Missing persons report: goby

kirstyflash · Jul 12, 2018

How long does he have to go missing for before I classify him as MIA and fill in the death certificate. I know it’s only been 48 hours but it’s a 10g tank, there aren’t that many hiding spots. And being a goby, yes I have checked the floor behind the tank, however if he landed at the front of the tank, my dog or cat could cleaned up the evidence. His pistol shrimp was still under the same rock, I was able to shift that rock without destroying the whole tank and sifted they the sand in the immediate area but no luck, and he’s not talking.
We introduced a peppermint shrimp three days ago and he hasn’t been seen since either. Should I suspect foul play? Murder suicide? Or maybe they ran off together...
I want answers but everyone is tight lipped...

hdsoftail1065 · Jul 12, 2018

Heavy interrogation will just cause them to clam up. Water boarding might work, but one suspect will probably be conditioned to this type of torture and kind of enjoy it. You might have to have a heart to heart and tell the other two to keeps their paws out of your tank.

Richie27 · Jul 12, 2018

look in your filter ours always goes missing and he ends up in a filter or the sump

Twisted_Blenny · Jul 12, 2018

my yellow watchman goby hid for 2 months before he finally started to come out. i wouldnt get the death certificate just yet lol

kirstyflash · Jul 12, 2018

Good ideas thanks! Will be looking into those options. In the mean time...another suspect has come to light. The royal gramma...’bobby’ has moved into their old basement apartment...not too unusual but why move to the basement when you’re living it up in the penthouse. He has something to hide...I know it!

kirstyflash · Jul 12, 2018

hdsoftail1065 said:
Heavy interrogation will just cause them to clam up. Water boarding might work, but one suspect will probably be conditioned to this type of torture and kind of enjoy it. You might have to have a heart to heart and tell the other two to keeps their paws out of your tank.

Funny thing...the dogs name is Paws. I have had a long discussion with her and she’s adamant the cat is involved. Interrogated the cat and she just looked at me slyly. She admitted to falling in the tank several times in the past and now has caused her a water phobia and ptsd. I must find the peppermint shrimp. He must have information...then there’s bobby

kirstyflash · Jul 13, 2018

Update: checked the whole sump (literally pulled it apart and put back together) no sign of him. Moved the larger rocks, sifted the sand and nothing! We have never had a fish literally disappear. Help me Goby-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope. And Pepi the peppermint shrimp hasn’t shown his face either. Pistol shrimp is still sand sifting happily, I just don’t want him to be lonely. I think I’ll be naming him Qui Gon Jinn...nope, Yoda

madweazl · Jul 13, 2018

First, quit messing with the rocks etc. as you're introducing unnecessary stress to the other critters. Second, they can hide extremely well and the vast majority are quite shy to begin with. I had a yellow watchman in a 40g tank that I didnt see for almost three years (I thought it was long dead but it popped out when we were tearing down the tank for a move). Third, the gramma is a cave dweller, it will spend much of it's time in the rockwork (highly unlikely it killed the goby). Fourth, the peppermint shrimp didnt do it, unless the fish died and he started cleaning it up.

kirstyflash · Jul 13, 2018

madweazl said:
First, quit messing with the rocks etc. as you're introducing unnecessary stress to the other critters. Second, they can hide extremely well and the vast majority are quite shy to begin with. I had a yellow watchman in a 40g tank that I didnt see for almost three years (I thought it was long dead but it popped out when we were tearing down the tank for a move). Third, the gramma is a cave dweller, it will spend much of it's time in the rockwork (highly unlikely it killed the goby). Fourth, the peppermint shrimp didnt do it, unless the fish died and he started cleaning it up.

I promise I will calm myself and leave sleeping gobies lie. I hope he calms and finds his buddy and comes out for breaky soon. And as for Pepi... there is aiptasia to be eaten. Get to work!

kirstyflash · Jul 16, 2018

Turns out the Royal Gramma(Bobby) is a royal pain in the butt. He started to hang out in Yoda(pistol shrimp)’s cave, kicked him out and managed to rip off Yodas pistol claw. Found little Yoda staring at the glass in the corner of the tank without said appendage looking very sad and lonely. I ushered him under a different rock so he wasn’t out in the open. Bobby has been issued an eviction notice and is set for relocation to our small tank, where he can’t bully anyone else.

madweazl · Jul 16, 2018

This sounds like the work of a crab.

kirstyflash · Jul 16, 2018

madweazl said:
This sounds like the work of a crab.

We have two porcelain crabs that don’t leave their nem. I found this little hitchhiker guy hiding in the rocks, he’s the only other crab

kirstyflash · Jul 16, 2018

Either way Bobby has his marching orders.

kirstyflash · Jul 17, 2018

It’s official, Bobby is an *******. Caught him with his mouth around our lemon coral goby. Setting traps to get him then he can go in the small tank with the other bullies.

citymouse · Sep 16, 2018

kajam said:
How long does he have to go missing for before I classify him as MIA and fill in the death certificate. I know it’s only been 48 hours but it’s a 10g tank, there aren’t that many hiding spots. And being a goby, yes I have checked the floor behind the tank, however if he landed at the front of the tank, my dog or cat could cleaned up the evidence. His pistol shrimp was still under the same rock, I was able to shift that rock without destroying the whole tank and sifted they the sand in the immediate area but no luck, and he’s not talking.
We introduced a peppermint shrimp three days ago and he hasn’t been seen since either. Should I suspect foul play? Murder suicide? Or maybe they ran off together...
I want answers but everyone is tight lipped...

LOL! I had the same questions about foul play when my Tiger Goby turned up in the sump, dead on the filter...I think the other fish pushed him....investigation is ongoing.

My tiger goby was missing for at least 6 months, I thought was long gone, when I started moving my fish into a larger tank and removing the live rock, he resurfaced! In the new tank he mostly hid until he turned up in the sump. I had a fire shrimp years ago that I saw for 24 hrs, then he went into hiding and I didn't see him again for almost a year, I really thought he had died and the fish ate his remains....then he went back into hiding for another 6 months or so.

Leslie Tabor · Sep 16, 2018

Ok this is the funniest murder mystery ever. If that is a thing?! I am sorry about your troubles but I am hoping the saga continues!! Btw your dog is adorable!

kirstyflash · Sep 16, 2018

Leslie Tabor said:
Ok this is the funniest murder mystery ever. If that is a thing?! I am sorry about your troubles but I am hoping the saga continues!! Btw your dog is adorable!

Thanks, thanks and thanks.
But I believe this mystery is solved. The murderer was none other than....

BOBBY the royal (pain in the) gramma

I came to this conclusion when he and his fellow tank mates were transferred to qt after an ich outbreak. Watching him around others proved that he has extremely agressive behaviour. He had nothing to say for himself, so he and a coral banded shrimp have been sent packing to the big house (aka lfs) for behaviour modification in solitary confinement and then to be transferred to a new system.

Sadly still no sign of our poor little goby.