Why do my watchman goby's always go missing.

[nooks]

I just bought my 3rd watchman goby he was around 2.5 inches acclimated him with no issues he swam openly ate frozen food right away. Since this morning no where to be found, I have had two in the same tank in the past and they go missing. My stocking is 2x Ocellaris clownfish, Vanderbuilt Chromis and a Exquisite Fairy Wrasse. I have never seen any of my fish be aggressive to any of the gobys in the past. I do have a Coral Banded Shrimp, which I could see eating my last two gobies as they were 1 inch or less, so I specifically went to LFS to get a bigger one. My coral banded shrimp is also not big at all I would say 1.5 inches body length he also hides in same spot in the rock work and only see him come out for pellets and other food that go near the cave. My wrasse also sleeps in the same cave during night and has no problems. I know Watchmans do hide, but in past ones I have owned that lived 6+ months would come out every other day to eat, before they would just be gone.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What is the tank size and what about the rock work? Can we see a tank pic to get an idea?

 

[Formulator]

Do you have a lid on the tank?

 

[nooks]

What is the tank size and what about the rock work? Can we see a tank pic to get an idea?

So its 25 gallon right now, I am rehoming them cycling a 75 gallon right now. Ill work on getting a picture of the tank.

 

[nooks]

Do you have a lid on the tank?

yes have always had a lid on it

 

[nooks]

Photo of tank

 

[exnisstech]

Not many hiding places especially with a pair of clowns already in.

 

[Formulator]

Photo of tank

Ahhh. I have an inkling of the problem now seeing that pic. The brown stuff in your sand looks a lot like dinoflagellates. Many dino species are toxic. As the goby is a sand sifter, it would be ingesting that toxin, and likely died in one of its tunnels.

 

[nooks]

Ahhh. I have an inkling of the problem now seeing that pic. The brown stuff in your sand looks a lot like dinoflagellates. Many dino species are toxic. As the goby is a sand sifter, it would be ingesting that toxin, and likely died in one of its tunnels.

Is this actually a known thing that can kill gobies as most will eat sand. I dont know if it is dinos they say its stringy with air bubbles.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just bought my 3rd watchman goby he was around 2.5 inches acclimated him with no issues he swam openly ate frozen food right away. Since this morning no where to be found, I have had two in the same tank in the past and they go missing. My stocking is 2x Ocellaris clownfish, Vanderbuilt Chromis and a Exquisite Fairy Wrasse. I have never seen any of my fish be aggressive to any of the gobys in the past. I do have a Coral Banded Shrimp, which I could see eating my last two gobies as they were 1 inch or less, so I specifically went to LFS to get a bigger one. My coral banded shrimp is also not big at all I would say 1.5 inches body length he also hides in same spot in the rock work and only see him come out for pellets and other food that go near the cave. My wrasse also sleeps in the same cave during night and has no problems. I know Watchmans do hide, but in past ones I have owned that lived 6+ months would come out every other day to eat, before they would just be gone.

They are sometimes upside in rocks, can find their way past a screen cover, end up in overflows and even sand pockets well with rock structures

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Did you look around your tank? There are no hiding spots in the rocks which would make a goby very nervous and jumpy. Even with a lid, fish have a way to find the smallest opening.

 

[nooks]

They are sometimes upside in rocks, can find their way past a screen cover, end up in overflows and even sand pockets well with rock structures

I checked my overflow didnt see anything. There are some areas backside rocks that I can see sand digged up that it could go under.

 

[nooks]

Did you look around your tank? There are no hiding spots in the rocks which would make a goby very nervous and jumpy. Even with a lid, fish have a way to find the smallest opening.

I did check on the outside on the floor around the stand.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I checked my overflow didnt see anything. There are some areas backside rocks that I can see sand digged up that it could go under.

That is the sand burrows I mentioned and a good chance its there. Lower lights and feed brine shrimp which often rides the bottom and may entice it to come out

 

[Cthulukelele]

It's common for Watchman gobies to be gregarious for a few days then go completely missing for weeks. I've had mine for like 7ish years, and I've thought it was dead at least 5x over that period. It's possible they're all dead, but I'd stop adding them for awhile and keep an eye on those sandy burrows

 

[nooks]

That is the sand burrows I mentioned and a good chance its there. Lower lights and feed brine shrimp which often rides the bottom and may entice it to come out

Ok will just try to feed tomorrow brine shrimp where saw the moved sand.

 

[nooks]

Update I tried feeding near that burrow and nothing came out. So i decided to check under all rocks and put them back. literally nothing under the rocks, how does this fish go missing in literally it was probably 8 hours or less. Since I was upstairs at night and saw him swimming night before. Ive literally checked back of the AIO chambers the floors. Like is even possible a coral banded shrimp could eat a whole watchman goby with no bones or nothing remaining in 24 hours.

 

[nooks]

I found goby in my overflow under plastic that connects to the 2nd chamber. Issue is not to sure how to get him out as my net does not fit the 2nd chamber

 

[Tamberav]

Not enough rock in there to keep adding fish, goby probably went to the back after realizing there is one rock and already two clowns and a damsel. Not a great place to live for him.

If I gave you a bedroom with one bed and 3 new roomates to share it, you would probably try to escape too lol

You can buy a tiny net at Walmart and bend it as needed.

 

[ScottJ]

If I gave you a bedroom with one bed and 3 new roomates to share it, you would probably try to escape too lol

Depends...