Watchman Goby Body Hole?

CrypticLifeStyle

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So i've had this particular watchman goby for 1>2* years now I believe, always been a grumpy faced man, but never a issue. Two weeks ago, I noticed a big hole on his side, and I can see through to the other side, and see the sack holding his intestines as well. Freaked out, went through all the scenarios, water tests, did the google thing.

Maybe I didn't read enough but post's going back many years, everyone that seemed to of went through it too never did find a answer as to why from what I could tell, and seemed to me this was a possibly common thing with watchman gobies?

Is there a specific reasoning I'm not finding for the cause of this? I was going to post a picture. I'll have to wait til tomorrow as I decided to ask after I turned the lights off. If you google Watchman Goby Body Hole, and that is pretty much it.

I've been feeding him twice a day (mysis, brine, omega one cichlid), and the cleaner shrimp has been cleaning the damage. I'm also doing 5g (out of a 70/80g system) daily water changes as well as a preventive. The wound is healing, and I'm feeling confident this will end well within a couple weeks to a month judging by it's healing rate, but I am clueless as to why. I'm not one to ask questions much, but I am stumped on this presently.

He is acting like there isn't anything wrong which makes it odd, for me anyways. There is literally no change in his day to day.
Also, no, he wasn't caught on a pump/powerhead.
 
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I think I remember something about this from years ago. It was called a bacterial infection. I can’t find the link though. It seemed to be about a 50/50 chance for the goby and those with cleaner shrimp in the system seemed to have a little bit better odds even though that didn’t really didn’t make sense. Cleaner shrimp pick off parasites not bacteria so there was a debate about it being a parasitic infection and not bacterial.
 
That's interesting. Perhaps the presence of the parasite leads to the bacterial infection which leads to a fish you can put on a necklace
 
I have the exact same thing going on with my Watchman. Started off with my fire shrimp taking an interest in him and constantly cleaning one spot. At some point they left him alone like they had gotten whatever was interesting them but the WG had a visible sore on his side.
I assumed it would heal but just kept getting deeper and deeper. I was assuming the Fire shrimp were still picking at it as they shared a cave at night.
the hole got to the point where I could see the top of the stomach, ribs and spine.

I pulled it 3 days ago and put him in my sump thinking he would be stress free, no shrimps, plenty of hiding spots between the macro's and rubble hoping it would heal but sounds like this is unlikely. I have not seen it since putting it in the sump but there are lots of hiding spots so hoping for the best.

I am glad you posted this, I felt so bad for this poor WG he was such a cool fish but knowing this is a somewhat common malady makes me feel better and not something wrong with my tank.

My granddaughter keeps asking where is Sunny and she keeps opening the cabinet to the sump hoping to see Sunny.
Please post if you learn anything about this condition
 
I think I remember something about this from years ago. It was called a bacterial infection. I can’t find the link though. It seemed to be about a 50/50 chance for the goby and those with cleaner shrimp in the system seemed to have a little bit better odds even though that didn’t really didn’t make sense. Cleaner shrimp pick off parasites not bacteria so there was a debate about it being a parasitic infection and not bacterial.

They will also remove dead tissue. He seemed like he was doing hole edging work of the wound . I have a scarlet cleaner in this tank. It would be interesting if it was parasite or bacterial as I haven't added anything new in forever. A year minimum at least I think, and that was just a PJ , and some crabs from another member, and they are still fine themselves. I have a problem getting rid of corals, not buying them. Not a lot of in/out traffic of this tank since it's inception really.

I have the exact same thing going on with my Watchman. Started off with my fire shrimp taking an interest in him and constantly cleaning one spot. At some point they left him alone like they had gotten whatever was interesting them but the WG had a visible sore on his side.
I assumed it would heal but just kept getting deeper and deeper. I was assuming the Fire shrimp were still picking at it as they shared a cave at night.
the hole got to the point where I could see the top of the stomach, ribs and spine.

I pulled it 3 days ago and put him in my sump thinking he would be stress free, no shrimps, plenty of hiding spots between the macro's and rubble hoping it would heal but sounds like this is unlikely. I have not seen it since putting it in the sump but there are lots of hiding spots so hoping for the best.

I am glad you posted this, I felt so bad for this poor WG he was such a cool fish but knowing this is a somewhat common malady makes me feel better and not something wrong with my tank.

My granddaughter keeps asking where is Sunny and she keeps opening the cabinet to the sump hoping to see Sunny.
Please post if you learn anything about this condition

Interesting yours happened around the same time. I have been debating removing mine, but If I don't have to I would prefer not to. Hoping anyways, but man this has been the shittiest past 3, life in general months for me, I probably will. Going to take some work, this is a debate I'm having with myself. Maybe the stress will be worse off then removing rock work, and chasing him down. I would most definitely have to net him, and that could be a issue in itself.

Will do, same for you as well. Might try to create a general statistic what time of year this is happening with others in the past, and if it plays any role. If there's a seasonal thing it may bring us closer to the answer. Thank you for sharing your moment as well, thought maybe I'd be out to dry on this one completely lol.
 
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This is very interesting and I have never heard of it. I have had many of them and never had that problem.
 
Lost my yellow watchmen goby to a strange single sore on his side last year. My green pistol had been going rogue and getting snappy at everyone so I removed him thinking it could have been a wound from the shrimp and the fish succumbed to the strange sore. Although it never reached a full hole I think it may have been related to these deaths as it sounds similar. I will keep an eye on the replacement YWG who is about a year in. I have a fire shrimp as well and witnessed no cleaning of the wound.
 
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is what I'm looking into at the moment. Doubt it is it, but learned some new things, and there is some similarity's.
Didn't realize NY had such a round goby population. Fish TB has been brought up, goby disease as well, but eh.
 
First 2 pictures are from the 16th, pictures 3 & 4 are the 19th.

Unfortunately the 16th picture would of been the oldest I had, and 2 weeks after the hole appeared, but in the 3 calendsr days of pictures shown, it does document healing at a good rate, and a positive probability for an outcome.
I chose omega one cichlid as a main portion of food intake because I had it already, and has garlic, and a few other things I hoped would aid in the healing process. The hole originally could of fit a pinky finger. It was mind boggling how he was alive.
There is also what looks like blackening/bruising more visible.
He's very active, and difficult to photo with the phone.
 

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Great to hear, hopefully he recovers 100%, mine is improving as well but being in the sump it is much harder to get a clear view but definitely better.
 
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