gobys/gobies dying

[Geoffe]

Hi

I'm a newby to marine tanks. We've had 3 gobies over the last 6 months to keep the sand clean (and provide much entertainment) but they keep on dying after a few weeks. I've had the water checked and it seems ok.

1.Could there be bacteria/parasite or something lurking in the sand that is killing them.

2. Could it be that they're not eating the food I mix into the sand (Formula one marine pellet from Ocean Nutrition) - perhaps they're not eating enough pellets.

3. something else?

Any help appreciated.

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Pandora]

Hi Geoff,

I don't think anyone is going to be able to say for sure with that info. Just how long has your tank been set up? What kinds of fish/size tank is it? What are the actual things you tested "OK" for and their values? These will help others help you better.

Specifically, two things that are suspect...
If the tank was not fully cycled and you added the 3 gobies, that could be one cause. Also, it sounds like there is a chance you may be overfeeding. There's usually no reason to mix pellets in with sand. It would also help to know the species of goby and how many pellets you are feeding. Some gobies will only eat live foods (mandarins for instance). There's generally no reason to constantly stir up your substrate, this will only cause cloudiness and the possibility of nutrient release into the system.

 

[Geoffe]

thanks

thanks

Thanks Pandora

I left my tank (190 ltr / 40 gallons) establish itself for 3 months with live rocks before adding anything. The gobies were orange spotted. I'll need to recheck all water factors and get back.

Never thought about overfeeding, I've been dropping one pinch of pellets a day (15 pellets maybe) onto the tank bottom.

Cheers

Geoff