yellow watchman goby turned white?

[cheucklate]

Hi all, so I rescued a YWG from the LFS 5 hours ago. His two buddies had a missing lower body and a missing dorsal fin. The one I bought was the last healthy looking one with just some red scratches on his face mouth.

Anyways, I drip acclimated for 1 hour and dumped him into a cave where I knew my pistol shrimp was hiding. They looked at each other for 5 seconds and it was like love at first sight. The pistol shrimp let him inside and the goby began his eternal watch.

All looked good for the first few hours but just now I noticed the goby is completely white! The only yellow I see now are around his eyes. Can someone share their knowledge?

SG: 1.026
temp: 77.7 (reef keeper)
plenty of surface skimming. (720gph return & mp10)
Amonia & nitrite: 0
nitrate: 20ppm

What else should I test for?

His tankmates are two small ocelaris clowns, pistol shrimp, cleaner shrimp, 4x snails, 4x hermit crabs.

 

[Sk8r]

Check your alkalinity. S/b about 8.3. But they can change color a bit.

 

[cheucklate]

alkalinity about 7.5.

After observing some more behavior I just saw the tiger pistol shrimp snap at the goby. Never seen it snap till now.

 

[cheucklate]

 

[CStrickland]

I've seen them do that when they are scared, but not to that extent personally.
Another thing they do when they get nervous is like race up and down the glass neurotically, sometimes so bad that they get a sore on their mouth where it rubs. Mine did it when he was first introduced, and after that he jumped out. In his case I think it was his own reflection that spooked him.

I would think as long as there's other options cave-wise, if the shrimp scares him he'll leave on his own. Might be best to just keep things dim and well fed, so no bright light on the tank to cause a mirror and plenty of food so nobodies competing. Of course a lid, and some barriers around the overflow.

He's probs got a better chance in your tank than he did at the lfs, but rescues can go either way. Also monitor your other fish for any diseases he may have carried in.

 

[cheucklate]

Thanks cstrickland, I will be following your advice. kudos!

 

[cheucklate]

Just a quick update, next morning he got some of his color back. I should stop overworrying

By the way he was beaten up a bit at the LFS will these red marks go away?