HELP! Pistol Shrimp! UPDATE!!!

[12scanlon]

Well I was just looking at my chaeto in the second camber of my biocube 16 to see how much it had grown. Then I saw something move! I haven’t seen my Randall’s pistol shrimp except once since I got him back in April and I thought he was dead. I can’t believe he’s in the 2nd chamber and still alive. 

 

Does anyone have recommendations on how to get him out of the chamber. I doubt he’s going to go in my net, and I won’t be able to move it around in the chamber anyway because of how small it is. I need an idea and quick. 

 

This is crazy!😂😂

[LogicalReefs]

Do you have a spatula that could fit? Scoop him out. 

[12scanlon]

Just now, LogicalReefs said:

Do you have a spatula that could fit? Scoop him out. 

That’s a pretty good idea. I’ll probably try that.

 

I have no clue how this dudes alive. He’s probably been in there for months. I just got chaeto a couple weeks ago so he must b living off pods and I guess bacteria and algae stuff on my media. This is a first for me so any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated. 

[el_ote]

I've scooped my little Randall's Pistol with my hand. He was in a rock that got a glug of h2o2 and shot out quicker than quick. I freaked out and grabbed for him. He snapped which scared the heck outta me but I didn't feel anything. He is still pretty tiny tho so take that into account too.

[12scanlon]

2 minutes ago, el_ote said:

I've scooped my little Randall's Pistol with my hand. He was in a rock that got a glug of h2o2 and shot out quicker than quick. I freaked out and grabbed for him. He snapped which scared the heck outta me but I didn't feel anything. He is still pretty tiny tho so take that into account too.

You think grabbing him is the best idea? I mean I really don’t know what to do tbh. Idk 😐. 

[Tamberav]

Does he go in the cheato? Can pull the ball out with him in it. 
 

I grabbed mine once too and the snap scared the crap out of me lol... I also didn't feel anything. I guess he had it on noisemaker mode. 

[MrObscura]

The pulling him out with the cheato is a good idea if possible. 

 

Or just let him be?

[12scanlon]

5 hours ago, Tamberav said:

Does he go in the cheato? Can pull the ball out with him in it. 
 

I grabbed mine once too and the snap scared the crap out of me lol... I also didn't feel anything. I guess he had it on noisemaker mode. 

I really don’t know if he goes in the chaeto. I have some small porus live rocks as media in the back chambe that sit on the bottom of the chamber. It looks like he’s made a little burrow or something when I checked it last night. Honestly it’s super hard to see in there because the chaeto is only about an inch away from taking up the whole chamber. I will pull the cheato out today and see if he’s in it or not. 

 

I make a bottle trap with like a big pill bottle or something small, so it can fit in the back chamber. This pistol is pretty small and probably really hungry so he would probably go in the bottle pretty quick. Again I really don’t know so any more suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

5 hours ago, MrObscura said:

The pulling him out with the cheato is a good idea if possible. 

 

Or just let him be?

The cheato gonna be overwhelming him in a day or two so I need to get him out. 

[el_ote]

i think what was meant by the cheato suggestion was to grab the cheato "carefully" push down till you get to the bottom where the shrimp is and smoosh/pinch the cheato to try and grab him in it like say a hot kettle with the kitchen towel. empty out as much of whatever you have in there first and use just as much cheato as you feel you need. you can just throw everything into a bucket till you get him out. cheato wont die if you move it to a container for a while.

[Tamberav]

He is probably not starving, these guys are pretty good at finding food and its surprising what kind of crap makes it to our back chambers through our floss. I used to have a green banded goby that would repeatedly wiggle past the floss to get in the back chambers over and over because debris and pods always got stuck back there and he liked to feast. It was such a pain constantly fishing him out. 

 

Thats being said, I think the trap is a great idea, shrimp are greedy eaters. 

[LogicalReefs]

4 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

He is probably not starving, these guys are pretty good at finding food and its surprising what kind of crap makes it to our back chambers through our floss. I used to have a green banded goby that would repeatedly wiggle past the floss to get in the back chambers over and over because debris and pods always got stuck back there and he liked to feast. It was such a pain constantly fishing him out. 

