Orange Diamond Goby loosing weight

[lockkeeper69]

I am concerned that my Orange Diamond Goby is loosing weight and is starving. I have him in my 120 gal tank with 100+ # live rock and 2-3 inches of sugar size aragonite. Tank was set up in March of 09 and I added the goby in November. How do I make sure he gets enough to eat? He does swim up in the water column to get mysis shrip when i feed two time daily.

Any suggestions would be great.

 

[julie180]

If he is eating mysis, he should not be in danger of starving. Just make sure there is enough for him.

 

[gtptom]

Lock,

I bought a pair of these guys for my 240 and they both were doing fine for a while, then one appeared to be getting thinner. They both ate, one more aggressive than the other, but for some reason the one slowly lost weight and finally died. My guess was some sort of parasite or the like.

Good luck.

 

[lockkeeper69]

Thanks Julie180 and gtptom. He is eating although it is tough to have the mysis hit the bottom. My other fish eat so quickly it is hard for the food to fall. When I got him I was overfeeding and had a nitrate issue trying to get food on bottom.

 

[julie180]

Get a piece of pvc or clear vacuum tub and let the food fall to the bottom so the other fish won't steal it. Also, feed the tank in one spot and the goby in another.

 

[lockkeeper69]

Thanks Julie. I will try the tube idea. I try to feed in one area and another to let food fall to bottom. Dont work with the feeding frenzy that is going on with the other fish. The worst is my Blue Morph Tang. You would think I never feed him. I think it would eat untill it exploded.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Unfortunately, this isn't all that uncommon with these fish. I have had it happen to me on 3 different occasions (( and have read about it happening to others, often )), and I no longer will keep them.

 

[Scout12]

Unfortunately, this isn't all that uncommon with these fish. I have had it happen to me on 3 different occasions (( and have read about it happening to others, often )), and I no longer will keep them.

Same experience here x 2. Ate pellets and mysis as fast as you could put it in, and I put plenty in. Wasted away and died both times. I loved the way the sandbed looked. But I won't do it again. Hope you have a better outcome but this is not uncommon.

 

[seafansar]

It's the competition with the other fish. I had one that was eating great, always fat. Then I added a tang that didn't like him and would scare him away when I fed. He stated getting skinny, so I had to catch him and give him to someone with a more peaceful tank. He's been doing good ever since.
If you can't keep the other fish from getting the food before him, you might consider finding him a new home. Also try sinking pellets.