Yellow Watchman Goby with Fin Rot

[TeamTrash]

I just noticed my watchman goby in full swim mode and the fins look terrible! The back is frayed and so is the dorsal fin - it is full of holes and ragged. The top edge of the first part of the dorsal fin has a brown edge to it. Basically, it sounds exactly as what I found described online.

The goby has only been in the tank for 12 days. I did notice a small rip in his tail fin when I got him, but didn't think more about it He has, without a doubt, been harassed some by the dottyback. Today she was all over him, something that I haven't seen before, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I also had a 0.25 spike of ammonia for two days as my old filter broke before my new filter was completely cycled through.

Now, what to do I don't have a qt tank, so that's out of the question. Can I medicate in the tank (usually a no-no), or should I just catch it and send it to fish heaven? My other three fish, which I just have spent an hour eyeballing, have perfect looking fins.

[Reeffanman]

Are you sure the harrassment isn't the issue, if he's getting bullied around fins will sumtimes look ragged. I put a little nemo clown in with my maroon and she would really bully the little one. And a the fins always come back to fine. Since then they have come to an agreement and leave eachother alone for the most part.

[TeamTrash]

Well, he didn't eat last night even though the food went down right in front of him. I'm really worried I'm not sure he'll be alive by the time I get back tonight. Since fin rot is a bacterial infection, can I just leave him in the tank and see if he recovers on his own?

[Reeffanman]

How's he doing?

[tjm80]

Dottybacks... I had one for a few days... I honestly don't think a damsel could be any worse....

[TeamTrash]

Originally Posted by Reeffanman

How's he doing?

Well, he's still alive. He's been eating a little, but I'm not sure he'll recover. When I came home yesterday I found him at the back of the tank about two inches from the top. Not exactly the place I would expect to find him. He did come back down and moved to the front after a little while. It just makes me wonder if dotty is chasing him around when I'm not there to chase her away.

[joy13]

My first thought is why catch the fish just to kill it WHY? The fish has messed up fins which can be from being nipped by other fish when you aren't looking or even it trying to get under a rock that it just don't fit under. With proper water quality and food the fish should do just fine. I got what the store labeled as a candycane goby (which I still believe is a wheeler goby) and its fins were a mess 2 months ago, yesterday I was looking at him and I couldn't believe how well they are doing now. I don't know if he was being picked on at that the store or if the crushed coral had anything to do with it. He is in a 24 gallon tank and I change out a total of 7 gallons a week. A 4 gallon water change and a couple of gallon water changes per week. It take 5 minutes to do a water change to keep the water top notch but it is well worth it. I will probably back it down to a 3 gallon and a couple gallon water changes for a total of 5 gallons per week.

Now for my two cents get rid of the dotty back unless you want only that fish in the tank I don't know which dotty back you have but I have heard that neon dotty backs actually have harassed damsels to death.

It really sounds like a combination of bad water quality and fish harassment. Both solvable without killing a the goby.

[TeamTrash]

Originally Posted by tjm80

Dottybacks... I had one for a few days... I honestly don't think a damsel could be any worse....

I have to admit I love my dottyback. She was my second fish and, while she seems to have it out for the goby, she's been pretty good about leaving other new critters alone. I just wish I had been able to get a pistol shrimp with the goby so that somebody would have his back while I'm at work.

[TeamTrash]

Originally Posted by joy13

My first thought is why catch the fish just to kill it WHY? The fish has messed up fins which can be from being nipped by other fish when you aren't looking or even it trying to get under a rock that it just don't fit under. With proper water quality and food the fish should do just fine. I got what the store labeled as a candycane goby (which I still believe is a wheeler goby) and its fins were a mess 2 months ago, yesterday I was looking at him and I couldn't believe how well they are doing now. I don't know if he was being picked on at that the store or if the crushed coral had anything to do with it. He is in a 24 gallon tank and I change out a total of 7 gallons a week. A 4 gallon water change and a couple of gallon water changes per week. It take 5 minutes to do a water change to keep the water top notch but it is well worth it. I will probably back it down to a 3 gallon and a couple gallon water changes for a total of 5 gallons per week.

Now for my two cents get rid of the dotty back unless you want only that fish in the tank I don't know which dotty back you have but I have heard that neon dotty backs actually have harassed damsels to death.

It really sounds like a combination of bad water quality and fish harassment. Both solvable without killing a the goby.

First, I do five gallon water changes every week (I have a 28 G tank). I also have a protein skimmer and a canister filter. My water parameters are: Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate 5. I DID have an ammonia spike over two days as my old HOB filter died before my new canister filter was fully cycled (or whatever you call it). So, for two days my ammonia was at 0.25. I did water changes both days, which is probably why it didn't get any higher. I lost a couple of corals, and this is when I noticed that the goby was starting to do worse (it had been in the tank for a week w/out issues) and that the dottyback was harassing him. I have seen the goby several times with his fins all out, and I can tell that he's getting worse. I hate that there doesn't seem to be anything I can do, which is why I initially asked if it would be okay to medicate the entire tank with medication against fin rot.

As for the dottyback, she is a bi-colored one, and she does not bother my chromie, clown, fire shrimp, arrow crab, or anything else in the tank. Every fish is different.

[TeamTrash]

Breaks my heart

[TeamTrash]

Hmmm maybe he'll make it. He has been actively feeding and even scared off dotty. Crossing my fingers and going to the lfs to see what they recommend.