Is my new YWG dying ?

[MnFish1]

I see many advantages, but I could be wrong. First, he is not glass surfing like a maniac. When doing that, he is spending energy while not ingesting food to replenish what calories he is losing. In the breeder box he is forced to rest.

Second, he doesn’t have to look for food as it will be placed right in his face. I have never seen him even look for food.

Third, he looks pretty beat up and I can’t know for sure if one of my fish is harassing him. Now he is safe.

You may be right though and maybe he needs to be let in the tank to settle in, but he’s been in there for 8 days already and he is not adjusting.

I’d like him to fatten up and heal before I let him go. He’ll be monitored frequently.

Good - As long as he is not looking stressed (more stressed). Good luck!!!

 

[Idech]

I found what he likes to eat. Frozen, only frozen. He needs to be spoon fed, practically in his mouth. He will take what’s dangling from the pipette so it needs very precise handling, lol !

It might be wishful thinking, but I believe he looks better, more alert and lively, with bigger eyes (more open). And less skinny.

eta : please excuse the windex pictures. I don’t want to stress him out by turning on the lights too bright.

 

[Idech]

@Julbra how long did you keep yours in the box ? My box is really small, about the size of a pound of butter. I think this fish will need rehabilitation for maybe a month or two, ideally. I want him to be healthy and strong before going back to the real world with the meanies.

So I’m wondering if I should set up a temporary 5 gallons for him ? I’d keep him in the box until he can eat the food when it floats around, then transfer him for the rest of his rehab.

Or am I overthinking this ? I just don’t want to put him back and see him revert to glass surfing, or keep him in the box too long and get him even more depressed.

 

[Julbra]

I found what he likes to eat. Frozen, only frozen. He needs to be spoon fed, practically in his mouth. He will take what’s dangling from the pipette so it needs very precise handling, lol !

It might be wishful thinking, but I believe he looks better, more alert and lively, with bigger eyes (more open). And less skinny.

eta : please excuse the windex pictures. I don’t want to stress him out by turning on the lights too bright.

@Julbra how long did you keep yours in the box ? My box is really small, about the size of a pound of butter. I think this fish will need rehabilitation for maybe a month or two, ideally. I want him to be healthy and strong before going back to the real world with the meanies.

So I’m wondering if I should set up a temporary 5 gallons for him ? I’d keep him in the box until he can eat the food when it floats around, then transfer him for the rest of his rehab.

Or am I overthinking this ? I just don’t want to put him back and see him revert to glass surfing, or keep him in the box too long and get him even more depressed.

Ours was in the acclimation box through 4 weeks of QT and then 2 more weeks in DT to bond him with the tiger pistol shrimp. He uses very little space in the DT now, rarely leaves the burrow.

I don’t think YWG need a lot of space to feel happy but they really like having some sort of burrow to feel safe.

 

[Idech]

Little guy is eating but looks depressed. I’d like to set him free in the DT but I don’t think he would last long.

I ordered a Seachem alert badge that I will get tomorrow. I’ll set up a 5 gallons for him, with some dirty filter floss and his rock. I wish I had some leftover sand. Maybe I’ll get a little bit from the tank. And a snail to go with it.

I think it’s the best way to make him healthy. I don’t think he will make it otherwise.

 

[Julbra]

Little guy is eating but looks depressed. I’d like to set him free in the DT but I don’t think he would last long.

I ordered a Seachem alert badge that I will get tomorrow. I’ll set up a 5 gallons for him, with some dirty filter floss and his rock. I wish I had some leftover sand. Maybe I’ll get a little bit from the tank. And a snail to go with it.

I think it’s the best way to make him healthy. I don’t think he will make it otherwise.

As long as he doesn’t look stressed and he is eating I wouldn’t overthink it. Moving him again might stress him more than it’s worth. What signs make you think he is depressed?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Little guy is eating but looks depressed. I’d like to set him free in the DT but I don’t think he would last long.

I ordered a Seachem alert badge that I will get tomorrow. I’ll set up a 5 gallons for him, with some dirty filter floss and his rock. I wish I had some leftover sand. Maybe I’ll get a little bit from the tank. And a snail to go with it.

I think it’s the best way to make him healthy. I don’t think he will make it otherwise.

They always look bored

 

[Julbra]

They always look bored

They really do. The inverted smile perma grumpy look doesn’t help.

 

[Idech]

As long as he doesn’t look stressed and he is eating I wouldn’t overthink it. Moving him again might stress him more than it’s worth. What signs make you think he is depressed?

He is not moving and showing very little interest for the food. He seems to have no interest in life. I know it’s a subjective opinion but I’ve had fish in isolation in small tanks and they were never like that.

Anyways, I couldn’t stand it anymore so I moved him. Reason more to, the suction cups weren’t holding anymore and I had to remove the lid to lighten the weight. He could have gone out if he wanted to. In fact he did when I tried to move him, but went straight to the same place, glass surfing again. I got him back easily.

Here he is in his new appartment. He is active and moving a lot, but I haven’t seen him glass surf so far. Fingers crossed.

 

[TWYOUNG]

I added an aquacultured YWG to my tank almost 3 months ago and I've seen him THREE TIMES since. He's tiny, <1" long so can easily hide amongst 100 lbs of rock. No sure when or what he eats but I suppose it doesn't take much to sustain him. When I have seen him it's usually after lights out.

