What is killing my Gobies

[panaboy95]

Ok I am starting to get a little mad. About a month and a half ago I bought a purple firefish. It was great for about 3 days. Then one morning it was gone. I looked and looked for it found nothing short of tearing the rock work apart. thought he must have been sick. Then last week I bought some rock from a guy in Bloomington and he gave me his yellow Watchman gobie. I really wanted a little gobie. He was looking good. And he only lasted for two days. They seem to disappear at night. I have a brittle star in the tank can he be eating them while they sleep? It is very frustrating I am going to try to get the star out but I have to find him first I only see him at night about an hour after the lights go out. What can be killing these guys? I have never seen any thing like a mantis or anything like that. I am out of ideas.

 

[Nanook]

Did you look on the floor real good around the tank? Gobies are notorious for jumping out of the tank at night.

 

[Homereef]

Is it a green brittle star ? Drab olive color in color maybe yellow on the tips of its spikes ?

Purple firefish are notorious jumpers. The YWG could have jumped too. I would look for the fish jerky corpse around the tank.

You might have some sort of rogue crab too.

 

[panaboy95]

i looked real hard around the tank and saw nothing. i do have a dog though.

 

[latazyo]

panaboy, my firefish jumped last year and I didnt notice until the dog brought the fish jerky to me

 

[kraash]

Was the yellow harassing the purple? Could have drove him to jump out of the tank. I have heard of brittle stars eating them too, since they ball up and sleep in holes of the live rock. I found one of my firefish jerkified on the center brace of the tank. Doesn't take long under halides.

 

[panaboy95]

They where never in there together. i guess they could have jumped but both of them in the first three days. that is highly unlikely. my dog is rarely in the basement so i really don't think she ate them. I am just nervous to add another one.

 

[Chelsey]

Gorilla crab? To the best of my knowledge they don't make noise so you'd never hear one.

 

[Angler02]

I'm not sure if it's possible but I always check my sump cause you never know. I also had a brittle star at one point and I firmly believe he was the culprit in a few missing fish cases.

 

[panaboy95]

I am going to get the star out. I set up a tank for my wife's classroom and one of her students bought it for her 12 gallon nano. well I figured it would last about week in that little tank so I put it in mine. I guess I should have put him in the sump. I could not find him last night so I will try again tonight. I also saw another one even bigger in the sump. it came in the new rock I just bought. I guess I will just take them to a lfs and see if they want them. If anyone wants them let me know. I do not know if I am coming to the swap yet my kid is still sick and I think I am taking her back to the Dr. tomorrow.

I love gobies and am just real frustrated that I can not keep one alive. Once I get the star out and get some egg crate on the top of my tank I will try another one maybe.

 

[opposum]

I doubt the star got a fire fish. They are mostly open water swimmers aren't they? I've also had mixed luck with both of these same fish. Personally I would blame bad luck with these two fish more than the star.

 

[Jah2707]

I have lost two gobies in the past. I did not find them for over a month. One had flipped about two feet and wedged himself beside the sump and the other ended up under my couch which is about 3 feet away. Crazy. I finally bought a hood for mine and I have not lost a fish since!

 

[JxMetal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11964064#post11964064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by opposum
I doubt the star got a fire fish. They are mostly open water swimmers aren't they? I've also had mixed luck with both of these same fish. Personally I would blame bad luck with these two fish more than the star.

true, but thy slep on the sandbed at night when the star hunts for food

 

[latazyo]

fwiw I had a longnose hawk jump through an eggcrate "lid"