Note To Anyone Wanting A Pistol Shrimp In A Small Tank:

I've had experience with pistol shrimp before; they make awesome pairs with shrimp gobies. I had a yellow watchman and tiger pistol shrimp pairing a 55 gallon with plenty of crabs, snails, and other shrimp. When I moved across the country, I tore that tank down and decided to set up a small 10 gallon reef at my new house. I got the pistol shrimp and yellow watchman pair after I had put in a tailspot blenny. Then I added 3 peppermint shrimp (this is where chaos began to occur). One-by-one my shrimp disappeared, and the only one to blame was the pistol shrimp (it also at a nassarius snail that I added within minutes). Some time later, I realized that my tailspot had disappeared. Thinking through the causes, I realized that the tailspot must have found a place to sleep in the pistol shrimp's burrow and was promptly killed and eaten. I then tried again with 2 hermit crabs and an emerald crab. Within a day or two, all had been consumed.

All this to say: in a small tank, a pistol shrimp will find anything wandering by and kill it. Unless this fish, shrimp, snail, or crab is at least 1.5-2 times the pistol shrimp's size, don't add it! I would even argue that a tank should be at least 30-40 gallons with plenty of live rock for hiding places if you want to house them together. Save yourself the trouble and money and really think it through.

If anyone else has had a similar issue, I would love to hear it!

Thanks,
Trenton Henderson

 

Bumping this up for you

 

Thanks for the heads up Trenton! I was so set on a goby/pistol shrimp too, but now I do not think I will go with a pistol shrimp in my 15G nano tank.
I also did some additional research and people said the same thing. One person said he thinks his pistol shrimp started killing the snails and collecting their shells in the front entrance as his trophies lol,

 

What kind of pistol shrimp is it?

 

I have a Candy Pistol and Yasha Goby pair in my 5gal nano and everyone (trochus snail, nassarius snails, red hermit, blue hermit, Emerald Crab) is accounted for. No issues with Pistol, just stays in its burrow or when it's expanding the homestead...Goby throws food in the burrow for the Pistol so mine may not have a reason to go after anything.

Only concern is my Emerald Crab occasionally going after my Goby.

 

I decided to take my chances and go with a candy cane pistol shrimp and yasha goby. all my other snails and shrimps are fine. so glad I got them.