Watchman Goby Help

[TheBigDrewsky]

Funny story, or not…

About a month ago we bought a few fish for the new tank. One of them was this watchman Goby, as pictured in the YouTube link.

For about two days he stayed on the sand bed and on day three he started swimming towards the top of the tank and eventually only around the top of the tank - sadly He went down the overflow.

He did managed to survive the travel through the PVC pipe system and ended up in the Reef mat where we rescued him and placed him into our sump.

He has lived in our sump With Rubble and Chaeto (no sand) and being fed twice a day for three weeks.

We decided to try him back in the large display tank today and as you can see, he does this up-and-down swimming all around the top of the tank and has done so for over six hours. He has only been on the sand bed for about 15 minutes. I attempted to feed , but no such luck.

So, what would you do? Leave him in the tank and see if he goes back into the overflow for another journey around the system? Let him be and see what happens… and hoping for the best? Or would you put him back in the sump, find him a tank mate, and just let him be until he’s a little bigger, and perhaps a little older?

Suggestions?

 

[Chris.sturgis]

Looks like he is being bullied, from what I’ve seen in the past if they are swimming near the top they are stressed. Good thing you have a lid because he would have definitely been on the floor. I would either try a acclimation box or just throw him in the sump for now.

 

[TheBigDrewsky]

Looks like he is being bullied, from what I’ve seen in the past if they are swimming near the top they are stressed. Good thing you have a lid because he would have definitely been on the floor. I would either try an acclimation box or just throw him in the sump for now.

I agree I think - should I add a sump mate for company? If yes - what?

 

[Chris.sturgis]

Depends on how big your sump is haha

 

[TheBigDrewsky]

Looks like he is being bullied, from what I’ve seen in the past if they are swimming near the top they are stressed. Good thing you have a lid because he would have definitely been on the floor. I would either try an acclimation box or just throw him in the sump for now.

I agree I think - should I add a tank mate for company? If yes - what?

Depends on how big your sump is

 

[TheBigDrewsky]

Tiny - it’s the refugium section of the sump - there is rubble in there already - gonna make him a cave - has chaeto - copepods - so was thinking a snail or something small and peaceful but stumped

 

[Chris.sturgis]

If the sump is small it might just be best to sell him or maybe see if you can get store credit from where you got it.

 

[Mixed Reefer]

Funny story, or not…

About a month ago we bought a few fish for the new tank. One of them was this watchman Goby, as pictured in the YouTube link.

For about two days he stayed on the sand bed and on day three he started swimming towards the top of the tank and eventually only around the top of the tank - sadly He went down the overflow.

He did managed to survive the travel through the PVC pipe system and ended up in the Reef mat where we rescued him and placed him into our sump.

He has lived in our sump With Rubble and Chaeto (no sand) and being fed twice a day for three weeks.

We decided to try him back in the large display tank today and as you can see, he does this up-and-down swimming all around the top of the tank and has done so for over six hours. He has only been on the sand bed for about 15 minutes. I attempted to feed , but no such luck.

So, what would you do? Leave him in the tank and see if he goes back into the overflow for another journey around the system? Let him be and see what happens… and hoping for the best? Or would you put him back in the sump, find him a tank mate, and just let him be until he’s a little bigger, and perhaps a little older?

Suggestions?

Hey, my watchman occasionally goes up and down the side of the glass. When I first purchased him I had the same issues. Do you have a shrimp for him? I ask this because one time I netted the watchman and brought him down in front of the shrimps hole using a net. The shrimp in my tank popped his head out and the goby swam right into his hole. You can’t make this ahit up. Ever since they’ve been together. So if you don’t have a shrimp go get one!! Good luck

 

[TheBigDrewsky]

Hey, my watchman occasionally goes up and down the side of the glass. When I first purchased him I had the same issues. Do you have a shrimp for him? I ask this because one time I netted the watchman and brought him down in front of the shrimps hole using a net. The shrimp in my tank popped his head out and the goby swam right into his hole. You can’t make this ahit up. Ever since they’ve been together. So if you don’t have a shrimp go get one!! Good luck

We do have a pistol but we can’t find him to save our lives - if we could find him we would do the same with the goby - keep looking for holes. Hey nothing yet - sigh

 

[theone]

they like to make themselves caves under LR. Sometimes when the other fish bully them, they have a bit of a time trying to decide where they're going to dig. I think the acclimation box is a good idea.

 

[Reefried]

How did he get down the overflow? Through the weir?

 

[TheBigDrewsky]

How did he get down the overflow? Through the weir?

Yep, he was a skinny thing 3 weeks ago

 

[TheBigDrewsky]

We put him back in the sump last night… 8 hours of continuous up and down the side and not even a second of rest. If he was going to die from stress I rather him be in the sump where he had been for 3 weeks and managed to eat. Not sure whats next…..