 

[Idech]

I added an aquacultured YWG to my tank almost 3 months ago and I've seen him THREE TIMES since. He's tiny, <1" long so can easily hide amongst 100 lbs of rock. No sure when or what he eats but I suppose it doesn't take much to sustain him. When I have seen him it's usually after lights out.

I wish mine would go and hide but he just likes to glass surf. I wonder if he is a little bit retarded, or just very ill. In his new tank he just stays in the corner opposite where I put his old rock and new, bigger one.

Very odd fish, I’m not sure what to think anymore.

 

[Idech]

I put it back in the DT after almost two weeks in the 5 gallons resting tank. He was eating well and chasing food, his fins are pretty much repaired and he is a lot more energetic.

I’ve done what I could to help, now he has to do the rest. I put him in at 9 pm, to help with acclimation. Hopefully he found a spot he liked on the ground and will stay put.

When (if) he has been doing well for a while, I will get him a shrimp partner.

 

[TWYOUNG]

I put it back in the DT after almost two weeks in the 5 gallons resting tank. He was eating well and chasing food, his fins are pretty much repaired and he is a lot more energetic.

I’ve done what I could to help, now he has to do the rest. I put him in at 9 pm, to help with acclimation. Hopefully he found a spot he liked on the ground and will stay put.

When (if) he has been doing well for a while, I will get him a shrimp partner.

How big is he? I'm not sure a shrimp would know what to do with my little 1" guy.

 

[Idech]

How big is he? I'm not sure a shrimp would know what to do with my little 1" guy.

2 inches more or less. I think he’s adult size, but still skinny.

 

[Idech]

@Julbra @vetteguy53081 here is an update. Please tell me if you think it will get better.

The YWG is not surfing the glass, but it’s being chased by the Allen’s damsel (a generally pacific damsel, unlike most of them). So it’s staying high up in one corner of the tank, slowly moving it’s tail fin to stay in place.

I used a long pipette twice to gently make him move to the ground. And it does, but it stays in plain sight instead of hiding in the multitude of caves in the rocks. So the damsel sees him, chases him and he goes right back in the corner.

This must be very tiring and I don’t think he can last days like this. This morning I made sure to put food near him and I believe he ate. So that’s good.

I’m not sure rehoming is a good option, as the same thing will likely happen in any other tank. I only have 6 fish and they are mostly nice. He just doesn’t have the reflex to hide. It seems like he is not capable of adapting to aquarium living with other fish.

Having another tank just for him isn’t an option. What should I do ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

@Julbra @vetteguy53081 here is an update. Please tell me if you think it will get better.

The YWG is not surfing the glass, but it’s being chased by the Allen’s damsel (a generally pacific damsel, unlike most of them). So it’s staying high up in one corner of the tank, slowly moving it’s tail fin to stay in place.

I used a long pipette twice to gently make him move to the ground. And it does, but it stays in plain sight instead of hiding in the multitude of caves in the rocks. So the damsel sees him, chases him and he goes right back in the corner.

This must be very tiring and I don’t think he can last days like this. This morning I made sure to put food near him and I believe he ate. So that’s good.

I’m not sure rehoming is a good option, as the same thing will likely happen in any other tank. I only have 6 fish and they are mostly nice. He just doesn’t have the reflex to hide. It seems like he is not capable of adapting to aquarium living with other fish.

Having another tank just for him isn’t an option. What should I do ?

Staying out is ok and these are bottom dwellers and rarely come to the top unless its distresses-hungry-low oxygen
Sounds to me in part- its intimidated by the damsel and you may have to separate the damsel or isolate it for a week or two

 

[jabberwock]

This is a tough situation. I am a fan of "Mr. McGrumpy Pants" aka "Yellow Watchman Goby". your is tiny and was obviously getting bullied judging by the tattered fins. We do not always observe aggression. That does not mean it does not happen. The only potential mistake I saw was when it was in "hospital" it did not have any sand. YWG NEED sand. At this point, I would keep him in DT and put the Damsel in the acclimation box for awhile. Move some rocks around to create a couple ideal hiding spots for the YWG, and give him time to learn them before releasing the Damsel. Good luck!

 

[Idech]

This is a tough situation. I am a fan of "Mr. McGrumpy Pants" aka "Yellow Watchman Goby". your is tiny and was obviously getting bullied judging by the tattered fins. We do not always observe aggression. That does not mean it does not happen. The only potential mistake I saw was when it was in "hospital" it did not have any sand. YWG NEED sand. At this point, I would keep him in DT and put the Damsel in the acclimation box for awhile. Move some rocks around to create a couple ideal hiding spots for the YWG, and give him time to learn them before releasing the Damsel. Good luck!

Yeah, I know, I should have put sand in there but I had none left and didn’t want to take from the DT.

Catching the damsel with all the rocks is unfortunately impossible without taking the whole rock structure out of the tank. The damsel sleeps in the rocks so I can’t just grab it while it’s sleeping.

Maybe I can set up a trap, as the damsel is a real piglet. Then I would just keep him in the 5 gallons for a while. I’ll see what I can find online about a trap.

 

[Bolek]

Had faced similar situations and often worked for me to get the aggressor to the trap - and stay it there for 2-3 days, when the weaker fish feels more secure and find home. The only problem I had/have with Hawkfish which I cannot catch, does not go into my trap

 

[Idech]

I made a trap. Not sure if it’s big enough. I tried to put frozen and flakes in it but it flies away so the fish don’t need to go in to eat it. Tomorrow I’ll try a small piece of salmon; it’s heavier so it should stay in the bottle.