Please help with starving issue-my Mandarin Goby

[anymanusa]

I have had a beautiful Mandarin Goby for more than a year, it shares a 72 gallon bowfront tank with a single Pajama fish, snails, hermit crabs, and a cleaner shrimp. Over the last year it seems to be getting thinner and thinner, and it's not very good at catching the brine that I put in the tank every night during feeding.

I used to have a TON of copepods in the tank, in the filters, etc. but it seems like something happened to the water chemistry about 8 months ago that made for a lot less copepods. The tank and water is probably 3-4 years old, I NEVER exhange water, but only add distilled water one gallon a week.

The substrate is sterile playsand from Home depot. Anyway, I think my Goby is hurting for food, and I don't want him to get any thinner, what should I do?

Can I buy copepod populations and add to my tank?

Suggestions appreciated.

thanks,

Kris

 

[Sadielynn]

See if you can find some pods in a bottle. I know that www.flordiapets.com sells them you just may need to boost it with adding some ....Or see if some one local has macro algea they can give you it is usually filled with pods , it just may be enough to get you threw till you can order some.... Then if possible set up a small like2.5 gallon tank to breed your own .. run it like a fuge

 

[roka64]

I would think of doing a PWC. That will replenish the depleted trace elements. What are your water parameters?

 

[anymanusa]

I would think of doing a PWC. That will replenish the depleted trace elements. What are your water parameters?

I don't see how a PWC would replenish depleted trace elements, unless I am missing something here... I've added one gallon of distilled water every week for nearly four years, never "changing" the water. The lfs said that nothing looked out of range, and my home test kit showed everything to be acceptable...

I did have some PAINTED rock in the tank for a year, that I didn't know was painted until the snails started eating the paint off of it. I removed nearly all of it.

I know most tests are going to miss poisons from painted rock or other types of fish/life inhibitors, but right now things seem to be very 'ordinary', except for the fact that the copepods are few and far between, unlike just a few years ago.

I DO regularily OVERFEED in an attempt to make food available for the Mandarin Goby, who doesn't seem to be able to feed on brine unless it almost falls into his mouth.

I know overfeeding is a no-no, but this is where I'm at right now.

All suggestions welcomed. Thanks

P.S. I don't protein skim, I have a large pump/filter mainly for circulation, and large particulate filtration, and a small pump/filter for cleaning the water.

 

[Sadielynn]

All things in your tank will remove the elements from your water . A water change accomplishes 2 main things it replenishes the elements that your living things draw from it ,and removes fish waste (think of peeing in a bucket for months it doesnt go away it just builds) same thing for the fish the pee and poo in the water wich will build up over time and may prevent the pods from staying healthy .... Since you over feed this will also remove some of the build ups from the over feeding of which will eventually break down like this . Ammonia rise , fall NitrIte rise fall, NitrAtes rise ,and phosphates will also rise causing issues with algae at some point ....

The lfs said that nothing looked out of range

This is just a scary comment have they tested your water , seen your tank ? Then what can they base that on ....?
In these small eyco systems we must do what mother nature would ordinarily do wich is keep the pollutions diluted .

I know most tests are going to miss poisons from painted rock or other types of fish/life inhibitors, but right now things seem to be very 'ordinary', except for the fact that the copepods are few and far between, unlike just a few years ago.

This is signaling that there is something more going on perhaps a poisioning , have you sprayed anything near the tank , stuck hands in that may have had a residue on them .... something dropped into the tank by a child ? Pehaps you need to add some more live rock ??? Maybe there is not enough surface for them to copopulate since the removal of the rock ? Most paint is non toxic when dried since lead is nolonger used in the making of paint .

 

[Devilishturtles]

I agree with the others. You likely have nitrates that are through the roof. Copepods are sensitive creatures. Like Sadielynn and roka said, water changes replenish lost trace elements. Your tank likely has low calcium, high levels of some metals that can build up, high nitrates, etc. Try water changes, atelast once a month, and you may see your pod population come back.

 

[Sadielynn]

I forgot to say your top off water does not carry the trace elements that the salt has in it which can only be found in salt mix
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/5/aafeature2/view?searchterm=trace elements

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/10/aafeature/view?searchterm=water changes

 

[melosu58]

I don't see how a PWC would replenish depleted trace elements, unless I am missing something here... I've added one gallon of distilled water every week for nearly four years, never "changing" the water. The lfs said that nothing looked out of range, and my home test kit showed everything to be acceptable...

This is the problem. IMO PWC`s must be made for two reasons mentioned above. Test kits dont monitor the 89 different salts that are found in marine salt water. All these are depleted through Fish and coral basic needs through skimming and GAC and other various ways. The only way to replenish them is PWC`s. And as also mentioned it will dilute the DOC`s in the water that obviously caused the demise of your pods. They do sell pods but they will meet the same fate as the ones you had before. IMO Only PWC`s will change your situation.

 

[anymanusa]

I don't see how a PWC would replenish depleted trace elements, unless I am missing something here... I've added one gallon of distilled water every week for nearly four years, never "changing" the water. The lfs said that nothing looked out of range, and my home test kit showed everything to be acceptable...

This is the problem. IMO PWC`s must be made for two reasons mentioned above. Test kits dont monitor the 89 different salts that are found in marine salt water. All these are depleted through Fish and coral basic needs through skimming and GAC and other various ways. The only way to replenish them is PWC`s. And as also mentioned it will dilute the DOC`s in the water that obviously caused the demise of your pods. They do sell pods but they will meet the same fate as the ones you had before. IMO Only PWC`s will change your situation.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I will do a PWC for the first time ever, and add some new salt per your recommendations. I have also purchased a frozen stick of 'pods, as my lfs told me that it was a good way to supplement.

 

[melosu58]

My suggestion would be to do a 20 gallon PWC since you`ve never done that before. That should help start replenish your trace elements while not messing up your water chemistry. Good Luck

 

[steve r]

also besides the PWC's if you are getting your mandarin to eat brine at all you can do a few things to make this better and easier.

1) if this is live brine add selcon or phyto to the water the live brine are swimming in. they will eat what you added. this makes them have more nutrional value. brine are not a very good food source

2) if it is frozen, soak the food in selcon or another supplement

3) mix some brine and mysis shrimp together. mysis is the prefered small food. if the mandarin eats brine you may be able to get him to understand mysis is also food

4) turn all your pumps off when you feed. the food will settle and the mandarin can pick the food of rocks or the sand like it would naturally with out it blowing all over the tank

5) feed in the same place. your fish will come to understand that what is dropped in on area of the tank is food

i followed the above steps and my mandarin eats frozen mysis shrimp with the rest the tanks mates every other day.

good luck

steve r

 

[daebjosd]

I would do some water changes, just to remove products of metabolisms of all the creatures in the tank.
Also, I see it everywhere, that brine (adult) is sort of junk food, just tastes good, mysis has more nutritional value.

I have mandarins and scooter blennies (both of dragonet family) for a 3 months only, started making them "mandarin diner", as described on Melev's Reef, now just dropping food near the head, water flow and filtration off, 2-3 times daily.
What they are eating: mix of parts of frozen cubes of Marine Cuisine or Marine Diet, mysis shrimp of different sizes (smallest - Kordon, then Hikari or San Fransisco Bay), very little of plankton and smallest piece of brine shrimp for a taste.