Need advice to save my Diamond Goby

[IronMan72]

I've had a pair of Diamond Gobies (valenciennea puellaris) for about a year and a half now. They have always been very active, though shy since I got them. They have always been good eaters, readily accepting all kinds of food. I typically feed frozen mysis several times per week and pellets twice per day. They have always been very healthy, originally housed in my 75G mixed reef and moved into my 180G mixed reef in August. Since being moved to the 180 they have spent most of their time within caves in the rockwork, venturing out to sift the sand when they think no one is around.

Since last week one of them has been hiding more than usual. It has been difficult to get a good look at it but I can always find it peeking out of the rocks at me. I caught brief look at it earlier this week and it appeared much thinner than I had remembered. I began target feeding it frozen mysis a couple times each day by squirting it into it's cave with a turkey baster. It seems to be eating when I do this but I caught it out again today and was able to get a very good look. This fish is VERY thin and I am very concerned that it will not make it much longer if I can't fatten it up. The other goby looks very healthy.

Does anyone have any suggestions that may help me save this goby?

 

[SushiGirl]

Not sure if you can save the one that's already so thin, but you really need to feed, feed, feed them both. Moving to such a larger, new tank with nothing for them to eat in the sand means they need all the food from you that they can get.

 

[tmz]

They don't seem to last more than a year or two in most tanks,ime and that of others . Perhaps someone who has kept them longer will chime in.. Don't know what their natural lifespan is. Eventhough they take frozen foods they may need other things from the sand sifting like bacteria and at some point many think they just suffer the effects of long term nutritional deficiency. You could try burying some small pockets of food in the sand for it so it wouldn't have t oout competr other more boisterous fish.

 

[tent boy]

I had the same experience. Lived a little over a year and then started getting skinny and died. I just assumed that he had cleaned out the nutrients out of the sand. He acted like he was eating some mysis but was easily spooked by other fish when competing for the food. Just as Tom said. Seems like one of those fish that aren't capable of surviving for long in an aquarium. JME

 

[IronMan72]

I guess I forgot to mention that I have a productive fuge and there are always live pods present. New sand was used in the 180G when I set it up but all of the sand from the 75G was used as a separate deep sand bed. Most of it was rinsed in fresh water and cleaned of detritus but I saved a few cups of it to reseed the sand bed.

I'll try to infuse some food into the sandbed at the entrance to it's cave and will continue to target feed it and hope for the best.

 

[Sophie10]

Let me start by saying how sorry I am, I know how upsetting this can be.
Generally, you keep only one of these in a tank, not because of food availability, but because of aggression to ones own species. I think you were lucky the got along in the 75g! Perhaps moving them to a new home, one is bullying the other for territory, and as a result is not feeding.

Yes, they like the diatoms from the sand, but they should also be feeding voraciously. While mine almost always cleans the sand, he will also fly out and feed on mysis, ova or thera pellets thrown in the tank. He feeds with the rest of the fish. Keep feeding them the mysis. They should be fed frequently, make sure some of the food hits the sand and LR for them. This is a long lived fish, and fairly easy to keep. See the Live Aquaria link:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+2971+220&pcatid=220

Here's apic of my 2+ year old Tito. I've had some scares with him. I siphoned him once, didn't eat for 2 days! Feed them mysis, add some garlic like GVH and see what happens. Good luck Dave

 

[tmz]

Hi Sophie,
2 plus years is good./ Mine lived over two years with a reasonably healthy sand bed in play. Most of what I've read doesn't evidence more long lived in an aquarium than that.
I haven't been able to find anything on their lifespan in the wild or aqauriums other than that vague comment about longevity in the Foster and Smiths add. If you have more info on that I'd be interseted in learning from it.
Endearing , pretty fish that is fun to watch; but, can also be trouble, spraying sand about onto corals and disrupting denitrifying bacterial populations. Don't know if they eat diatoms or not but mostly they are reported as needing meaty foods and expanses of live sand at least afew inches deep.

 

[SushiGirl]

I had 2 different ones for around 2 years each. They were both fat when they died (2 tank mishaps 2 years apart in which I lost everything -- one electrocution during a severe storm while I was out of the country and one crash due to grape caulerpa when I was out of state one weekend). I fed them a lot of meaty foods, and they ate a lot. I never just expected them to get food on their own, I always spot fed. Then again, I spot feed my crabs, shrimp, and even mini brittle stars LOL. The way I look at it is that in an unnatural habitat like an aquarium I can't expect them to get all they need without me making sure they do...kinda like I feed my cat directly instead of expecting her to just find her own food!

