yellow watchman not so yellow - Aquarium Advice

Jaybird · 10-12-2009, 04:24 PM

A friend of mine is leaving the country and I managed to get some things from him last minute as he was dismantling his aquarium. I got a yellow watchman and a tiger pistol shrimp.

The pistol has been excavating under a rock in the tank for the past day and the watchman is glued to its side.

The thing is...the watchman isn't so yellow. Is this normal? Perhaps he's still a bit stressed about the move, or are some watchman gobies just not so yellow?

Sorry for the odd questions, but I just got into reef systems and lucked out by having a co-worker able to "donate" some items.

Zer0 · 10-12-2009, 05:27 PM

Hmm.. whenever you go to look at the goby, are you just turning on the lights to look at him? Or have the lights been on for a good amount of time. Fish will lose some color when the lights go out but will re-color when they have been in the lights for some time.

Let us know whats going on though.. how many fish do you have? What kind of fish are they? What inverts, and what are you feeding them if the goby IS eating.

We can get a better diagnosis if you let us know what's going on. Also, what are your tanks parameters? The real specifications too.. not just.. "they are fine".

Jaybird · 10-12-2009, 07:31 PM

I've tried new life spectrum marine fish and frozen brine shrimp, but I haven't seen him eat yet.

Water params are zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and zero nitrate. He's the only fish in the tank, but there are other inverts.

there are three "entrances" under the rock that the tiger pistol made and he is always right at then entrance of those.

The goby isn't breathing odd or anything....just very pale.

As for non-fish....there is the tiger pistol, that the goby is without doubt glued to, three peppermint shrimp, two emerald crabs (each about 1" across the legs and arrived with the LR), two porcelain crabs, about 15 hermits, 5 snails, a small rock with zoas, and a small rock with some mushrooms.

[edit] I forgot the small BTA that my friend found as he was disassembling his tank. He's leaving the country and gave me the LR and all the life forms in the tank. The BTA has been moving all over the tank today[/EDIT]

The spots on him show up well, and there is a dark line by his mouth. It's just that he looks very pale.

**melosu58** · 10-13-2009, 05:08 PM

What kind of lighting do you have for the anenome?

Jaybird · 10-13-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melosu58

What kind of lighting do you have for the anenome?

I have a tek light that has six 54w bulbs, two of those are actinic. It should be more than enough, seeing that he's hiding out deep in the rock

**melosu58** · 10-13-2009, 05:29 PM

Yes that system should be good to go. Dont forget the anenome will hide his foot in the rocks to shade it and the rest will swing out in the open.

match55 · 10-13-2009, 06:35 PM

yellow watchman goby is not always yellow, some of them r kind of to the brownish color and sometimes super light yellow.

Zer0 · 10-13-2009, 07:11 PM

Yeah, i would agree with match on this one. It probably is just the color of the fish.. since your water parameters seem to be fine. Although one thing bothers me.. you said you have not seen the goby eat yet? How long have you had him for and how long has he not been eating? Could be that he is being stressed by something.. which is causing him not to eat.. which is causing the lack of color.

Jaybird · 10-13-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melosu58

Yes that system should be good to go. Dont forget the anenome will hide his foot in the rocks to shade it and the rest will swing out in the open.

He's waaaay back in the rocks, in a large open cave that I made. He's hanging upside down. He seems happy, but it's hard to feed him when he's there. I've been trying frozen brine shrimp in a turkey baster to shoot it through the rocks towards him. I can't even see if he's catching them in his tentacles.

Still, if he seems happy there.....why move him?

Maybe my yellow watchmen is one of those that aren't all that yellow. Not the end of the world. It's still cool to watch him with the tiger pistol, which is actually larger than he is.

Zer0 · 10-15-2009, 01:38 PM

You don't really need to feed the nem. They get most if not all of their food from the light. I think you really only need to feed them rarely, if you even want to feed them. But feeding a nem is not required at all.

But on the other hand.. it may be different for other nems.. Not really sure, but for most of the nems i have read about.. don't need feeding. They don't mind it, and it's good once in a while but most get food from the light like i said before. But.. if you enjoy it.. then by all means.. continue..

Im sure it's not hurting anyone lol.