missing yellow watchman goby and tiger pistol shrimp

[flintcore]

I'm freaking out guys, I just got a yellow watchman goby and tiger pistol shrimp yesterday and they seemed to be doing great, I mean the shrimp was working away and the goby was popping in and out of their little hole. But this morning I woke up and they're GONE, I've looked everywhere and all I can hear are these loud clicking noises, it's driving me crazy. Will they make a burrow at the front of the aquarium or are they gonna starve and die on me? Please someone help me out, I'm seriously worried about these little guys.

[rustyfox9]

My mum had a similar experience with my tank when I was away, she freaked out thinking my YWG was a goner, but he was just chillin' in his burrow, no worries. I'm pretty sure your guys are just busy building their new home and don't want to be disturbed. Don't expect them to set up shop in plain sight, they like their privacy.

[felinxo]

I agree with rustyfox9, my watchman goby has gone MIA for months at a time, then suddenly appears like nothing's changed. Just carry on feeding your other fish as normal, the goby and shrimp will grab the food that drifts into the rocks.

[rusticfox]

I've got pistol pairs in both my tanks and to be honest, I hardly ever catch a glimpse of them, but the clicking noises are a dead giveaway. The watchman goby will be just fine, as mentioned earlier - they're a team, and they'll make sure they're both fed. Give it a couple of weeks, and you'll probably start seeing your watchman goby keeping guard at the entrance while the shrimp gets to work on rearranging your sand bed - it's quite the sight.

[flintcore]

I'm just thinking, what if the watchman goby was in the burrow they dug when I first put them in, and then overnight the shrimp dug a tunnel from the burrow to the back of the tank, and now they're separated? I'm just wondering if that could've happened.

[rustyfox9]

Things seem fine for now. The shrimp's busy with the burrow, and your YWG's still on lookout duty. They won't have lost each other, don't worry. When the YWG eats, he'll stash some food away for the shrimp. Everything's normal, just give them time.

[rusticfox]

Shrimp can build a whole network of tunnels all around the tank at first, till it feels at home. They're incredible diggers, I swear. You'll hear the clicking after lights out, but don't worry, the goby will find its way back to its buddy. Mine can be at opposite ends of the tank, but they always seem to find each other by morning. It takes a few days, maybe even a week or so, for them to pick a main burrow and use it as their base. Till then, be prepared for some serious tunneling - I mean, we're talking sand bed scale models of the Somme here.

[rustyfox9]

I've had a lone YWG and I'm telling you, this little fella can dig like crazy. Everywhere I look, there's sand piled high - it's like a sand mountain range in my tank. He's got multiple burrows under the live rock, so he can pop his head out and give me a cheeky look. I try to flatten the mounds, but as soon as I do, he's back at it, digging them all over again.

[rusticfox]

I swear, sometimes I think we're crazy for getting these guys, but honestly, they're just so worth the hassle, lol.

[flintcore]

I'm just wondering about the yellow tangs, the small ones, how do you get another one to join them, I see the ratings on the left, just curious.