Pistol Shrimp vs Cleaner Shrimp

[Youngster Dan]

Hi everyone, I have been browsing this forum for a little bit and decided that I should finally ask a few questions. I haven't been reefing long, maybe 6 months and so far so good!

Anyways, I was wondering how a pistol shrimp and a cleaner shrimp will get along? My tank isn't large, only 33 gallons. Recently my shrimp goby carpet surfed, and I never see my pistol anymore. I do hear the little clicks fairly frequently so I know he is alive and kicking.

Will my pistol kill my cleaner shrimp? The cleaner is quite a bit larger, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

[mseepman]

It's tough to ever know the right answer to this one. In the wild, there have been videos of pistols knocking out cleaners for food. I have a pistol (with goby) and a peppermint shrimp in a 16g nano and they all get along fine.

Since you don't have your goby anymore, the pistol probably doesn't venture out as much and may be a little harder up for food. That means it could be more agressive.

I would look into getting a new goby partner for the pistol first...they don't usually last long without one.

You never can tell.

[fkshiu]

I have a pistol, 2 cleaners, a fire shrimp and 2 sexy shrimp in the same tank. They all seem to get along.

I've seen the same videos of pistols "shooting" a cleaner as well, but there are numerous species of pistol shrimp. The small ornamental ones that are commonly available in the hobby are of no risk unless perhaps you have a nano tank and the cleaner bumbles into the pistol's crib and gets capped.

[Youngster Dan]

Thanks, I guess I will just see what happens. I was planning on getting another goby anyways, as they are pretty cool.

You guys must have seen that youtube video, I stumbled across it and thought it would be a shame if the pistol had my cleaner shrimp for dinner. As he is so personable and loves to pick at my fish's teeth (and my fingernails).

[scumchug]

I've had at least 3 pistols in with a cleaner for years. Never a problem. Even with a goby they don't venture out and even if they do its not very far. If it so happened that the pistol stumbled upon the cleaner, there is a quite considerable size difference. You will probably find the pistol as interesting if not more so than the cleaner. I wouldn't have a tank without them.

[mseepman]

I agree that I love how interesting my pistol is. The pair of shrimp and goby really work well together and are amazing to watch.