Losing Diamodn Gobies in quarintine...

[Mike in CT]

Hi All,
Purchased first diamond goby 3 weeks ago. Added him to q tank (29 gallon w/PVC ) but he only lasted 1 day. Water was from display tank and tested good. I talked to a few people about it and I was told that's gobies can be in bad shape by the time they make it to the LFS and that the stress of going in my q tank finally did him in. 2 weeks ago I picked up another , looked nice and fat and added him to q tank with a small clown and 2 fire fish. For almost 2 weeks he ate like a pig (black worms, m shrimp, pellets..) getting to the point of anytime he saw me he would get excited and start swimming around waiting for the food. I thought I was golden on this one. Well 2 days ago he looked a bit wobbly in the tank, and then did not feed. Yesterday he could not even right himself and deteriorated until he was gone this morning. The other fish in quarantine showed no signs if problems and continued eating and are fine today. I had no sand in this q tank but was told as long as he was eating he would be fine for a few weeks. Is the stress from not being able to burrow causing/adding the demise of these fish? I also read they are happier in pairs. I think the only way I would add another sand sifter would to be to get a pair from divers den and add them directly to the display tank. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[saltyphish]

Do you drip acclimate? First one could have problems from before you purchased him. The 2nd one is hard to say, was he harassed by firefish? Pics are always helpful to diagnose.

 

[Mike in CT]

Yes I drip acclimated it. I did not get a picture of it but ii could not see any visible problems until the last day when his fins looked a bit beat up. I did not see any one pick on him and I saw him chase the others away at feeding time. When he started looking sick he was pretty much classic listless and heavy breathing.

 

[gpdno]

Sounds like he got beat up by one or more of the other fish. Personally, I have never quarantined more than two fish at a time, in the same tank and only then if they were both the same kind.

 

[Squishie89]

I would try a different source for fish, and also adding a container of sand. What other fish are in the QT at the moment?

 

[Mike in CT]

It's a 29 gallon quarantine tank. It was with a small occ clown, and 2 fire fish. I watched the tank and never saw any aggression except the goby would chase the other fish away if they came near any food he has his eye on. He was a pretty good size, almost 4 inches and the clown maybe one. I thought about adding a bowl of sand, but I read they just knock it all out in a day . When I had a Randall's goby in quarantine with a shrimp , I had sand in there but it was hard to keep clean and a pain to break down when I was done with it. I had a bunch of PVC pipe in there, although he preferred to hang out pretty much in the open anticipating feeding time.

 

[jmardis]

Took me 4 tries to gat a diamond gobie to live in the display tank. Keep trying sometimes they cab be hard to make your tank their home.

 

[Mike in CT]

Thanks for all your replies. Like I stated earlier, if I try again I think I will wait for a pair to show up on divers den and stick them right in the tank.

 

[Squishie89]

I just looked through my e-mails as I was going to suggest getting a divers den one, and they don't seem to stock that fish in the divers den =X However you could contact them and double check (I would suggest doing that than just waiting for it to possibly show up). Even if you got a divers den pair, I would not put them in the display. You are doing great by quarantining fish, don't mess it up!

 

[dbg]

I had the same problem with a diamond goby. It disappeared after being in my display for only 3 days. Since then, I have moved all the rocks, looked thoroughly in my sump and overflow, and all around the carpet surrounding the tank (no other animals in the house, so no one carried him away!!), and the goby is still MIA! I have no idea where he went...

Better luck next time for us, I guess?!

 

[Mike in CT]

Well I hope yours shows up somehow. I have had a really bad year with gobies. My first Randall's (with a shrimp ) came out of quarantine great, then jumped out while I had my glass hoop open to feed. He literally jump out while I was a foot away from the tank and I did not hear or see him. My 2nd Randall's came through quarantine only to jump out of the 1/4 inch space next to my outlet pipe. So I am 0 for 4 for gobies not counting my fire fish. I don't like to flush my fish do I have a bunch in the freezer waiting to be buried

 

[Squishie89]

I put my fish in containers, say some words, and put them in the trash. I too do not flush fish. I am so sorry about all your trouble with gobies! That is kind of crazy.

 

[Squishie89]

Blergh double post

 

[Triggreef]

If I were going to get more, I would qt in an established tank with sand only. That way if you treat with copper it won't really mess with your copper levels, & still keep the gobies happy.


I have 2 but they are in a fowlr & I treated the entire tank together.