Clown Goby

[FroggyFox]

Hey guys, I started feeding the little yellow clown goby brine shrimp when I brought him home and he loved em. Then after awhile I added the firefish and also started feeding some other foods. (formula 1 and some other stuff) anyway, apparantly the clown goby hasn't been eating a whole lot because he looks very skinny. I put brine shrimp in last night and he always came out delighted to chow down before, but now he wont even come out for them.

Is he too far gone? Should I just keep feeding brine shrimp and hope he recovers or should I attempt to net him and make him eat somethin? I just can't exactly throw him into another tank since I dont HAVE another salt tank...but I could try and throw something together...if anyone thought it would help. I have a little 1G I could take water from the big tank and a couple tiny pieces of LR...but I dont really have a filter...its a UGF lol -=sigh=- I dont know.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Is the firefish being aggressive towards him, keeping him from coming out to eat? I know they're supposed to be really passive, but maybe yours doesn't like the other goby.

Maybe you could try live brine shrimp or an open clam or something-that's what the books recommend for larger carnivores that stop eating.

 

[1979camaro]

i would isolate him and go from there...sounds like the firefish is preventing him from feeding

 

[aresgod]

I agree with camaro, similiar shaped fish can sometimes be intimidated. I would isolate and try to spot feed with something new and something for finicky eaters like maybe oyster eggs or something with lots of protien. and when you put him back in re-arange a bunch of stuff to help with them both establishing new territories.

 

[FroggyFox]

No...actually from the time I got him the firefish and him were getting along and they were both out and about.

When I say brine shrimp I actually mean live brine shrimp...I hatch them constantly for all my fish.

Camaro...suggestions for isolating him??

 

[aresgod]

I would go grab a 5 gallon tank, they are 5$ at petco or walmart or anywhere else.

 

[FroggyFox]

You think a 1G tank with practically NO circulation would be ok for extremely short term? I think thats probably what I better do.

-=looks around room to see if I could possibly fit another tank anywhere=-

As it is that tank is in my roommate's room...and getting another tank setup with heater powerhead LR etc just isn't feesable right now. I'm leaving to go housesit in the morning....

 

[FroggyFox]

OK I'll do the little tank...if he's not gonna make it in the big tank then maybe he'll have a better chance in the little tank. I'll leave the ugf running with the LR in there and maybe it'll move the water around a bit??

 

[1979camaro]

yah, anything would be better than keeping them together. the thing with brine shrimp is they aren't very nutritious, mostly fat and water. might try frozen mysis or roe

 

[FroggyFox]

Well...I guess he was just too far gone. I didn't get the other tank setup last night, and he was looking a lot more alert than the day before...and then I went in to feed them this morning and he was dead.

I feel very bad, but at least I learned my lesson. Can't let personal life completely consume everything now like I can with my FW tanks. I was also thinking about what you said Camaro yesterday about the brine shrimp not being incredibly nutritious...I didn't even think about it, but I think since the goby was the first fish in the tank I bet it was browsing on copepods etc that showed up during the tank cycling process...and that I was supplementing his diet with brine shrimp....then I added the firefish and the copepods were gone and it didn't even cross my mind that I should be feeding them more stuff. I had only gotten in one or two feedings with the formula one and neither of them seemed too thrilled to eat the stuff.

Ah well...life goes on. Live and learn I suppose. Thanks for your help guys.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Aw, that's sad . Are you going to try another little goby?

Took my fire goby a while to accept frozen brine shrimp-he was used to flakes.

 

[TLM4x4]

condolences

Aw Froggy...Im so sorry to hear about your little fishy. I can tell from the short time we have chatted how meticulas you are with your tanks...well, with all of your little pets and its hard when you lose one for whatever reason.
((Froggy))

 

[FroggyFox]

Thanks guys TLM I think thats probably why I feel so bad because I have been so busy lately and neglected that tank...if I hadn't been preoccupied with roommate drama and work drama then I should have noticed a week ago that he wasn't doing too hot.

I haven't decided yet...I was thinking about it in the shower this morning (yes I think best in the shower) and I dont know. I know I want to get another hermit crab because I only have one (other died mysteriously) and maybe I'll just add him and make sure I am feeding the firefish right before I try adding any other fish in. That goby was really cute though...I know I'd like to get another one, but I'll probably be paranoid that its getting enough to eat heh.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If it was in fact the firefish, then he got aggressive towards a previously established fish. He'd be worse to a new one in HIS territory. Make sure to rearrange if you get another goby, and try to watch before you release the new goby to see if they look like they'll get along.

 

[dbacksrat]

what about one of those breeder nets for isolation? I feel your pain, froggy, I've lost a couple of beloved gobies too

 

[FroggyFox]

That probably would have been the best route dbacksrat...although I still would have had to tear the tank apart to catch him and put him in the net.

Capslock I'll keep that in mind...although this tank is a hex and its really pretty much impossible to arrange differently than it is now

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Different rocks on top versus bottom = rearranged.

 

[wayne]

The trouble with very small fish is they have so little body mass to use as reserve fuel that they can go downhill very quickly.
You should gutload the brine with selcon or they're jsut the equiv. of popcorn