Twin Spot Goby

I'm thinking long term feeding here...

Does anyone make strictly zooplankton in a tiny micro sinking pellet? I'm going to try crushing my New Life spectrum sinking pellets into even smaller (sand like) pieces. Currently it settles to the bottom and my water flow forces it into these little eddy's where the pellets sit in pockets near his caves and swirl around on the sand indefinitely. Perhaps he is eating them because they disappear, but I've never seen him eat them. Doesn't mean they aren't just dissolving, or that he isn't, I've just never seen him eating them first hand.

If tiny pellets sit on the sand, maybe he can be fed a combination of the sinking pellets and the Reef Chili.
 
snorvich said:
In my opinion, keeping this fish alive in a 40 gallon tank has no chance long term. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Keeping this fish alive long term, in any tank, is problematic. Even less so than the 30 gallon tank it was in at the LFS.

I didn't get this fish on a whim or impulse. It is not something I intended to get because I found it beautiful, interesting, or a nice addition to a reef tank (even though it is in its own way).

I remember asking you about this or a Diamond Watchman Goby, to which you (correctly) advised against getting the Twin Spot. I researched it and just couldn't stand the thought of it at the LFS. I've run two pet stores and the likelihood that some customer would buy it, knowing what it needs and could give it the right habitat and feeding was virtually nil, given that even under the best of circumstances almost nobody can keep these in home aquariums (of any size). While I am a novice when it comes to corals, I am very experienced with keeping very difficult to keep fish and other exotic animals. This was NOT an "I want it and I'm going to get it regardless of warnings not to" kind of thing. I feel an obligation to it. Leaving it at the LFS would have doomed it sooner, rather than later and if me obtaining it gave it even the slightest of chances, then I'm all in.

Having said that, any information that helps is greatly appreciated. I've scoured the internet for information, reading anything, including scientific journals and papers that might offer some suggestions. I've also solicited the help of my friend who is a marine biologist.

If someone came along that found a way to keep these fish long term (as in their natural lifespan) I haven't read about it.

I want positive suggestions that aid in not only keeping him as healthy as possible, but will promote either the education of these fish, or prevent others from obtaining them, and that includes LFS's.

Whether one has a 10 gallon or a 400 gallon established reef, these fish are difficult at best to keep because the food they seek is not readily available or replaceable long term. They make mandarins appear easy to keep.
 
Buying a fish to rescue it sends the message to the LFS that these fish sell. If you want to help fish that should not be purchased, do not buy them, so they are not brought in. I might be able to keep one alive in my 350 gallon reef tank, but I would not try it.
 
These fish are found in the wild in large shaded sandy areas, usually under piers or similar areas. I have spent a rather large amount of time photographing them so know a bit more about them than just reading on Google. Tank volume is irrelevant, what you need is a very large footprint that includes sand. But with this post, I am out of this discussion.
 
While I was researching getting a sand sifter goby I looked into the two spots. From what I've read they have a better chance of survival in pairs. This said I decided not to get them.

I did however get a Hector's goby and it's similar in appearance and in it's feeding habits. It does eat most kinds of food that I feed, mysis. LRS pellets etc and it sifts sand. Really cool fish.
 
snorvich said:
Buying a fish to rescue it sends the message to the LFS that these fish sell. If you want to help fish that should not be purchased, do not buy them, so they are not brought in. I might be able to keep one alive in my 350 gallon reef tank, but I would not try it.
Click to expand...

This LFS is in its own department where I work and I've already told them, and they agreed, NOT to ever get one again. I got it for $9.
 
snorvich said:
These fish are found in the wild in large shaded sandy areas, usually under piers or similar areas. I have spent a rather large amount of time photographing them so know a bit more about them than just reading on Google. Tank volume is irrelevant, what you need is a very large footprint that includes sand. But with this post, I am out of this discussion.
Click to expand...

I assume you feel it better I left it to die at the LFS where it had even less of a chance? This is not a case of me wanting a fish so bad that I'm just ignoring advice. I'm trying to help it. If you don't want to offer any advice on how to do so, so be it. I'm not trying to be argumentative, not at all, and I respect your opinions.
 
Dkuhlmann said:
While I was researching getting a sand sifter goby I looked into the two spots. From what I've read they have a better chance of survival in pairs. This said I decided not to get them.

I did however get a Hector's goby and it's similar in appearance and in it's feeding habits. It does eat most kinds of food that I feed, mysis. LRS pellets etc and it sifts sand. Really cool fish.
Click to expand...

I have some sinking pellets in there this morning, and as usual a lot of them end up swirling about the sand in little eddy's by his rock caves that my water flow creates. I've just witnessed him eating them!

So between the pellets and the Reef Chili, with any luck at all, perhaps I can help him live as long as possible. It is not ideal, but I still hold out hope. I will keep reporting as to it's progress.

If anyone wants to offer advice, other than telling me I did the wrong thing and should return it (which won't happen), I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
 
I think what you are doing will probably work, for how long is the question. Try some mysis with selcon or garlic and see if it eats more.
 
