Attempting to raise a... Goby?

Betta132

New member
Found a baby goby-fish in seaweed at the beach in Port Aransas. I don't think he belongs in there- must have been swept in by waves. I didn't think he had much of a chance around there, so I brought him back with me.
He's too small and transparent for me to photograph... I can describe him, though. Anyone know if he's more likely to be a goby or a sea robin? Those are the two I'm thinking it might be... I don't think it's a scorpionfish. Are there any other options?
He's half an inch long, and he has a goby's tail, lower body dorsal fin, and whatever that fin is that's along the underside of the tail. His head, fanned side fins, and the organ area of him were black when I got him. They're now a patchy grey, I suspect just to better match his habitat. By side fins, I mean the ones he swims with... They're rather large, like in gobies and sea robins.
Below those, his pectoral fins- I can't tell if they're fused like a goby's and fanned out, or if they're those cute 'legs' on sea robins. He's too transparent.
His eyes are bumped up like a lizard's and look to be blue-ish, his mouth is a frown like both of the two, and I think his head is a bit too rounded for a sea robin... His forehead slopes down from his eyes to his mouth, but it's kind of a rounded slope.
Does that description help anyone? Does anyone perhaps have pictures of goby fry or sea robin fry?
 
Oh- should have mentioned his tank.
He's currently in a little one-gallon until I come up with better options... Should I put him in maybe a 5g? I need to be able to find him, so my 10g is too large. I need to grow him to maybe an inch long, maybe a bit over, so he can go in my Biocube.
He just has an airstone right now, since he's a delicate little fella.
How often should I change his water, and how much? I mean, he's tiny... He can't have much of a bio-load. I haven't given him any rock yet, just the clump of plants and some charcoal for toxin removal. I need to find some tiny bits of live rock to transfer the bacteria, but nearly all my rock is big- I'll have to fish around a bit for shells. Maybe I can steal some from my pistol shrimp.
I've given him a small clump of chaeto for the bugs, since I can't offer him alternate food until he stops panicking every time I go over to the tank. His mouth looks large enough to handle Cyclop-Eeze, should I try that?
 
He's still alive today, and I think he may even be a fraction larger.
I think his habits better match a goby... Sea robins go between swimming around in open water and crawling around, gobies just hop-skitch-scoot their way across the bottom.
 
thats so cool. hope it lives!
do you have a dslr or a compact camera? A cheap macro lens should be able to enlarge the goby to take a nice pic.
 
Once he settles in enough to not panic every time I get close, I'm gong to get my dad's fancy camera and get a few good pictures of the little fella.
 
He's gone an even stone grey all over, and he's less panicky. I think he grew a bit, too.
Swapped out a hunk of his chaeto to add some more bugs in, since he apparently likes chaeto bugs. Not sure how to get him on Cyclop-Eeze... Suggestions?
 
Added some live copepods (bottled) and Cyclop-Eeze. He ate both! After a couple of bites at the live bugs, he figured out that these new orange things were food, so he started picking Cyclop-Eeze off the bottom.
 
Added some live copepods (bottled) and Cyclop-Eeze. He ate both! After a couple of bites at the live bugs, he figured out that these new orange things were food, so he started picking Cyclop-Eeze off the bottom.

Where did you get Cyclop-Eeeze from?
 
Austin Aquadome has it in stock for their more difficult eaters. Comes in a frozen stick that can be a little bit difficult to dispense, but fish LOVE it. Even bigger ones are interested in the smell of it.
 
Well... The little thing is dead of unknown causes.
No physical signs, belly doesn't look skinny or anything.
Only thing I can think of is maybe a water quality issue, but there's nothing in the tank other than the one tinsy fella and some copepods. I doubt it would go south too fast. He hadn't shown any signs of unhappiness before... Maybe it was just one of those things where a tiny baby fish dies for an unknown reason.
I've put him in a small jar of alcohol. I plan to be a marine biologist, so hopefully I'll either meet or become someone who can ID the tiny thing.
 
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