The Goby/Pistol Project - (Another IM Fusion 10 tank build)

[Tired]

Pistol shrimp like lots of things they can shore up their tunnels with. Provide your with a few handfuls of flat shell fragments and he'll be very happy. If you give them larger, intact shells, they'll actually construct tunnels out away from the rock, using those as roofing material. They also like to have lots of rock surfaces to tunnel under. If you fill most of the bottom of the tank with rockwork, a fairly large pistol should be happy in there. I kept a tiger pistol and a yellow watchman, and they're easy to get, reliably sturdy, and bold. 

If I were you, I'd get some mussel or oyster shells, break them up into small pieces (a cm square or less), and scatter them around the rockwork for your pistol. Give it the best supplies you can get, and you'll see the most entertaining things. 

Pistols are mostly blind and therefore unafraid of you (if you don't shake the tank), so all you have to do is get the fish to like you, so it won't signal an alarm, and you can sit with your face right up against the tank to watch. 

[StinkyBunny]

On 10/6/2017 at 4:55 PM, funkskunk said:

One question I have is what substrate should I use for my Goby/Pistol combo? I'd like to try something new and go with the CaribSea Hawaiian Black sand, but I've heard that it gets in in-between the glass scrubber and can scratch it. But I've had that happen with the basic aragonite substrate too. What would you guys recommend? Also what ATO should I go with? I've heard good things about the Tunze Nano ATO and the Smart ATO. Anyway I can't wait to get this thing really rolling. 

Use different size sands from fine to larger chunks up to 1.5 inches for the pistol shrimp to make its burrow. DO NOT use oyster shell or clam shell unless you wish to be fighting hair algae for the life of the tank. I use calcium reactor media in the tanks I have shrimp in. They're constantly changing pieces out.