Citron Goby not eating or swimming

[JayFish4004]

Thanks - a picture does replace 1000 words. I'm going to phone a friend LOL.

My opinion - a neurologic issue (due perhaps to rapid salinity change) - or a fluke issue (but I'm not at all sure why that would suddenly come on with shipping - or - injury during shipping.

Have you tried turning your flow pumps off to see if it changes the behavior?

@vetteguy53081 @fishguy242 @Jay Hemdal

Now noticing some white marks showing up on his top fin and back fin - is this ich?

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[MnFish1]

I guess one more question - is the fish at the front of the tank - or are you filming him somehow from the back?

 

[MnFish1]

Now noticing some white marks showing up on his top fin and back fin - is this ich?

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To me - no - it does not - it looks more like lymphocystis - but it was just a quick glimpse. If I were to give you any advice for the future - while we work on this issue -

1. Follow the acclimation procedure of (company xxxx) to the letter - sometimes they use a lower salinity - if you suddenly increase it - problems can ensue
2. If you have the ability to get to a local fish store(where you can observe the fish for a time) - or the ability to get fish from a quarantined source. @Dr. Reef or others - do that. Or (but I think you said it would be hard for you to do it) - your own quarantine system. I know this sounds like a difficult task.

I just cannot believe that your fish - has developed a treatable disease in the time since you bought it (unless it was sold with the disease).

 

[JayFish4004]

I guess one more question - is the fish at the front of the tank - or are you filming him somehow from the back?

He’s kinda hanging out on the sides of the tank and then he’ll retreat to under the rock work.

 

[MnFish1]

By the way - I meant to ask are the white marks 'new'.
Lymphocyctis (I dont think) developed in 24 hours

 

[JayFish4004]

To me - no - it does not - it looks more like lymphocystis - but it was just a quick glimpse. If I were to give you any advice for the future - while we work on this issue -

1. Follow the acclimation procedure of (company xxxx) to the letter - sometimes they use a lower salinity - if you suddenly increase it - problems can ensue
2. If you have the ability to get to a local fish store(where you can observe the fish for a time) - or the ability to get fish from a quarantined source. @Dr. Reef or others - do that. Or (but I think you said it would be hard for you to do it) - your own quarantine system. I know this sounds like a difficult task.

I just cannot believe that your fish - has developed a treatable disease in the time since you bought it (unless it was sold with the disease).

I suspect he had this before they shipped it out to me - there’s a chance its salinity shock but I’ve been doing this awhile and haven’t lost a fish to acclimation since I was a little kid when I didn’t know any better on how to do it.

 

[JayFish4004]

By the way - I meant to ask are the white marks 'new'.
Lymphocyctis (I dont think) developed in 24 hours

Yep they are brand new as of this morning

 

[MnFish1]

I suspect he had this before they shipped it out to me - there’s a chance its salinity shock but I’ve been doing this awhile and haven’t lost a fish to acclimation since I was a little kid when I didn’t know any better on how to do it.

OK great - well - my recommendation remains the same - wait. a fish can survive for days without food (assuming its healthy) - I've been doing it a while too - and basically - I follow their instructions. If I buy a fish from an LFS - I do what you do. When you buy online - there could be a huge pH difference thus a huge free ammonia difference - thus a problem. Can you relate at all - to the issue that perhaps the problem is acclimation (and I dont mean that as an accusation - just - did you follow their acclimation). And no - I do not work for Liveaquaria

 

[JayFish4004]

OK great - well - my recommendation remains the same - wait. a fish can survive for days without food (assuming its healthy) - I've been doing it a while too - and basically - I follow their instructions. If I buy a fish from an LFS - I do what you do. When you buy online - there could be a huge pH difference thus a huge free ammonia difference - thus a problem. Can you relate at all - to the issue that perhaps the problem is acclimation (and I dont mean that as an accusation - just - did you follow their acclimation). And no - I do not work for Liveaquaria

Here’s their instructions - I did everything but the last part where they ask you to empty the bag to 50% a 2nd time and refill - I have never done this in my 20 years of fish keeping and haven’t lost a fish to acclimation. Not saying Im right and maybe that extra step wouldve helped - I can definitely do that moving forward.

Acclimation Procedure for Aquatic Life: Welcoming Home New Arrivals

You've invested valuable time and money researching the habitat requirements of the fish and corals you wish to house. Naturally, you want to protect this investment by executing a proper acclimation process once the specimens arrive at your door.

m.liveaquaria.com

if it is salinity or ph shock - can he recover or is he pretty toast if thats the case?

