Goby scratching on rock?

[captain_jimmy]

EDIT: re-uploaded video and added a second video and more info in post #4 below

Hi there

Just came home from a work trip and was feeding my tank and noticed my goby doing this while all the water movement is off.

I've never seen him do this before.

Video (apologies for quality, snapped as fast as possible):

 

[captain_jimmy]

Attached vid again as it didn't seem to work?

 

[andiesreef]

the video isn't loading but it could be a number of things irritating the fish. it's happened in cases of ich for me personally. i would try to figure out if it is sick. if it's sick i would try to get some high-quality food into its system (live if you can get it) or if you're into qting you could do that too and medicate.

 

[captain_jimmy]

OK got video to work

scratching video above.

breathing video below (seems normal? i can't really tell tbh). I can't see any spots on him but will have another look...

A little more info, I haven't added anything for around 2 weeks, last things I added were some corals.
This Goby and a clownfish are my only fish and have been in the tank for 2 or so months with no problems.
Goby is eating, he macked a bunch of pellets a couple of minutes before this and ate some frozen mysis shrimp this morning.

 

[captain_jimmy]

the video isn't loading but it could be a number of things irritating the fish. it's happened in cases of ich for me personally. i would try to figure out if it is sick. if it's sick i would try to get some high-quality food into its system (live if you can get it) or if you're into qting you could do that too and medicate.

Thanks for the reply, i have gotten the vids working now. needed to do it from PC not phone.

 

[captain_jimmy]

Hi bumping as I'm basically having a panic attack about this

 

[andiesreef]

Hi bumping as I'm basically having a panic attack about this

i still can't see the video... do you have a youtube link? i believe i've been in your situation before

 

[captain_jimmy]

i still can't see the video... do you have a youtube link? i believe i've been in your situation before

Oh darn I can see it.
Ok vids here:

Breathing -
Scratching - https://youtube.com/shorts/jW3Nqefj7RE?feature=share

 

[andiesreef]

Oh darn I can see it.
Ok vids here:

Breathing -
Scratching - https://youtube.com/shorts/jW3Nqefj7RE?feature=share

i don't exactly know what that is. it's not like the scratching my fish did when they got ich. is it eating? what do you feed it? tankmates and size?

 

[Goaway]

Could be flukes. Videos don't play for me sadly.

 

[Goaway]

Also, does he twitch his head? That's big sign of flukes.

 

[captain_jimmy]

I feed frozen mysis, tdo chroma boost pellets and today fed some flakes I don't usually use.

Also add oyster feast and phyto feast. Added some zooplankton today too.

I don't see any white spots on him. I will look again tomorrow under white lights as it's a bit hard to tell under blues.

I was looking at him this afternoon thinking he is looking grand then he had a big feed then I noticed this.

 

[andiesreef]

I feed frozen mysis, tdo chroma boost pellets and today fed some flakes I don't usually use.

Also add oyster feast and phyto feast. Added some zooplankton today too.

I don't see any white spots on him. I will look again tomorrow under white lights as it's a bit hard to tell under blues.

I was looking at him this afternoon thinking he is looking grand then he had a big feed then I noticed this.

i'd look into flukes maybe. i'm not of much help and it could be nothing. best of luck, keep us updated!

 

[captain_jimmy]

There is a YouTube link here If you have a moment to check it out.

Goby scratching

youtube.com

I will do some fluke research today, thanks for the reply.

 

[Frizzy reefnewb]

My goby was breathing like that in the beginning and scratching against the sand I’ve always had ich in my tank ...I increased his feeding made sure he ate ALOT and 2 weeks later he has stopped I’m no pro but it seems if you keep them fat and as long as they are eating he can pull through good luck

 

[captain_jimmy]

Ok I just gave a nice feed of frozen mysis and popped on white lights to check him out closely.

I'm pretty sure I see white spots on his fins.

He ate a few shrimp and then went back up the rocks like yesterday but didn't run this time, just hung out for a bit.

He's also cruising up and down the glass which he hasn't done since I first got him.

Haha also I was looking into his cave last night with a red torch and I discovered why I haven't seen many hermit crabs lately, I think he is collecting them and stashing them in the back of his cave

 

[Goaway]

I'm probably wrong, that doesn't look like ich. Let alone velvet.
You didn't exactly say he was twitching his head. But flukes can cause serious issues. Injuries can get infected.

 

[andiesreef]

My goby was breathing like that in the beginning and scratching against the sand I’ve always had ich in my tank ...I increased his feeding made sure he ate ALOT and 2 weeks later he has stopped I’m no pro but it seems if you keep them fat and as long as they are eating he can pull through good luck

with ich (if this is ich) you can either quarantine + medicate or manage it. quarantine does eradicate the disease but requires a fallow period. quarantine arguably weakens the immune system of the fish so if for any reason fallow fails (which it does sometimes) you are back at square 1.

or you can manage it. i know some people feed their fish lots of frozen food or even live food full of beneficial, living bacteria, and have their fish pull through with arguably a stronger immune system. it's up to you which one to go for, but personally if this was ich i would try and see if the fish is eating and could make it on its own and if it declines pull it out to qt. good luck.

 

[captain_jimmy]

with ich (if this is ich) you can either quarantine + medicate or manage it. quarantine does eradicate the disease but requires a fallow period. quarantine arguably weakens the immune system of the fish so if for any reason fallow fails (which it does sometimes) you are back at square 1.

or you can manage it. i know some people feed their fish lots of frozen food or even live food full of beneficial, living bacteria, and have their fish pull through with arguably a stronger immune system. it's up to you which one to go for, but personally if this was ich i would try and see if the fish is eating and could make it on its own and if it declines pull it out to qt. good luck.

Thank you for this information, very helpful.

He is still eating reasonably well.

Couple of questions...

If this is flukes or ICH and I were to leave my goby in my DT and see if he can pull through is there a chance that this will spread to my clownfish or any other fish I add?

If he survives does that mean the parasites are dead/eradicated or does it mean he still has them but he is just able to survive with them.

I guess I am asking if I leave him in my DT will I be making problems for myself down the line. I was just about to put in an order for 5x quarantined wrasse I want to add all together and would feel awful if I introduce them to an environment that makes them sick.

 

[captain_jimmy]

with ich (if this is ich) you can either quarantine + medicate or manage it. quarantine does eradicate the disease but requires a fallow period. quarantine arguably weakens the immune system of the fish so if for any reason fallow fails (which it does sometimes) you are back at square 1.

or you can manage it. i know some people feed their fish lots of frozen food or even live food full of beneficial, living bacteria, and have their fish pull through with arguably a stronger immune system. it's up to you which one to go for, but personally if this was ich i would try and see if the fish is eating and could make it on its own and if it declines pull it out to qt. good luck.

Thank you for this information, very helpful.

He is still eating reasonably well.

Couple of questions...

If this is flukes or ICH and I were to leave my goby in my DT and see if he can pull through is there a chance that this will spread to my clownfish or any other fish I add?

If he survives does that mean the parasites are dead/eradicated or does it mean he still has them but he is just able to survive with them.

I guess I am asking if I leave him in my DT will I be making problems for myself down the line. I was just about to put in an order for 5x quarantined wrasse I want to add all together and would feel awful if I introduce them to an environment that makes them sick.