HELP! Watchman Goby acting strange

J

JHawlz9989

New member
The tank is a 20long, been up for about 8 weeks now.

SG: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.2

No other tests done.

My goby has been out and about quite a bit over the last few days munching on copepods that float through the water. I've been battling diatoms for a long time, and they are currently everywhere. I think they might be going through a bloom because the tank is very hazy. I just did a 10% water change two days ago with IO salt, and water from the grocery store (so I'm not sure if they are up on their filters.

Today, I saw him on the other side of the tank, out in the open water just swimming around, and then he went and is just resting on the bottom, not in either of his usual burrows. He is the only fish in the tank; I took out a striped damsel that was bullying him about two weeks ago. My inverts seem to be doing great- my peppermint shrimp is out and about cleaning like mad, and there are several crabs that are cruising the sandbed and rocks.

Any ideas as to what he's been up to? His breathing is very tough, looks like he's gulping once every second and a half.

Thanks

Josh
 
If it's relevant, I haven't fed the Goby in about two weeks because of my algae problem, and my abundance of copepods. Two flakes went in when I saw him struggling, and there was no interest in them.
 
gulping using means low oxygen..
what are you using for water flow??
ex. powerheads? filter?

Edit:
you should also be testing for alkalinity and calcium (for corals)
and Phosphates!!
 
Last edited:
I've got a. aquaclear 50 HOB on the right side and a 10gallon HOB on the left side. There are a few dead spots, but the middle of the tank where he usually spends his time has decent flow.
 
Who is testing your water? you? lfs? what strips are you using?

I am no expert.. but there may not be enough water flow.. which in turn is not enough oxygen..
I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in soon enough!!
Good Luck to you !!
 
My grocery store water checks out on nitrates. The goby was literally out swimming in the current before he started gulping on the sand bed. He's taken off somewhere; I can't find him now.
 
I just checked all around my tank, and I don't see him. He has several burrows he can get it where I won't see him. I guess at this point I'll just find out what happened when I get off from work...
 
Is he really gulping for oxygen? You said it was kinda slow gulping. Mine sometimes flaps his jaws a little, especially when he is sitting still and being lazy. Is he laying on his side? If he's just sitting out on the sand he may have just felt like coming out. Does yours live with a shrimp? Mine spends 95% of his time in one of the burrows with the shrimp, but every now and then he comes out for no particular reason and finds a spot to perch for a while. Usually before the day is over he goes back in his hole with his buddy.
 
disc1 said:
Is he really gulping for oxygen? You said it was kinda slow gulping. Mine sometimes flaps his jaws a little, especially when he is sitting still and being lazy. Is he laying on his side? If he's just sitting out on the sand he may have just felt like coming out. Does yours live with a shrimp? Mine spends 95% of his time in one of the burrows with the shrimp, but every now and then he comes out for no particular reason and finds a spot to perch for a while. Usually before the day is over he goes back in his hole with his buddy.
Click to expand...

He isn't laying on his side, but his body isn't as tense as it usually is, and he doesn't move his pectoral fins, and his tail fin is just collapsed. He is just resting on the bottom of the tank underneath a rock. He came back and I saw him again underneath that rock, and then he left again for somewhere. What I can't figure out is I watched him swim all the way up to the top of the water, swim in the current for 30 seconds or so, doing a lap from one side of the tank to the other. He wasn't swimming as quickly as he usually does, but he was definitely out and about cruising the tank. Then I checked out the tank 20 minutes later to find him on the sand bed. He's an awesome fish and I hope he makes it, but it sucks when I can't figure out what's actually going on. :headwallblue:

I did just order an MP10 and some Chemipure so help with my diatom and water flow issues, but those won't be here until next week sometime.

Josh
 
If he's moving around from hole to hole he's probably good. They're pretty lazy fish and known to lay around a lot. Give him a little food out around the entrance of his favorite hole and see if he doesn't come to get it.
 
Gulping, breathing heavy and swimming as you say is not a good sign.
I can't see him from here but I think he is croaking.
It is not a lack of oxygen.
Does he have any lesions or are his fins deteriated or just clamped?
Is he shaking his head side to side? Are his eyes clear? Does he swim in jerky movements? Is he eating?
 
I've discovered where he's been hanging out; it looks like he just started to create a new burrow next to a rock (not under it, as usual), but he's facing the back of the tank so I can't see what his gills are doing. I saw a little red around his pectoral fins. I don't know if that's inflamation or not. He isn't shaking his head side to side, his eyes appear to be clear. He doesn't swim in jerky movements, when he's swimming. But he doesn't seem to be spending a lot of time swimming. Earlier today he was just swimming in the current like he normally does when looking for pods. But he's on the totally opposite side of the tank than where his two usual burrows are.

Could this have any correlation with removing the striped damsel that he was going head to head with? They got in a couple of scuffles, and he had two or three nips on his dorsal fin. I immediately removed the damsel and took it back to the LFS, and it's been about two weeks since then, and he is the only fish in the tank. Could this coincide with the time frame that gobies usually have to become comfortable with his surroundings? Is there any possibility he could feel safe enough now to just explore the tank and be lazy?

I can't imagine it would be water quality if my inverts are doing fine...
 
One of these is him just laying under a rock. The other is him in his new burrow facing the back, if it helps.

What are my options? Do I just wait this out and hope for the best?
 

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Feed the poor thing. You can't starve a fish for 2 weeks because you have an algae problem. You need to identify the problem and take care of it, but not feeding a fish for 2 weeks isn't the answer. Get something besides flakes.
 
Well he was expired when I got home from class. Poor little guy.

I'd like to get another fish soon by my diatoms are absolutely insane. Would it be best to get my algae problem sorted out before getting another fish? Or should I be more concerned about maintaining the bacterial population?
 
I usually do not like sticking my nose in but I think you should do more reading. Punishing something for a reason not theirs is not right. This goby is not a greens eater, needs protein. I hope someone corrects me also if I am wrong. Sorry about your loss. We do tend to get attached.
 
JHawlz9989 said:
Well he was expired when I got home from class. Poor little guy.

I'd like to get another fish soon by my diatoms are absolutely insane. Would it be best to get my algae problem sorted out before getting another fish? Or should I be more concerned about maintaining the bacterial population?
Click to expand...

you should first def find out why your goby died :sad1:
very sorry for your loss!!
make sure your tank is under control before adding anymore livestock IMHO
 
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