Yellow Watchman Goby Missing

[mrg02d]

Hello all,
I added a yellow watchman goby on friday and hes been missing since then. For the first few hours he swam all over my little 7.5g tank. Then I came back to see him and he was gone!

I realize fish go into hiding, but this tank is so small! I do have 8lbs of fiji live rock in there, but figured he would be visible somewhere. My tailspot blenny used to hide alot, but I could always find him.

Other critters include: Some hermit crabs, snails, sexy shrimp, and porcelain crab.

Ive been testing for ammonia each day and see none. Could he have died and be rotting in such a mannor that there is no ammonia spike? Ive searched the floor and under the bed to see if he jumped.

How long before ammonia should be showing up? How long before I ought to go on a corpse hunt?

What a waste of money...Haha! Good thing he was only $7.00.

Might as well be dead if this is his lifestyle.

Matt

 

[SnowZz]

well in larger tanks some people only see there goby once a month, if its only 8 lbs maybe you could grab some live rock, pick it up out of the tank, make sure, then place it back in a 20 second period before you declare K.I.As on your crabs and shrimps.

 

[melosu58]

They are jumpers anyway but in a 7.5 gallon tank they`ll jump everytime. Way too small a tank for a watchman IMO. Try checking out a clown goby.

 

[mrg02d]

They are jumpers anyway but in a 7.5 gallon tank they`ll jump everytime. Way too small a tank for a watchman IMO. Try checking out a clown goby.

Oops! Do you think the size of the tank could have something to do with him hiding?

If he IS alive, might putting eggcrate over the tank be a good idea? Im still wondering whether he is alive or dead. Ive never had luck with these fish, but figured id try them again since my tailspot blenny seems happy. (Eats from my hands).

I guess I will pull the rocks out this friday if I havent seen him. Still no ammonia...Maybe my system has been handling an ammonia spike the whole time?

Matt

 

[melosu58]

You can try some netting or egg crate but in the long run they need a 30 gallon tank.

 

[mrg02d]

You can try some netting or egg crate but in the long run they need a 30 gallon tank.

If I find him, ill make sure to eggcrate the top...

I looked for him really hard today. Spot light and all. Moved some large rocks around and not a sign of him. Hes about 1.5in long, so not a small fry by any means.

I keep getting zero ammonia, so I tested nitrates and they are now near zero. The only thing I can think of is he jumped out and I somehow missed that and either flopped somewhere I havent looked or got eaten by the dog. 8-O

He didnt act like he wanted to jump during the short time I had him visible. He was busy swimming in and out of all the nooks and crannies. Maybe he is under the main rocks. (The ones that would need a total break down of the tank to get to).

Do they dig at all? Maybe he burrowed under the rocks?

Uggg...What a mistake.

Matt

 

[Mitchell0605]

No they don't burrow they share burrows of Pistol Shrimp.

 

[b-towndoc]

My YWG went missing for a week and I decided that something must of eaten him. Went out and got a diamond goby and the next morning I was suprised to find them both sharing a burrow! Yours may still show up.

 

[mrg02d]

My YWG went missing for a week and I decided that something must of eaten him. Went out and got a diamond goby and the next morning I was suprised to find them both sharing a burrow! Yours may still show up.

Haha, im suprised they were sharing. That happend to me with emerald crabs. I had an emerald crab go missing for 6-7 months and called him dead. I got a new one, and that night I found them both sitting next to each other up on my montipora. Then the "back from the dead" crab went missing again...

Ill cross my fingers and say a prayer that this SOB comes out of hiding soon.

Matt

 

[clark4feathers]

my Gobie was MIA for about 1 week and a half...thought he was a goner....was about ready to write him off....Guess what out he comes happy as can be....made me happy to. He may still show up.

 

[mellowyellow]

I can't tell you how many times I've lost a fish's location. Sure that it's dead, I give up and walk away only to see the fish swimming proudly in a day or two. Don't give up on him. He's maybe just hanging out, getting used to the new surroundings.

 

[six2sevenproductions]

in a tank that small it shouldn't be that hard to find. i think he jumped and your dog ate him or at least moved him somewhere.

 

[mrg02d]

Im calling him gone. Today now marks two weeks that hes been missing. Seems two weeks in a 7.5g tank means something happened to him long ago. :-(

No ammonia spikes. No nitrates spikes to suggest my system simply processed him either. Stupid fish.

Time for a replacement! Any ideas? Right now there is a tailspot blenny in there loving life, two sexy shrimp, a porcelain crab, and some hermits and snails.

Im thinking clown goby, but no one here seems to have luck with them.

Matt