I can't find my fish

[nightOwl]

Hello All,
Itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s been a while since I posted anything but I was wondering if I should just give up looking for my yellow watchman goby. My goby made it through a quarantine period of about 3 1/2 weeks with no problems. I put him in my tank last Saturday 5/6 and I only saw him for a brief moment that sat. He swam into the rockwork and looked pretty happy. I have not seen him since. Should I give up on him and get a new fish while my q-tank is still up and running? I acclimated him using the drip method for well over an hour as all my fish are done. The water parameters of the q-tank and my main display matched so I am confused on what might have happened to him. I have read where they hide for a while but it is going on two weeks now and I have not seen a sign of him. Other in habitants of the tank includes two false clowns, a yellow tang, and a mandarin, all of which are supposed to be compatible. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Henry

 

[MCary]

You never know. He might show up someday or he may be crab food.

 

[kiowascout]

MIne hides all the time. He has been in the tank for about three weeks. I do see him out when there is nothing in the room (I can see him from the doorway). If I take two steps into the room, he goes back into hiding in a flash.

I do see him dart out from his hidy hole when I feed the tank.

He does seem to be ok and living quite well.

 

[szwab]

he may have found a spot in the rockwork/sandbead where you just can't see him. if the parameters matched he should have been ok. the fish you listed wouldn't IMO harrass him. Any brittle stars? I'd keep looking. also how big was the fish?

 

[nightOwl]

I saw the word brittle stars...

I saw the word brittle stars...

Thanks everyone so far that has responded. I tried to do the due diligence to make sure he would be an all right match for the fish I already had. I am hoping he did not become crab food. I think I forgot to check to see if brittle stars would eat him...I actually have 2 brittle stars and a serpent in my 90. Both brittle starfish are about 7-8 inches from tip to tip. The Serpent is only about 5 inches. The watchman was about 2 1/2 inches long. When in the Q-tank he would come out at feeding time and even learned that if I stood to the left of the tank it was feeding time. I have not seen him feed since being added to the tank. So that concerns me. But who knows maybe he will show up in another week or two.

Thanks again,

Henry

 

[szwab]

sometimes Brittles and serpents will make an upside down basket and "hunt" fish traping them when they get unerneath them. Sort of how spiders attack in horror movies. that is a possability. More likey with the serpent than the brittle though. Any of them look fat?"

 

[Rockfish]

Mine disappeared when first put in and did not surface for several weeks. Then he disappearred almost two months ago and resurfaced a couple days ago. If he found a burrow in the rockwork you may rarely see him.

 

[nightOwl]

I have them on diets...lol

I have them on diets...lol

szwab,
None of them looked fat this morning. They search for food but I actually spot feed them once a week with some shrimp or squid and they have gotten use to the routine.
Rockfish that is good to hear they can disappear for a long time. I have loads of nooks and crannies he could get in. I actually think I have too much rock and am planning on getting rid of some of it this summer when I get some new rock.
My brittle star dug sand from under the rocks and i am hoping he did not go in one of the holes that had dug and then they waited him out.

Thanks again everyone,
Henry

 

[fish_is_my_name]

my did the same thing. they disappeared and reappear about two weeks later

 

[snarkes]

I've got (or had) two hi-fin shrimp gobies... had them for about two or three weeks. Both were doing fine and would stay together... went out of town for two days and havent seen one of them since. The other still comes out for food and stuff. Amonia never spiked, but it was a small fish in a 55. That was about two weeks ago... hope he comes out sooner than later.