Due to so many videos and photographs of paired goby fish and pistol shrimp going viral on social media recently, adding a pistol shrimp goby pairing to aquariums has become very popular within the fish keeping community.
Due to there only being certain combinations of pistol shrimp and goby that can work, we have noticed a number of questions from the community and with most people wanting to pair a diamond watchman goby with a pistol shrimp, we have decided to publish this dedicated article on the topic.
It is usually easy to pair a diamond watchman goby and pistol shrimp as the diamond watchman goby tends to be happy pairing with any species of pistol shrimp making the pairing process much easier than some other species of goby.
For example, a Dracula goby will usually only pair with a randall pistol shrimp and a tiger goby will usually only pair with a tiger pistol shrimp but the diamond watchman goby will usually pair with any species of pistol shrimp without issue.
Please keep in mind that just because the diamond watchmany goby tends to be fine with any species of pistol shrimp, some pistol shrimp, regardless of their species may reject the goby as they can be picky at times.
In most cases, the pairing should be straight forward but in others it may take a while for the two to pair or they may never pair.
One common mistake that can cause problems with the pairing process is the wrong type of substrate, you really do need something that your pistol shrimp can easily burrow into to help gett their tunnels and to help with the pairing.
Is The Diamond Watchman Goby And Pistol Shrimp A Good Pairing?
The diamond watchman goby and pistol shrimp can be one of the better pairing options for people new to keeping a goby with a pistol shrimp as the two species do tend to be easier to pair than some of the other suitable combinations out there.
Once paired together, the goby and the pistol shrimp tend to be a low maintenance setup that can do well in some surprisingly small aquarium tanks with setups as small as 15 gallons being able to do well.
Still, we usually recommend that you do go for a slightly larger aquarium size if possible, especially if you are planning to add additional tank mates into the tank with your diamond watchmen goby and pistol shrimp.
Adding various rocks to the tank can also be a good idea as it allows the pistol shrimp to burrow under the rock to make a comfortable home where it feels safe and increases the chances of the two pairing up with ease.
In some situations, it can be beneficial to wait until the pairing is complete prior to adding additional tank mates to the aquarium as the increased stress of potential predators can cause the pistol shrimp to hide away rather than pair.
This then results in a lack of food for the pistol shrimp from the goby and the pistol shrimp will eventually perish and the goby may end up having problems with nutrition too.
Why Will A Diamond Watchmen Goby Pair With A Pistol Shrimp?
The diamond watchmen goby will pair with a pistol shrimp due to its instinct to pair with the shrimp as a symbiotic relationship where both animals help each other.
Both animals provide each other with food while the shrimp gives the goby a safe home and the goby serves as an early warning system for potential threats for the shrimp so the instinct to pair is high in both species.
In the wild the pistol shrimp will kick up worms and other small animals while it digs and burrows that the goby will eat as a good source and inturn, the shrimp will eat the poop from the goby so the better the goby is fed, the better the shrimp is fed.
In captivity, this is usually not the case as the majority of the food for your diamond watchman goby will usually be provided by you but it is still common for them to pair due to their instincts.
Even in captivity, the goby benefits from the relationship due to it being able to live in the tunnel that the pistol shrimp will burrow helping to reduce stress and anxiety levels within the fish.
Although there are usually no potential threats in an aquarium for the shrimp, your diamond watchman goby still acts as a set of reliable eyes to watch out for potential threats due to the pistol shrimp having extremely poor eyesight.
Can A Pistol Shrimp Live Without A Paired Goby?
Both a pistol shrimp and a diamond watchman goby will be able to live without issue in the majority of aquarium setups as the keeper of the tank is able to fill in for the missing partner in the pairing and provide everything that is required.
Still, many people within the fish keeping community who keep a pistol shrimp will internationally try to paid their shrimp with a goby.
In the wild, both pistol shrimp and various species of goby can live without a pairing but their life will often be much shorter than a paired alternative.
This is due to the various benefits that a pairing offers both animals and although it may sound like a strange pair, it really is mutually beneficial and can drastically increase the lifespan of both animals.
One thing that does score points for actually pairing your diamond watchman goby with your pistol shrimp is that you usually don’t have to upgrade your aquarium tank if you have a size suitable for the goby.
This is due to the shrimp using minimal space in your tank meaning that you can often add the shrimp to your current tank without having to make any upgrades and buy new equipment.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over pairing a diamond watchman goby and pistol shrimp with each other to an end. We hope that we have been able to help you better understand the various benefits that this pairing can offer your pets but most people who are trying to get a diamond watchman goby to pair with a pistol shrimp are usually only doing it so they are able to say that they have one. You can get some cute videos and photographs of the pairing for social media two with this being one of the most common reasons that people even want to pair a goby with a pistol shrimp.
