Thinking of getting a yellow watchman goby

[fishfreek]

Ok folks.

Tell me if this is a bad idea or not.

I am thinking of getting one or two yellow watchman gobies for my 80 gal. The LFS has them and they appear to be 2" in size or less.

As of today the tank has been up for 7 months or so with live rock and a DSB.

 

[Guest]

I saw one the other day and it looks like a cool fish... I have a watchman goby and it is fun to watch perch on rocks and hunt... It will sit still and watch your every move..

 

[reefrunner69]

The yellow watchmans are cool!! I've had a couple in the past, I think they will do fine in your tank.

Here is what I'm thinking of getting...at some point in the future...

Blue spotted jawfish...

 

[fishfreek]

Ok, Just wanted to make sure I was not going to buy something that was doomed to die a long slow death...

 

[Hara]

I have a pink spotted watchman goby and he is doing great...wanted a yellow, but the guy wouldnt sell it as it was in his display tank. The spotted is fun to watch too, we call him the grumpy old man because of his expression.

 

[Rj_22]

I want one too,and I too do not want to see him die a agonizing death.I have about 40 lbs of live rock in my 30 gallon Tank has been set up for about 8 months.I also have live sand too.The only thing in the tank,is my tomato clown.

 

[fishfreek]

So kevin do you think I should only attempt one?

I probably wont get it till tommorow. Gotta prep the q-tank today.

 

[reefrunner69]

So kevin do you think I should only attempt one?

I would probaly do two if they are being kept together now. I have had a couple...but it was only one at a time , I assume you can find pairs. What would be really cool, is if you can find out what shrimp is associated with them and get one of those too.

 

[fishfreek]

Ok, I got them today and put them in my q-tank.

Here are a few pics.

This is the first of the two. Its not the clearest pic.

This pic is of the second and smallest of the two. Those LARGE pvc pipes you see are 1" in size.

 

[reefrunner69]

Love it!! Those fish are so cool 8)

 

[Guest]

That is a cool looking fish. I too would like one of those..Question...why is everyone talking (slow antagonizing death)?

 

[Hara]

starvation, usually

 

[Hara]

how cute!

 

[fishfreek]

...why is everyone talking (slow antagonizing death)?

As hara pointed out the reason is that some gobys do not take to artifical food and will only eat live food that they are constently hunting for. The most notable fish that is like this is the mandrain goby. Its the fish with all those pyscodelic tie dye colorations.

In knowing the problems with some of the goby family I was/am a bit worried about how well these fish will accept prepaired foods.

I am going to try tonite to feed a small bit of frozen brine. I know it has little nutrional value but it will give me an indicator as to if these guys are going to need to have a short say in the q-tank due to lack of a food source.

 

[reefrunner69]

I am going to try tonite to feed a small bit of frozen brine. I know it has little nutrional value but it will give me an indicator as to if these guys are going to need to have a short say in the q-tank due to lack of a food source.

You did watch them eat at the LFS...right? If you watched them eat at the LFS, you should find out what they were feeding the fish and try to feed that, they will have a better chance of eating if their diet is not changed immediately. I have not noticed starvation to be a problem with yellow watchmans.

 

[clownfish]

I've been following this thread with real interest because I was also thinking of getting a Spotted watchman goby or a orange spotted goby. I have crushed coral sub and was wondering if they'd be happy there. The ones I've watched at my lfs seem to do fine with that type sub. Any experiences out there??

 

[fishfreek]

An update.

I moved them into the main tank early.

It looks like they have made a nice home under a rock. Today I was just looking around the tank and low and behold what do I find... Well take a look at this pic

I could not belive it that I would find one of my baby brittles attached to the face of this goby.

 

[reefrunner69]

Hope that was the one you were lookig to post. I edited it to get rid of the red x.

 

[fishfreek]

Hope that was the one you were lookig to post. I edited it to get rid of the red x.

Thats odd cause I did nto have a red X after I had posted it. But yes thats what I was intending to post.

I was supprised to find the star fish on the goby's face.

 

[Guest]

I've been following this thread with real interest because I was also thinking of getting a Spotted watchman goby or a orange spotted goby. I have crushed coral sub and was wondering if they'd be happy there. The ones I've watched at my lfs seem to do fine with that type sub. Any experiences out there??

Well, I got to tell you, my spotted watchman loves sand... I haven't seen it burrow yet like is mentioned in the threads though...I have enough little crevices between the sand and rock. I have witnessed just today that it is dragging stuff to the opening as if the build a house...Cool!!!!...it eats all types of foods...Brine, pellets, flake, shrimp cut up. When I bought it, they were kept in CC substrate...When I bruought it home and introduced it to it's new home, it started sifting the sand immediately and was not shy at all...Watches every move you make...In my book, if you do not have one, get one....Give it lots of little rubble to play with though..