Orange spot ate my pistol shrimp!?!?!?

I have had a orange spotted goby (apx. 3"L) for a little over a year now and always toyed with the idea of getting an pistol shrimp to pair up with him/her.

So was at my LFS last Friday and saw that they had a few and decided to get one that was apx. 1 1/2"L. I fed the fish while I was acclimating the pistol and after they ate I decided to turn the lights off and leave the blue LED's on to release the pistol into the tank. Most of the fish went into sleep mode once the lights were off except a few were still out and about including the goby. I released the shrimp into the tank and it went right to the bottom next to a rock and just chilled there for a few. Within 2 minutes, the goby noticed the shrimp and went closer to take a look. The goby startled the shrimp and the shrimp darted to another area in the tank while the goby hovered in the water watching the shrimp. Within another minute or two, the goby darts to the shrimp, puts it in it's mouth and brings it behind the rocks!

Now I dunno if it is helping the shrimp by moving it to another location or did it just inhale the little guy for a quick meal??? I decided to turn the main lighting on to see what happend and couldn't find either so I figured I'd just wait it out and see what happens. Well the next day the goby is back in his area where it always hangs out and no sign of the shrimp anywhere since!

I'm hoping for the best and that within a few days the shrimp will suddently emerge somewhere BUT with every passing day since I'm leaning towards the goby having a $10 meal this past friday

 

i always like to drip acclimate my shrimp bc if not they go into a kind of shock and i beliebe become easy targets for a meal. but the shrimp is probably hangin out in the live rock until he's ready, he'll be snapping in no time! (positive thinking!!) good luck!

 

listen for clicking coming from your tank....if you hear it once and awhile, the pistol is still alive. If not, then its probably dead. Strange for the goby to pick up and move, sounds like he just ate him. I couldn't see the pistol letting the goby pick it up. It would be flinging about trying to pinch the goby. Only time will tell, listen for the clicking pops.

 

thanks!

Yea me 2 - drip acclimated and shut lights to ease it in as well but maybe I should have kept the blue LED's off too - guess I'll just see what happens

 

I agree! It was so quick though and because of the size of the shrimp you would never think the goby could eat it but stranger things have happened I guess - I guess I'll just wait it out and see if it emerges one day

 

still hasnt turned up?

 

No not yet I guess the goby had a nice meal after all

 

I wouldn't count it out yet, it's only been a few days. Sometimes I wouldn't see/hear my shrimp for days at a time even after it was well established.

 

Question for you - Is an orange spot a "watchman" goby? If not, I am not sure if they will pair with a pistol shrimp. I have an aurora and pistol shrimp and I have never seen the aurora pick up the shrimp.

Edit: Nevermind - just did a quick search and found my answer.