pairing pistol and goby help, also help raising pistols from eggs

[Reef Puffer]

i have a pink/blue spotted goby that i am trying to pair with my tiger pistol shrimp. the goby seems to have tried a few times to pair with the pistol but the pistol just seems uninterested in him. so i just kinda gave up on them until the pistol put off eggs EVERYWHERE! im assuming she was just a bit hormonal... is there any chance i can get these two together? anyone with tips or hints on how i can do it? any help getting these two together would b greatly appreciated. also any tips on raising the baby pistols?

[Reef Puffer]

nobody has any input on either topic here?

[mseepman]

wow...never seen eggs from a Pistol. I have a pair but they took it upon themselves to pair up. Wish I knew what i did to make it happen.

[AquaticFinatic]

Maybe you need to have a shot gun wedding lol. I have never heard of any one raising the babies from eggs. Good luck with the pairing up thing.

[Myka]

It sounds like you only have one Pistol Shrimp? If that's the case, you won't have viable eggs. Even if you did have viable eggs, raising most decapods is not something the average hobbyist is capable of.

[ScubaSteve]

Originally Posted by Myka

It sounds like you only have one Pistol Shrimp? If that's the case, you won't have viable eggs. Even if you did have viable eggs, raising most decapods is not something the average hobbyist is capable of.

Ya, I'll second that. Most shrimp have a fairly long pelagic (open water) stage before becoming benthic (bottom dwelling). Pistol shrimp probably aren't as bad as the 6 month pelagic stage of cleaner shrimp but the pelagic stage means filtration is nearly impossible without removing all of the larvae. You'd need a pretty elaborate planktonkriesel to do this. While that'd be a fun project, it'll be expensive

And as Myka said, without a pair of shrimp the eggs won't be viable.

Mime didn't pair at first, so I put them together in a small container with some rocks to "introduce" them to each other for an hour or two, then dropped them back in. It's been sweet music ever since. Bare in mind that some species of shrimp and goby just won't pair up. You can try searching to see what the common symbiotic pair in nature and swapping the pistol out for a different one.

[Reef Puffer]

ya as for pairing the two i here it should happen instantly when they meet. i also read that the goby might not pair with the shrimp. they are a compatable pair and goby has tried a few times. it serms the shrimp was just not interested (i assume because of her being ready to lay eggs maybe). but now that the eggs are gone i was hoping maybe she wasnt so hormonal... as for the eggs being anygood, from what i read they are fertalized before they are layed. day one was eggs and day two was tonnes of little bugs in the sand. i put half the eggs in my sump and left the rest to lay in my dt. i guess i just wait and see if any mature on their own i guess. if i had known she was paired i woulda bought both shrimps that day.... thanx for your inputs people.

[Proteus]

I had a decorator crab thy would spawn eggs at night. All the fish would come
Out for a feast

[Reef Puffer]

Originally Posted by Titus99

I had a decorator crab thy would spawn eggs at night. All the fish would come
Out for a feast

nothing in my tank ate the eggs. im sure they are eating the tiny bug like baby pistols that are running all around my tank tho!

[Myka]

Originally Posted by OKreefer

if i had known she was paired i woulda bought both shrimps that day.... thanx for your inputs people.

Oh...she was in contact with another shrimp recently? If that's the case the eggs could be viable then. If the eggs aren't viable they will disintegrate rather quickly.