Hunger Strike!

[6Bolt]

Hello Everyone,

So I received my Diamond Watchman Goby from LiveAquaria.com on Friday. He was properly acclimated using the drip method before placing him in my QT. I haven't started treating him for anything at this point. I wanted him to adjust to his new surroundings and eat before I started throwing drugs in there. I haven't added any other fish to the QT, so he will be alone for at least a few more days. He just hides in his pipe throughout the day, I have even checked on him to make sure he isn't dead. I've have tried pellets, Mysis Shrimp and even enticed him with garlic flavor Mysis(Yeah, he is spoiled), however he refuses to eat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Fun Facts:

Nitrate: 0
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 77.8 degrees
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Phosphate: 0

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Stress can be your biggest first hurdle in running a qt. This fish needs to find a comfort zone to start eating regularly. In your case I would add smaller pvc maybe some 1/2-3/4 elbows and a small sauce dish to hold sand to help alleviate some stress

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Vitamins are essential for the immune system so I thaw out all my frozen cubes with selcon and the fish love it

 

[6Bolt]

Stress can be your biggest first hurdle in running a qt. This fish needs to find a comfort zone to start eating regularly. In your case I would add smaller pvc maybe some 1/2-3/4 elbows and a small sauce dish to hold sand to help alleviate some stress

I will give that a try this evening and let you know how it turns out. Thanks!

 

[6Bolt]

Vitamins are essential for the immune system so I thaw out all my frozen cubes with selcon and the fish love it

I am not familiar with Selcon. I will pick some up from my LFS.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I am not familiar with Selcon. I will pick some up from my LFS.

It's great stuff when you get the fish eating again. I've saved a couple of fish using it in addition to good QT'ing.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/vitamins-herbal-remedies.304287/
Look here for more options and info by our own Fish Doc

 

[Coralfuture]

Diamond Goby is one of my favorite fish I have kept. Helpful hints I had great success with are that he LOVES SAND! Give him any amount of it and he should be much happier just so that he can move it around as he will move mountains in your tank. Once he has decided how to arrange the sand for the day he usually will come around and eat anything you decide to serve him. If he is being a goober ATM you may want to try live brine as it will at least get him eating tho its not really gonna be good for him way better than nothing. Then move on to w/e you like. This is how I did my 4 diamond gobys(there were some suicides in the past but 2 remain happy and healthy).....fun fact they can jump 5in+ out of the water and to the floor 8in tho they cannot jump...yet.

 

[6Bolt]

Diamond Goby is one of my favorite fish I have kept. Helpful hints I had great success with are that he LOVES SAND! Give him any amount of it and he should be much happier just so that he can move it around as he will move mountains in your tank. Once he has decided how to arrange the sand for the day he usually will come around and eat anything you decide to serve him. If he is being a goober ATM you may want to try live brine as it will at least get him eating tho its not really gonna be good for him way better than nothing. Then move on to w/e you like. This is how I did my 4 diamond gobys(there were some suicides in the past but 2 remain happy and healthy).....fun fact they can jump 5in+ out of the water and to the floor 8in tho they cannot jump...yet.

I gave him a tupperware filled with sand, changed the pvc piping size and still he just hides. I have a temporary cover over the QT tank as well

 

[Coralfuture]

Now we wait and I wish you luck!

 

[6Bolt]

Now we wait and I wish you luck!

Yes, it's very annoying that my new pet is being difficult

 

[SurfLife]

I had 2 of the same fish from the same vendor. They are great fish and are fun to watch. Unfortunately, even with 'egg crate' covering the entire top they both found ways to jump out and end up fish chips on the floor. Not looking to scare you, just want you be careful so yours don't end up like mine.

 

[6Bolt]

I had 2 of the same fish from the same vendor. They are great fish and are fun to watch. Unfortunately, even with 'egg crate' covering the entire top they both found ways to jump out and end up fish chips on the floor. Not looking to scare you, just want you be careful so yours don't end up like mine.

Was there a reason for the jumping out? Examples: Bullied, disturbed home, etc?

 

[6Bolt]

Well it looks like my new friend is making himself at home in my QT. The sand doesn't move by itself, and I sure didn't move any around

 

[SurfLife]

Was there a reason for the jumping out? Examples: Bullied, disturbed home, etc?

None that I was aware of. Nothing ever bothered them and they just spent the day eating sand. I had heard they could jump out and was thinking to myself, I probably don't have to worry about these, they seem settled into their new home. I put the egg crate on anyway, and THEN they decide to jump out.

 

[SurfLife]

Well it looks like my new friend is making himself at home in my QT. The sand doesn't move by itself, and I sure didn't move any around

Grats.. enjoy him!!

 

[Coralfuture]

Nice! They basically seem to go into a state of panic IME if they don't have sand to move. Should likely if not already start eating like a champ for ya! They are pretty hearty when they don't do suicide jumps for unprovoked reasons.

 

[Jesterrace]

I definitely agree that sand sifting is part of the problem. A Diamond Watchman Goby would go nuts in a bare bottom tank. They need the sand sifting as part of their diet as they sift organisms out of the sand and feed on them. In otherwords it's not getting a big part of the diet it needs. I also agree that they are super durable. Mine has been through all kinds of stuff in the last year I have had him. i.e. a tank transfer where I actually had to handle him in the process of the transfer to a tank with new unsettled sand, trying to catch him when he got too aggressive (and failing miserably), dealing with a fish that had ich, dealing with other aggressive fish that bullied the crap out of him (ie Flame Angel and Solar Fairy Wrasse).