Missing watchman goby

ThunderGoose · Apr 9, 2017

I QT a watchman goby, added it to my DT, it was active and out and about for about a week then disappeared. I haven't seen her in about a month. When do I decide she died and got eaten by the shrimp? I did not get an ammonia spike that would indicate a dead body somewhere (and I do have a lid)

My QT is fallow right now and I'll be bringing in new fish in about 2 weeks for my last scheduled start up QT round (then the tank will have all the fish I plan on adding). If my watchman is dead I'd like to bring in a new one for the next round of QT.

Tank is 4 months old. Water parameters steady. pH 7.9, phosphate 42 ppb, kH 8, salinity 1.026, nitrate trace, ammonia and nitrite 0, temperature 80 F

Red Sea Reefer 250 (~50 gallons in DT + ~ 10 in sump) 2 ocellaris clowns were the only fish during this time period

Any ideas? Thanks!

Bluecbs · Apr 9, 2017

Have you checked the overflow, the sump, all around the tank, these guys can literally go anywhere they want....just throwing ideas here ( i even believe they can go into different dimensions)

ngoodermuth · Apr 9, 2017

I had one disappear for months, literally like 3 months. I was sure it died. Then, one day we were cleaning up the sump and found the little guy. We had checked and rechecked the sump and were using a filter sock. I don't know how, or where it was hiding in between, but it was there. And still pretty healthy too!

ThunderGoose · Apr 9, 2017

I've checked the sump and overflow but if it got out of the tank - one word: cats. Om nom nom nom....

So now I have to decide if I get a new watchman to pair with my snapping shrimp or wait for at least three months.

Eva Rose · Apr 9, 2017

Know you said sump but do you have filter sox?
I used to find mine in the Sox when she was a juvi.

cmcoker · Apr 9, 2017

Try to look at back sides of your rock work and see if you can see anything that looks like a burrow.
My YWG decided at one point that his home should face the corner made by the overflow box in the center of the tank. Never saw him until he decided to move... Also had an open area in the center of a rock pile be his chosen area to hang out... They can hide well if they want.
Is he the only fish? If so, Id be inclined to not add one to the next group of fish and see if he comes out once there are more fish around.
The lack of fish may trigger him to hide, they interpret that as "everyone else is hiding must be a danger, a predator is near by."