Yellow Watchman Goby unsettled

[boshk]

I had my YWG in QT (5G) for about 3 weeks
He was always still, never moved, he ate, then went back behind PVC pipe.

I decided he was fine for DT, 1st fish into my DT.

Initially he was fine-ish, he even grabbed a few tiny shells and was moving it around at the front of the tank....

then he started swimming up the tank, freaking out.
There are lots of hiding places in the LR but he hasn't even ventured there and as for the Pistol shrimp....don't think they will bond.

24hrs later, I found him on the floor (luckily on the poly foam I had thrown on the floor)...I think he had just jumped, so I put him back in.

He is constantly swimming up the tank....

any idea?
There is 1 small black clownfish and 1 small Yellowtail Damselfish
1 Pistol, 1 cleaner, 1 Peppermint shrimp, 3 snails

Parameters:
pH=7.8 to 8 (little low I know...I'm doing the open window etc etc...maybe kalkwasser?)
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=maybe 5-10
Phosp=just above 0...I have Phosguard bag in
Mag=1250
Cal=420
Alk=9.5
Temp=25-26C (77-80F)....(installing chiller soon to keep it more stable at 25C)

 

[2014]

Whats your salinity? Did you check the rocks? Bristle worms, mantis shrimp etc might be spooking him... Try adding some stress coat as well

 

[bat21]

Maybe keep the lights off for a while. Fish tend to relax easier without the intense light above them. How long has he been in the tank

 

[CoralNerd]

YWG are so nutty, that's why I'm not a fan of them. Yasha Gobbies have better personalities and don't go nuts.
[emoji64] [emoji85] [emoji86] [emoji87] [emoji102]

 

[boshk]

Whats your salinity? Did you check the rocks? Bristle worms, mantis shrimp etc might be spooking him... Try adding some stress coat as well

1.025 salinity
no mantis
there are 2 hitchhiker crabs though.....hmm....never thought of that

 

[boshk]

YWG are so nutty, that's why I'm not a fan of them. Yasha Gobbies have better personalities and don't go nuts.
[emoji64] [emoji85] [emoji86] [emoji87] [emoji102]

yea, well he was like so dormant in the QT....I thought, I would never see him again once he goes into DT.......but he is in full view 90% of the time....swimming up the front of the tank....

 

[stefdvm]

My diamond goby jumped out of the tank - I blamed my bf for leaving the tank lid open; he replaced the goby and the buggar jumped out of the tank 2 days later; I KNOW the tank wasn't open then, he jumped out at night, through the 1" gap at the back of the tank where the HOB skimmer and filter pipes run... my new tank has clear screening over the ENTIRE top - NO GAPS. I keep getting suicidal fish I guess...

 

[boshk]

My diamond goby jumped out of the tank - I blamed my bf for leaving the tank lid open; he replaced the goby and the buggar jumped out of the tank 2 days later; I KNOW the tank wasn't open then, he jumped out at night, through the 1" gap at the back of the tank where the HOB skimmer and filter pipes run... my new tank has clear screening over the ENTIRE top - NO GAPS. I keep getting suicidal fish I guess...

my firefish did a 5mm gap! died!

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I had my YWG in QT (5G) for about 3 weeks

He was always still, never moved, he ate, then went back behind PVC pipe.



I decided he was fine for DT, 1st fish into my DT.



Initially he was fine-ish, he even grabbed a few tiny shells and was moving it around at the front of the tank....



then he started swimming up the tank, freaking out.

There are lots of hiding places in the LR but he hasn't even ventured there and as for the Pistol shrimp....don't think they will bond.



24hrs later, I found him on the floor (luckily on the poly foam I had thrown on the floor)...I think he had just jumped, so I put him back in.



He is constantly swimming up the tank....



any idea?

There is 1 small black clownfish and 1 small Yellowtail Damselfish

1 Pistol, 1 cleaner, 1 Peppermint shrimp, 3 snails



Parameters:

pH=7.8 to 8 (little low I know...I'm doing the open window etc etc...maybe kalkwasser?)

Ammonia=0

Nitrite=0

Nitrate=maybe 5-10

Phosp=just above 0...I have Phosguard bag in

Mag=1250

Cal=420

Alk=9.5

Temp=25-26C (77-80F)....(installing chiller soon to keep it more stable at 25C)

You say he was the first fish in the tank, and originally he was fine. But now you have a clown and damsel? I bet one or both of them are messing with him.

 

[boshk]

You say he was the first fish in the tank, and originally he was fine. But now you have a clown and damsel? I bet one or both of them are messing with him.

I see the Damsel having a go at him BUT only when he is up middle or top of tank.....then he freaks out....

today YWG seems to have 'calmed' down, hasn't swam up at all....
just rests in one random position on the sand and stars blankly for hours...... :crazy1:

 

[ThRoewer]

He needs a shrimp (YWG prefer tiger pistol shrimp) - in the wild they always live in symbiosis with pistol shrimps: the shrimp builds and maintains the burrow while the fish watches out for predators. The shrimp can't see well, while the goby is not good a building a burrow, so they need each other.
Without a suitable burrow these gobies are prone to freak out.

 

[boshk]

He needs a shrimp (YWG prefer tiger pistol shrimp) - in the wild they always live in symbiosis with pistol shrimps: the shrimp builds and maintains the burrow while the fish watches out for predators. The shrimp can't see well, while the goby is not good a building a burrow, so they need each other.
Without a suitable burrow these gobies are prone to freak out.

I got a Pistol shrimp in the DT with him, I can hear the shrimp clicking, but the YWG is doing its own thing

 

[ThRoewer]

I got a Pistol shrimp in the DT with him, I can hear the shrimp clicking, but the YWG is doing its own thing

Which kind of pistol shrimp? There are many. Some live in rocks, sponges,... Only a few of those who dig burrows form a symbiosis with gobies.
Also, some gobies are kind of picky with which shrimp they pair up - at a minimum it needs to be a match size wise.

 

[snorvich]

Which kind of pistol shrimp? There are many. Some live in rocks, sponges,... Only a few of those who dig burrows form a symbiosis with gobies.
Also, some gobies are kind of picky with which shrimp they pair up - at a minimum it needs to be a match size wise.

I agree. Ideally you need alpheus randal as not all pistol shrimp are commensal.

 

[ThRoewer]

I think YWGs prefer Alpheus bellulus (Tiger Pistol Shrimp) as it builds larger burrows which fit the larger diameter of adult YWG better.

A. randalli is preferred by the smaller gobies (High Fin, Yasha, Dracula,...) because it matches their body diameters better.

There are a couple of other pistol shrimp that live with gobies, but those are much harder to find.

 

[boshk]

Which kind of pistol shrimp? There are many. Some live in rocks, sponges,... Only a few of those who dig burrows form a symbiosis with gobies.
Also, some gobies are kind of picky with which shrimp they pair up - at a minimum it needs to be a match size wise.

Pretty sure I have a randalli but haven't seen him recently but I can hear him clicking away.

maybe it just takes time. I guess I should have had the shrimp in the QT with the goby.....