Dkuhlmann said:
I think what you are doing will probably work, for how long is the question. Try some mysis with selcon or garlic and see if it eats more.
Click to expand...

Mysis is on my list of other things to try. He doesn't really have any competition for food so he has that going for him. Gotta get the food to stay on the sandbed though. He won't eat anywhere else. Already turning off circulation pumps at feeding time.
 
He is still sifting there on the sand by the pellets (which I overfed...lord my skimmer's been working overtime!). He is gobbling them up like crazy!

I wish there was a sinking pellet made up entirely of zooplankton...like if Reef Chili was in sinking pellet form. I actually e-mailed them to see if it was something they'd look into creating for all these sand sifting creatures. Nothing back from them though. It seems like THAT is what is lacking in food varieties. There are a lot of bottom feeders (think starfish, etc.) that would benefit from this kind of specialized food.
 
mmittlesteadt said:
Mysis is on my list of other things to try. He doesn't really have any competition for food so he has that going for him. Gotta get the food to stay on the sandbed though. He won't eat anywhere else. Already turning off circulation pumps at feeding time.
Click to expand...

Excellent!
 
Just to give everyone a little background on me (for those who think I somehow bought this fish on impulse and should return it)...

I have been a wildlife artist for almost 40 years and because of that I've had to study animals, their habitats, behaviors and feeding habits to accurately depict them. I've been an avid hiker into remote wilderness and I am very much in tune with nature. I went to college and studied biology and was going to become a naturalist. I've managed two privately owned pet stores with large freshwater departments and I've kept freshwater fish and plants for over 35 years. We've had some FOWLR tanks in the store that I maintained.

I've bred wild caught discus in planted tanks at a time when keeping them in bare tanks was the norm and still was not easy. I've bred wild caught Altum Angels back when Altums were not even noticed much in the trade.

I've designed habitats for exotic creatures for private individuals and small zoos. All of which required extensive research and knowledge. While I mostly do mural work for cultural and natural history museums now, I still am an avid reader of anything relating to nature and science.

I'm only new to keeping reef tanks, specifically corals. I've had FOWLR tanks in the stores and in my home in the past. I'm not a newbie to animal husbandry or the needs of animals in my care. I have an affinity for nature and the animals on this planet and I donate a lot of money and time to organizations that protect our natural world. I'm 54 years old and have dedicated my life to preserving our natural world my entire life.

Getting the Twin Spot Goby was not on a whim, impulse or for any other reason than to give it it's absolute best chance at survival. That's why I got him and that's why I urged and convinced my LFS to NOT get any more of these fish into the store.

I'm hoping this thread can be a journal of my experience with this fish and that it can be a warning to some and a guide to others who may unfortunately ended up having one of these. So let's do away with any negativity, and lets work together to see what we can do together to help this guy out.
 
Last edited:
mmittlesteadt said:
Just to give everyone a little background on me (for those who think I somehow bought this fish on impulse and should return it)...

I have been a wildlife artist for almost 40 years and because of that I've had to study animals, their habitats, behaviors and feeding habits to accurately depict them. I've been an avid hiker into remote wilderness and I am very much in tune with nature. I went to college and studied biology and was going to become a naturalist. I've managed two privately owned pet stores with large freshwater departments and I've kept freshwater fish and plants for over 35 years. We've had some FOWLR tanks in the store that I maintained.

I've bred wild caught discus in planted tanks at a time when keeping them in bare tanks was the norm and still was not easy. I've bred wild caught Altum Angels back when Altums were not even noticed much in the trade.

I've designed habitats for exotic creatures for private individuals and small zoos. All of which required extensive research and knowledge. While I mostly do mural work for cultural and natural history museums now, I still am an avid reader of anything relating to nature and science.

I'm only new to keeping reef tanks, specifically corals. I've had FOWLR tanks in the stores and in my home in the past. I'm not a newbie to animal husbandry or the needs of animals in my care. I have an affinity for nature and the animals on this planet and I donate a lot of money and time to organizations that protect our natural world. I'm 54 years old and have dedicated my life to preserving our natural world my entire life.

Getting the Twin Spot Goby was not on a whim, impulse or for any other reason than to give it it's absolute best chance at survival. That's why I got him and that's why I urged and convinced my LFS to NOT get any more of these fish into the store.

I'm hoping this thread can be a journal of my experience with this fish and that it can be a warning to some and a guide to others who may unfortunately ended up having one of these.
Click to expand...

We're the same age.
 
Here is a horribly blurry pic of him feeding on the sinking pellets. He is way in the back in one area behind the rockwork where the pellets sit and swirl in an eddy on the sandbed. It was taken at a poor angle under difficult lighting (actinics are mostly up now and I didn't want to adjust the lighting for the pic and risk upsetting him while he is feeding). He is almost dead center in the pic (very camouflaged fish!) and you can see the brown pellets all around him that he IS eating!!!

TSG-feeding.jpg
 
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