hitch-hiker ID please

[Nyx]

Hubby and I bought a coral today and the little guy in the attached photo came along for the ride. I'm pretty sure he's a pistol shrimp - just not sure if he's reef-safe or not. He's about 1" long including the large left pincer. He's mostly translucent and brown striped with some blue in his pincers. We need to ID him quickly as the water in the bowl is getting colder. Thanks!

Edited to add: I think this is what Lucky is http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+1148&pcatid=1148

[az]

did you get that from the monti?

[Nyx]

Yes, he came in on the monti.

[Darth]

he's gonna try an charge you for it now!!!     

[Greatwhite]

Yes, that's a pistol shrimp.  I had one in my tank when I started up 6 years ago, and then he managed to hitch hike into a small tank I had my clowns in for a few years before I built my 90.  He dropped off the rock into the little tank as I was moving my live rock into my 90.  I was very surprised to see him in there.

They are reef safe, and you can get a little Goby to hang out with him.  I just found the constant "click click click" annoying.  Also - watch your fingers, cuz those little guys can pack a punch.

[Nyx]

he's gonna try an charge you for it now!!!     

roflmao 

Thanks Greatwhite. We put him in my husband's nano-reef in his office at work. We were afraid he'd be fish food in our 150G reef.

[az]

lol.

[Thunda]

that looks like out Tiger Pistol Shrimp. definatly reef friendly & ours are best of buds with a Yellow Watchman Gobie.  It'll do a lot of excavations in your tank, which my husband & I find fascinating.  you are very lucky to get one like that (IMO). 

[Greatwhite]

roflmao 

Thanks Greatwhite. We put him in my husband's nano-reef in his office at work. We were afraid he'd be fish food in our 150G reef.

They have a great ability to hide in big tanks.  I'm actually surprised you found him and were able to catch him.  It LITERALLY took me 8 months of trying to track mine down, and then I gave up.  I had an idea of what rock he was in, but only by sound - and sound travels crazy in water.

He'll do well in the nano.  Be sure to pick up a little Goby for that tank too.   Az has some cool ones who are fun to watch at feeding time.

[Nyx]

'm actually surprised you found him and were able to catch him. 

We were doing a dip prior to placing the coral in our tank. Hubby noticed movement and first thought, "mantis shrimp". He poked at it with a knife, no less, and out slithers this little guy. As soon as we realized that he's reef safe, we decided to put him in hubby's nano in his office at work. He already has a red-banded pistol shrimp in there who shares a burrow, strangely enough, with a helfrichi firefish, after his goby died. We let the new little guy go on the other side of the tank.

[Nyx]

Hubby had been getting a pistol shrimp symphony at work several times per day, ever since we put the newly named "Colt" in the nano with "Magnum". He doesn't see them but he knows they're there.