 

Thats being said, I think the trap is a great idea, shrimp are greedy eaters. 

 

[SaltyBuddha]

Took me abut 30 minutes with a net and a brush trying to coax him into it. It was a pain but do-able.

[12scanlon]

3 hours ago, el_ote said:

i think what was meant by the cheato suggestion was to grab the cheato "carefully" push down till you get to the bottom where the shrimp is and smoosh/pinch the cheato to try and grab him in it like say a hot kettle with the kitchen towel. empty out as much of whatever you have in there first and use just as much cheato as you feel you need. you can just throw everything into a bucket till you get him out. cheato wont die if you move it to a container for a while.

That makes a lot more sense. That is actually a really good idea. Thanks everyone for the ideas. 

3 hours ago, Tamberav said:

He is probably not starving, these guys are pretty good at finding food and its surprising what kind of crap makes it to our back chambers through our floss. I used to have a green banded goby that would repeatedly wiggle past the floss to get in the back chambers over and over because debris and pods always got stuck back there and he liked to feast. It was such a pain constantly fishing him out. 

 

Thats being said, I think the trap is a great idea, shrimp are greedy eaters. 

If the chaeto thing fails I will definently use the pill bottle.

 

will update as soon as I get the shrimp 🦐...

[12scanlon]

Still haven’t got the little beast. I pulled the chaeto out, saw him, put the cheato in a container, looked back, and then he was gone. Haven’t seem him since that moment. I have to go to a party right now so I can’t continue trying to get him. I’ll look and see if he’s going after the pellets that fell putt a the pill bottle. 

[12scanlon]

Welp I officially have not seen the little dud since this last post. Imma put half the chaeto bakc in there and throw away the rest. Seems like a shame, but I don’t know what else I’m gonna do with a pile of chaeto. I may put a little in my pico and see how it does. Anyway, will give an update if I ever see him again. 😂

[12scanlon]

UPDATE: 

The pistol shrimp chilled in the back chamber since lastime I posted. I have tried numerous times to net him and even tried to grab him with my bare hand but never had any luck. 

 

A couple days ago, I pulled everything out of my diy refugium in my 2nd chamber and went after him. He disappeared. At 1 o’clock this morning I shined a flashlight into the 3rd chamber (where the pump is), and the pistol shrimp is just chilling at the bottom. I quickly turn the pump of, pull it out, and grab a net. I lowered the net in and grabbed him. I finally caught him. 

Hes chilling in a breeder box right now. He seems pretty beat up from sitting with the pump and starvation of some sort. He’s missing his pistol and has 1 or two broken legs. I’ve put a bunch of food in the breeder box with him and plan on leaving him in there till he heals up a bit/eats. Hope to pair hike back up with the goby at some point. Advice on how to do this most effectively would be appreciated. 

Here a picture

 

 

[RayWhisperer]

If it’s really small, and you want to put it in one specific area, I find the large plastic part of a gravel vac perfect. Put the bottom end at the opening for the goby den. Dump the shrimp in the top. Reassemble the gravel vac when done.

[12scanlon]

6 hours ago, RayWhisperer said:

If it’s really small, and you want to put it in one specific area, I find the large plastic part of a gravel vac perfect. Put the bottom end at the opening for the goby den. Dump the shrimp in the top. Reassemble the gravel vac when done.

Good idea! I’ve been wondering how I was going to put him back with the the goby. Should I wait for him to grow his claw back and heal his legs before I put him back in the main display. 

[RayWhisperer]

You'll be waiting a long while for that to happen. It takes time, and several melts. Best just get it over with. No guarantees, but it beats rotting in a plastic box for a year.

[12scanlon]

16 minutes ago, RayWhisperer said:

You'll be waiting a long while for that to happen. It takes time, and several melts. Best just get it over with. No guarantees, but it beats rotting in a plastic box for a year.

Alright...Will probably do that tomorrow during water change. Thanks!😁