Disappearing Goby?

[Hornet]

Hi all,

Before starting my aquarium I fell in love with the black ray gobies, so a while back I bought a pistolshrimp/black ray goby pair (my first fish). The person in the store told me the gobies can jump, so she advised me to add a hopstop to my aquarium since I had no lid. Sadly the fish still jumped and I sadly found him dead on the floor. A few days later I was able to buy a new one, but this time put glass on top of my aquarium. I released him/her into my aquarium and it found the shrimp pretty quick and that all seemed to go fine. Except that I haven't seen the fish for over a month now. I see the shrimp all the time, he comes near the entrace of his home to get some food when I feed, but I never see the goby with him. The last time I did see the goby he was eating.

I know they can be shy, but I understood that, since the goby is the one with the good eyesight, the goby is the one watching out. Is it possible that he is still just scared and just in hiding the whole time and that the shrimp brings him his food? I feel kinda stupid for asking this ^.^'. I just really wish I could check on him some way but I have no idea how. I only have a hermit crab besides these two, and he seems to be doing good, he has molted and changed shells a few times.

 

[Jaebster]

The shrimp usually wont come out if its paired up with a goby. I have a feeling the goby isnt with the shrimp so the shrimp has no choice but to come out to feed. I have a feeling your goby is not in the tank. Sorry. Btw, check your sump, maybe he found his way there, hopefully.

 

[Hornet]

The shrimp usually wont come out if its paired up with a goby. I have a feeling the goby isnt with the shrimp so the shrimp has no choice but to come out to feed. I have a feeling your goby is not in the tank. Sorry. Btw, check your sump, maybe he found his way there, hopefully.

Thanks for the reply. Sadly I know for sure he is not in the sump.

 

[moz71]

Yes check everywhere. I just went though 2 watchman gobies. Both found the smallest hole in my top to jump though. The last one was no more than a quarter inch. I have read about them finding the smallest holes but really took first hand experience to believe it. Check sump, every inch of floor around it etc. if it did find floor probably super dried up now. Sorry.

 

[Hornet]

Yes check everywhere. I just went though 2 watchman gobies. Both found the smallest hole in my top to jump though. The last one was no more than a quarter inch. I have read about them finding the smallest holes but really took first hand experience to believe it. Check sump, every inch of floor around it etc. if it did find floor probably super dried up now. Sorry.

I thought I had the tank covered pretty good, but then maybe not good enough. Thanks for the reply.

 

[moz71]

Also. if you have any other pets (dogs cats) you may not find at all since it is a tasty treat to them. often heard and makes sense.

 

[MamaP]

Hi all,

Before starting my aquarium I fell in love with the black ray gobies, so a while back I bought a pistolshrimp/black ray goby pair (my first fish). The person in the store told me the gobies can jump, so she advised me to add a hopstop to my aquarium since I had no lid. Sadly the fish still jumped and I sadly found him dead on the floor. A few days later I was able to buy a new one, but this time put glass on top of my aquarium. I released him/her into my aquarium and it found the shrimp pretty quick and that all seemed to go fine. Except that I haven't seen the fish for over a month now. I see the shrimp all the time, he comes near the entrace of his home to get some food when I feed, but I never see the goby with him. The last time I did see the goby he was eating.

I know they can be shy, but I understood that, since the goby is the one with the good eyesight, the goby is the one watching out. Is it possible that he is still just scared and just in hiding the whole time and that the shrimp brings him his food? I feel kinda stupid for asking this ^.^'. I just really wish I could check on him some way but I have no idea how. I only have a hermit crab besides these two, and he seems to be doing good, he has molted and changed shells a few times.

I actually am wondering the same about mine. I put my diamond goby in the DT finally, after his month in QT, a week ago and haven't seen him since the first night. He immediately took to a nice cave and started "cleaning" out some sand... unfortunately it was my royal gramma's cave. No one picked at him, and I put other fish in at the same time - no tank bullies. That first night, the RG just looked at him like "what the heck, dude?!?"

I've been looking for him, even with a flashlight after lights out and saw the RG sleeping in his cave like normal. I even picked up a couple rocks in the front, but he's nowhere to be found, and the sand doesn't seem to be getting moved anywhere.

I do have a tight-fitting glass top and put the plastic backing on with just barely enough cut out space for my intake and flow tubing. He never tried jumping throughout the entire QT process - had the same set up there.

I do have extensive rockwork in there with plenty of hiding spots, and it's only been a week and a half, but he doesn't even come out at feeding time, which is why I'm concerned, b/c he never missed a meal in QT.

I don't have a sump, only a canister filter. Is it too early to be concerned, or should I start crawling under the tank with a flashlight to try and get to the back to look for a corpse?

 

[Hornet]

I actually am wondering the same about mine. I put my diamond goby in the DT finally, after his month in QT, a week ago and haven't seen him since the first night. He immediately took to a nice cave and started "cleaning" out some sand... unfortunately it was my royal gramma's cave. No one picked at him, and I put other fish in at the same time - no tank bullies. That first night, the RG just looked at him like "what the heck, dude?!?"

I've been looking for him, even with a flashlight after lights out and saw the RG sleeping in his cave like normal. I even picked up a couple rocks in the front, but he's nowhere to be found, and the sand doesn't seem to be getting moved anywhere.

I do have a tight-fitting glass top and put the plastic backing on with just barely enough cut out space for my intake and flow tubing. He never tried jumping throughout the entire QT process - had the same set up there.

I do have extensive rockwork in there with plenty of hiding spots, and it's only been a week and a half, but he doesn't even come out at feeding time, which is why I'm concerned, b/c he never missed a meal in QT.

I don't have a sump, only a canister filter. Is it too early to be concerned, or should I start crawling under the tank with a flashlight to try and get to the back to look for a corpse?

I still havent found it, and picked up all the rocks I have available, so I am afraid mine's just disappeared. The shrimp has moved places a few times and is doing good.
I hope you are able to find yours and that it is just in hiding somewhere, sorry I can't be of more help.