Feeding a very reclusive YWG

[beepboop]

New to saltwater and trying not to harm anyone...

So I added a YWG and tiger pistol shrimp to my 44 gal tank two days ago. I drip acclimated and turned off tank lights prior to adding. After putting them in the tank, the shrimp immediately hid and the goby laid on the sand in the front corner for about an hour. He was motionless for so long that I was starting to think he died. A snail even crawled up next to him, and nothing. At some point that evening, the goby swam away and has since completely disappeared. There are several new burrows under the rock work, but no spotting of either the shrimp or goby. I'm getting legitimately concerned that the goby will starve if he doesn't come out for food (assuming he's still okay somewhere...). I've tried NLS Thera+A pellets, frozen mysis, and frozen brine without a peep. Other occupants of the tank include a pair of Ocellaris, 3 Trochus snails, and 3 Nassarius snails, all doing well. The clowns were added about one month ago. I've read about other people spot feeding by the goby's burrow, but there are 5 or 6 new burrows in my tank and I really have no clue if any of them are occupied.

My tank has a glass lid, so I don't think anyone jumped ship. I haven't heard any tell-tale "pop" from the pistol either. He was very small, so maybe that's why?

I started with CaribSea Life Rock and "live" sand. Would introducing copepods and dosing phytoplankton do anything to help feed my shy YWG? Is the fact that he was first laying still and pushed into in a corner a bad sign? I've never had a watchman before, but that seemed so odd to me...

 

[shakacuz]

i would take a turkey baster and get some food and target feed the little caves you've found. my gobyie's died quite some time ago(two separate liveaquaria orders) so my randall's shrimp has been lonely and doesn't come out its cave system, so i target feed the entryways. sometimes i get to see it take the food right out of the baster.

give your YWG time to acclimate. even if you drip acclimated it, it still need to scope out its new environment to find its home or pair with the shrimp.

also; welcome aboard the r2r board! hello from PA!

 

[beepboop]

i would take a turkey baster and get some food and target feed the little caves you've found. my gobyie's died quite some time ago(two separate liveaquaria orders) so my randall's shrimp has been lonely and doesn't come out its cave system, so i target feed the entryways. sometimes i get to see it take the food right out of the baster.

give your YWG time to acclimate. even if you drip acclimated it, it still need to scope out its new environment to find its home or pair with the shrimp.

also; welcome aboard the r2r board! hello from PA!

I'll try that. The anxiety as a I stare at these empty little burrows is getting out of hand.
Thanks, neighbor! Hello from OH

 

[littlefoxx]

Normal for a yellow watchmen… mine vanished for almost a year. Or so I thought. Guy is just super shy. Saw him one day. I dont do anything special now that I know where his burrow is I keep an eye for him but just feed the tank and walk away and watch from a distance and him and the shrimp come out for food when they think Im not in the room

 

[beepboop]

Normal for a yellow watchmen… mine vanished for almost a year. Or so I thought. Guy is just super shy. Saw him one day. I dont do anything special now that I know where his burrow is I keep an eye for him but just feed the tank and walk away and watch from a distance and him and the shrimp come out for food when they think Im not in the room

Good to know. I finally spotted the pistol last night, busily rearranging the substrate.

Watchman is still MIA, so I don't think they've found each other yet.

 

[CBonito]

Good to know. I finally spotted the pistol last night, busily rearranging the substrate.

Watchman is still MIA, so I don't think they've found each other yet.

I added a diamond goby the other day after the first one jumped. He's been hiding for two days from I think my flame hawk. We'll see how it goes. They are spooky little suckers if they don't like something and will hide for a while until they feel safe to come out or if they get hungry enough. If you broadcast feed the tank, they will be able to get some food while they hide.

 

[JayM]

Probably still getting used to his new home. Mine disappeared for about a week when I first got him, but I now seem him daily.

He has become a bit of a picky eater. He'll occasionally pick at whatever flakes or pellets that mange to land directly in front of him, and will also sometimes sift sand, but when the evening feeding of Reef Frenzy comes along, he grabs the biggest chunk he can find, and back to the burrow he goes.