Tiniest burrowing pistol shrimp available?

[Tired]

I'm setting up a divided 5gal tank, half for rock flower nems and half for zooanthids, and I want to add a pistol shrimp. They're such entertaining little things. It's not going to have the most space, though, so I don't want anything that'll be cramped. What's the smallest burrowing pistol I can get? I won't be getting a goby, I don't feel there's enough space and I don't want to deal with the parameters, so it doesn't need to be a symbiotic species. Are there any super-tiny ones, an inch or so? Something that won't target other shrimp would be ideal, though it can eat all the pods it wants.

[Opotter]

I have a very small Caribbean species that came with my live rock as a hitchhiker.  Not sure if my experience translates, but without a fish (I assume is the reason.. more shy/elusive without one from what I’ve read?), I’ve seen glimpses of it.. maybe twice in 18 months.  I hear it snapping frequently though at night.  I didn’t want fish in my reef due to wanting to be able to leave for long weekends without worrying about daily feeds.  But, also I haven’t seen enough of it to even identify whether or not it is a species known to bond to fish. May not be the most interesting specimen if it’s not out and about?  Having said that I am by no means an expert on this subject.  Just giving you my experience and a question to ask someone more experienced.

[Tired]

Yeah, probably should have mentioned- I want a burrowing species so I can watch it doing burrow-making things, or at least see the results. I used to have a tiger pistol in my old tank, and they're far too large (plus would probably dig the whole thing up), but I loved watching it build. 

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, Tired said:

Yeah, probably should have mentioned- I want a burrowing species so I can watch it doing burrow-making things, or at least see the results. I used to have a tiger pistol in my old tank, and they're far too large (plus would probably dig the whole thing up), but I loved watching it build. 

 

I would be more concerned over the mess they make in such a small space. Mine likes to steal anything it can lay claws on.....shells, frags....even trims the zoas when they get in the way. 

[Tired]

Yeah, I'd probably glue things down pretty thoroughly. I'm reading that candy cane pistols (the true ones) don't tend to make as much of a mess, also. 

[mndfreeze]

Candy cane is what you are looking for, at least for commonly available species.   

 

All goby shrimp are a LOT more shy without their gobies though.  My yellow watchman just died and the pistol won't even come outside the burrow now.  He still digs because I see his entrances and exits change, but I haven't seen him in weeks.   Candy canes are even more shy (mines a tiger).