 

[JayFish4004]

To me - no - it does not - it looks more like lymphocystis - but it was just a quick glimpse. If I were to give you any advice for the future - while we work on this issue -

1. Follow the acclimation procedure of (company xxxx) to the letter - sometimes they use a lower salinity - if you suddenly increase it - problems can ensue
2. If you have the ability to get to a local fish store(where you can observe the fish for a time) - or the ability to get fish from a quarantined source. @Dr. Reef or others - do that. Or (but I think you said it would be hard for you to do it) - your own quarantine system. I know this sounds like a difficult task.

I just cannot believe that your fish - has developed a treatable disease in the time since you bought it (unless it was sold with the disease).

It feels very psychological like his brain is not all there - he seems very wobbly and confused. Could maybe a delivery driver dropping his package cause a trauma like this? Is there any hope for recovery?

 

[JayFish4004]

OK great - well - my recommendation remains the same - wait. a fish can survive for days without food (assuming its healthy) - I've been doing it a while too - and basically - I follow their instructions. If I buy a fish from an LFS - I do what you do. When you buy online - there could be a huge pH difference thus a huge free ammonia difference - thus a problem. Can you relate at all - to the issue that perhaps the problem is acclimation (and I dont mean that as an accusation - just - did you follow their acclimation). And no - I do not work for Liveaquaria

Looks like we’re losing him - now he’s extremely unstable and can only swim on his side

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[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It feels very psychological like his brain is not all there - he seems very wobbly and confused. Could maybe a delivery driver dropping his package cause a trauma like this? Is there any hope for recovery?

Hi, I looked this over and just wanted to add another possibility: these gobies are low value, cryptic fish. Collectors won’t spend time trying to catch them in hand nets, They typically use cyanide to drive them out of the coral. This causes latent health issues in some of the fish collected that way.
Jay

 

[JayFish4004]

Hi, I looked this over and just wanted to add another possibility: these gobies are low value, cryptic fish. Collectors won’t spend time trying to catch them in hand nets, They typically use cyanide to drive them out of the coral. This causes latent health issues in some of the fish collected that way.
Jay

Good to know - I feel terrible for him, I mean it may be possible I moved too quick on acclimation but I just dont think thats it. For now on Ill go double what I’ve normally done just to be safe. This is a horrible thing to witness.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Good to know - I feel terrible for him, I mean it may be possible I moved too quick on acclimation but I just dont think thats it. For now on Ill go double what I’ve normally done just to be safe. This is a horrible thing to witness.

It could be acclimation issues, or a combination of both.
If you test the salinity of the water in the shipping bag, you then know how different your tank is. I try to keep acclimation to less than 1.003 specific gravity units if it is a rise. Fish handle drops in salinity much better.
Jay

 

[JayFish4004]

It could be acclimation issues, or a combination of both.
If you test the salinity of the water in the shipping bag, you then know how different your tank is. I try to keep acclimation to less than 1.003 specific gravity units if it is a rise. Fish handle drops in salinity much better.
Jay

Unfortunately after 4 days of him being unable to swim and essentially comatose in a corner of the tank between the glass and the rock, somehow still surviving - I made the call to euthanize. Really tough day.

I will be hypervigilant moving forward as far as acclimating - also giving a new vendor a shot with some new arrivals tomorrow.

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

Unfortunately after 4 days of him being unable to swim and essentially comatose in a corner of the tank between the glass and the rock, somehow still surviving - I made the call to euthanize. Really tough day.

I will be hypervigilant moving forward as far as acclimating - also giving a new vendor a shot with some new arrivals tomorrow.

Sounds like the right call, and it was most likely not your fault at all, sometimes they just don’t work out.

 

[JayFish4004]

Added 6 fish yesterday - a new citron, purple firefish, 3 threadfin cardinals and a barnacle blenny. Already have a neon goby, pinkbar goby, pistol shrimp, tuxedo urchin and an assortment of LPS, Gorgs and a couple SPS at the top.

Took special care to measure salinity - they all came in at 1.019sg so took a little over an hour to get the bag close. So far so good.

Here’s a vid if interested:

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[MnFish1]

Best of luck

 

[JayFish4004]

Best of luck

Reefs4Less was the vendor I tried based on some comments around here and so far really impressed. All arrived alive and healthy. Citron is being a citron and taking his sweet time eating but he’s at least swimming and hanging on the glass and doing normal citron things.

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

Tank looks amazing, and I wish you the best of luck with the new fish!