getting rid of pistol shrimp...

[Sharkie]

so i came home to find my poor little mandrin Scooter floundering about half dead... his tail was ripped to shreds and he had a bunch of chunks taken out of him and i think i just solved the reason why....

at night hes sleeping in front of one of my larger rocks... he was laying there right now and a pistol shrimp fricken came out and SNAPPED at him!! poor little guy wasn't going to recover so i put him out of his misery (RIP Scooter :( ).... how the heck do i get rid of these guys? the gal at the LFS says its normal to have em but i don't want them! i keep having fish going missing and they are making me think i've got a mantis when its really them. I've seen 2 of em and can't get either of the rocks out without taking apart the whole tank :grumble: what would you guys suggest?

 

[SeattleDarko]

New aquascaping.... yeah, I saw someone take every rock out trying to get one.

 

[Sharkie]

yea, thing is I just recently moved so i had to re-aquascape the tank.... and so those rocks are at the bottom... i wish i would've know they were there before the move

 

[Oscarsdad608]

Dynomite!

 

[motorcyclereefer]

Maybe Yote could take some time off and visit you. He loves stalking the mantis shrimp. Tell the parents he is the new tank bodyguard.

But I really do not know, I had a banded shrimp in mine once. I got him and then later got too big so I had to basically trick him and pulling out his rock.

 

[Tristan]

Sorry, to hear about your scooter. Man, thats scary. i think i have one in my tank and i hope nothing like that happens. good luck removing him.

 

[wontonflip]

Wow...my pistol shrimp has never attacked my fish. Just the opposite...my firefish lives in the cave w/ him, and he leaves my goby alone. But maybe because the mandarin was more docile? Dunno. Sorry to hear though. I love mandarins. They're gorgeous.

 

[yote]

Sorry to hear that Sharkie.
The simple way to catch a pistol is to place some food in a net.Place the net right at the shrimps hole,then when he comes out for the free meal,just scoop him out.

 

[dcantucson]

Sorry about Scooter Sharkie. :( I hope you can catch that little pistol of a shrimp.

 

[Tristan]

Trust Yote. Thats the same tactic he used on the dear that's hanging on his wall. haha jk

 

[Sharkie]

LOL. i'll try that... they are pretty sneaky tho :( I have dubbed them Smith and Wesson.... lol. i know, those are rifles not pistols but :p lol.

is there a goby i could get to lure them out with perhaps? i dont mind them in there if they aren't going to kill anyone.... im just afraid to get another mandrin right now because of them

 

[dcantucson]

May be the Mandarin was sick and dying?

 

[Sharkie]

May be the Mandarin was sick and dying?

I'm not sure on that one, he was nice a fat and i breed my own cops and dose the tank daily. plus they are all over the glass and rockwork :l he was swimming around perfectly fine yesterday morning when i fed and checked on everyone

 

[Oscarsdad608]

I am sure your cousin could get it out in no time at all.

 

[dcantucson]

That's strange Sharkie. Sounds as if the pistol did do him in. I wouldn't think it would have been large enough to harm him. It must have ambushed him while he was asleep like you said.

 

[Sharkie]

yea, and scooter was only 1in big, hes just a baby :( poor lil dude...

 

[dcantucson]

Awe... one inch big. Makes sense now. Poor little fellow. RIP Scooter. :(