 

[tmz]

Around 2 years is about the best for them in home aqauriums from the numerous accounts I've read and my own experience. Haven't seen an account of any more long lived but they may be out there. Have no idea why Foster and Smith tout no specific "longevity" in their add.

 

[IronMan72]

I know that they are usually not recommended to be kept in groups but I purchased them as a mated pair. They have spawned regularly in the 75G and have spawned in the 180G as well. My wife said she saw an egg sack in their cave earlier this week. The pair of them are rarely far from each other and I've never seen any aggression between them.

 

[Sophie10]

Hi Sophie,
2 plus years is good./ Mine lived over two years with a reasonably healthy sand bed in play. Most of what I've read doesn't evidence more long lived in an aquarium than that.
I haven't been able to find anything on their lifespan in the wild or aqauriums other than that vague comment about longevity in the Foster and Smiths add. If you have more info on that I'd be interseted in learning from it.
Endearing , pretty fish that is fun to watch; but, can also be trouble, spraying sand about onto corals and disrupting denitrifying bacterial populations. Don't know if they eat diatoms or not but mostly they are reported as needing meaty foods and expanses of live sand at least afew inches deep.

Hey Tmz,
My name is actually David! My dear departed dog was Sophie! Tehy are endearing fish, so entertaining, especially when they get mad and territorial, open their big mouth as if to say, 'What the hell?" I doubt that they would have any impact on bacterial populations, but they can be messy especially in sugar sized sand. I love that mine moves the sand from one end of the tank to the other. It's so clean! Longevity is a funny thing. I have 4 silver dollars in a fresh tank for over 11 years now, they are listed as long lived to 8 years. Mine are so active and showing no signs of slowing down. If only I could feel the same way! I guess time will tell for Tito the goby.

I had 2 different ones for around 2 years each. They were both fat when they died (2 tank mishaps 2 years apart in which I lost everything The way I look at it is that in an unnatural habitat like an aquarium I can't expect them to get all they need without me making sure they do...kinda like I feed my cat directly instead of expecting her to just find her own food!

Wow, those are awful tragedies. I sometimes spot feed, but mostly I feed and watch, feed and watch... I watch to see that everyone comes out. I'll sometimes feed 2 or 3 different things during the day to cover all the critters (algae clip for the tang, Mysis and pellets for all) There is always some that makes the rock and sand. Even the Blue tang will feed of the sand.

I know that they are usually not recommended to be kept in groups but I purchased them as a mated pair.

Hey Dave. Mated pair - that's a whole different story then. I'm not sure about Gobies, but perhaps the spawing is what's causing this. I don't have any marine experience with egg layers, but I know that when my Kribs spawn, the female will guard the nest and not feed for a week or more. When she's done and brings the kids out, she eats like mad. I don't know. That's so cool they spawn. Keep with the target feeding and maybe they'll rebound. Keep us posted! :beer:

 

[tmz]

Sorry Dave,

About missing your name. I love dogs too. I've lost several over the years and loved them all.

 

[IronMan72]

Been target feeding with a turkey baster several times today and it seems to be eating well. It is feeding on both frozen and pellets and when it sees the baster at the entrance of its cave it comes right up to the baster for a meal. I'm hoping this is a good sign. I'm going to continue doing this as long as its willing to feed.

 

[SushiGirl]

That's great to hear. Just keep feeding and your fingers crossed!

 

[Sophie10]

It is feeding on both frozen and pellets and when it sees the baster at the entrance of its cave it comes right up to the baster for a meal. I'm hoping this is a good sign.

They look great!! What ever you are doing, keep it up. Monitor the spawning, see if it coincides with the hiding. If that's a current pic, they are looking pretty good to me. Keep up the good work!

Sorry Dave, About missing your name. I love dogs too. I've lost several over the years and loved them all.

No Problem Tom!. We'll always have two dogs, it's great dynamic! As a matter of fact, the 'great dynamics' are watching me eat my leftovers with a hopeful look and sorrowful eyes!! They are workin' the room!

 

[IronMan72]

Sadly that was not a current picture. The one in the foreground looks just as it did in that photo but the one in the background is very thin. Since I started target feeding it has come out of it's cave more frequently but has not let me snap a photo yet. The good news is that it is more active today and isn't hiding as much.

 

[Sophie10]

Dave,
How are the Diamonds doing?
David

 

[IronMan72]

Thank you for asking. The very thin one seems to be slowly gaining weight. I frequently see it out and about now. It is even coming out to eat when I feed the tank. I have continued to target feed it directly and plan to continue this until I feel it is feeding well on it's own.

 

[redreef85]

What size substrate are you using?

 

[IronMan72]

Caribsea special grade