheaper to buy, you could probably take a hitchhicker mantis off of his hands that comes in on the live rock, that would cost ten bucks at the most, and smithiis are not the only active mantis shrimp, n.wennerae, p. ciliata, g, chiagra. the list goes on if you need any help i will be in the chat

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

nvm... ram has convinced me into getting a lime green mantis over chat...

 

[aresgod]

I really think it is a bad move, I have kept both, and besides ram's obsession, mantis are rather boring except for the smashing part, and they severly limit everything else you can keep in the tank. In my 10+(not that this is a long time by any means) years of doing this and having 2 different species of pistols, they have never attacked, shrimp, snails, or crabs, unless they get near their burrow, and unlike the mantis they just stun them, they dont smash them. It is also relatively easy to pair them off in small tanks, and your stocking options for other inhabitants, including the necessary clean up crew is much more forgiving.
Just my 2 cents

Brahm

 

[ram man]

yahoo, just a thought, maybe you could get both? mantis in the 5 gallon sump, then pistol and whatever else you want in the ten gallon.

and smashing isnt the only thing that makes them interesting, they are intelligent compared to many other invertabrates, studies at berkley have shown that they are just as intelligent as an octopus. here is a link to a few reasons they are interesting What's Special about Stomatopods?

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i dont really want anything in the sump but a clean up crew, because it is very near to the ground, and it would hinder my view of it. i will also be setting up another tank as salt. it was going to be my 29 because thats what my mom wanted but lately she has been trying to get my tank numbers down. (i did have 8) and i have since "merged" a few things into the 29. i have a spare 10 gallon ATM, and im sure i could manage turning that salt after i get this one settled. so really, i could have both the mantis and a pistol shrimp.

 

[Lorna]

Okay here is my pair......wheelers gobie and tiger pistol shrimp. They are comical and fun to watch....they have moved every bit of sand around my 20g 10 times over......The shrimp has never bothered anyone I also have a peppermint and skunk in the same tank....alll are well........

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

thats pretty darn cool lorna, i just cleaned out an old 10 gallon, and am planning on making that a salt tank. i am probably going to do a pistol/goby combo. do pistols bond with other types of gobies also?

 

[JeLeAk]

i saw a pistol/goby pair at the LFS today it was soooo cool to see the shrimp moving mass amounts of sand around building a burrow and teh goby keeping watch... deff something i would love to do when i get my 120 switched over to salt(someday)