Hector's Goby - not sure if something is wrong?

[saltcats]

Hi all,

My hector's goby seems to be acting differently the last couple of days and I'm not sure if something is up with him, and if so what it could be?

I have had him for about 3 1/2 weeks now (I believe he was at the store for a week before I got him as well).
He's in an evo 13.5 by himself; the tank has been running since last November although I did take it apart and move it in September of this year (added back all same rocks and just enough of the sand to cover the bottom).
I haven't made any changes in the time that I've had him - no temp fluctuations that I know of, not added or removed anything.

I haven't seem him eat anything I've offered directly in the time I've had him but he's been active picking at the rocks and glass and sifting sand, and I've seen him poop so I figure he's getting enough from what he's finding? I know there were a lot of amphipods before I added him, and I have green film algae growing on the glass as well. He has looked plump the whole time.
I feed the tank 6 drops phytofeast daily, and a few times a week I add some little pieces of mysis when I feed my other tank.

He has been very active and picking at things all day long since I've got him, until the last couple days... Monday he spent most of the day hanging out above the dragon's breath and periodically diving into it, and only started going around the tank and picking at things like normal in the evening.
Tuesday I'm not sure what he did during the day (was at work) but seemed to be picking at things actively and enthusiastically when I looked in on him in the evening, although I felt his swimming was strange. His tail was hanging down a bit, and I felt he seemed to be struggling in the flow in a way I haven't seen before? I did see him do a very large poop that evening before he put himself to bed for the night.
Today I was very concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm, and only briefly since then. When he is out he looks okay, same as yesterday, but he is still spending a lot of time by the macro and hiding more.

I am confused since this doesn't seem to match any symptoms that I'm familiar with - he is eating vigorously when he's not hanging out in one spot, his colours and body condition looks normal, and his fins aren't clamped at all (if anything the opposite, he seems to be keeping his dorsal fin extended more than I've seen before!).

Temp 78, no ammonia (I have an ammonia alert badge and my LFS tested). My LFS tested my water and didn't find anything concerning. Including a video of him from last night. Thanks very much!

Sorry the video is very brief - the lights were starting to dim and he is very prompt about going to bed I can try to grab some more footage if he comes out again today, he's been only making brief appearances.

 

[MnFish1]

Hi all,

My hector's goby seems to be acting differently the last couple of days and I'm not sure if something is up with him, and if so what it could be?

I have had him for about 3 1/2 weeks now (I believe he was at the store for a week before I got him as well).
He's in an evo 13.5 by himself; the tank has been running since last November although I did take it apart and move it in September of this year (added back all same rocks and just enough of the sand to cover the bottom).
I haven't made any changes in the time that I've had him - no temp fluctuations that I know of, not added or removed anything.

I haven't seem him eat anything I've offered directly in the time I've had him but he's been active picking at the rocks and glass and sifting sand, and I've seen him poop so I figure he's getting enough from what he's finding? I know there were a lot of amphipods before I added him, and I have green film algae growing on the glass as well. He has looked plump the whole time.
I feed the tank 6 drops phytofeast daily, and a few times a week I add some little pieces of mysis when I feed my other tank.

He has been very active and picking at things all day long since I've got him, until the last couple days... Monday he spent most of the day hanging out above the dragon's breath and periodically diving into it, and only started going around the tank and picking at things like normal in the evening.
Tuesday I'm not sure what he did during the day (was at work) but seemed to be picking at things actively and enthusiastically when I looked in on him in the evening, although I felt his swimming was strange. His tail was hanging down a bit, and I felt he seemed to be struggling in the flow in a way I haven't seen before? I did see him do a very large poop that evening before he put himself to bed for the night.
Today I was very concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm, and only briefly since then. When he is out he looks okay, same as yesterday, but he is still spending a lot of time by the macro and hiding more.

I am confused since this doesn't seem to match any symptoms that I'm familiar with - he is eating vigorously when he's not hanging out in one spot, his colours and body condition looks normal, and his fins aren't clamped at all (if anything the opposite, he seems to be keeping his dorsal fin extended more than I've seen before!).

Temp 78, no ammonia (I have an ammonia alert badge and my LFS tested). My LFS tested my water and didn't find anything concerning. Including a video of him from last night. Thanks very much!

Sorry the video is very brief - the lights were starting to dim and he is very prompt about going to bed I can try to grab some more footage if he comes out again today, he's been only making brief appearances.

So there are no medications in the tank, correct?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

My hector's goby seems to be acting differently the last couple of days and I'm not sure if something is up with him, and if so what it could be?

I have had him for about 3 1/2 weeks now (I believe he was at the store for a week before I got him as well).
He's in an evo 13.5 by himself; the tank has been running since last November although I did take it apart and move it in September of this year (added back all same rocks and just enough of the sand to cover the bottom).
I haven't made any changes in the time that I've had him - no temp fluctuations that I know of, not added or removed anything.

I haven't seem him eat anything I've offered directly in the time I've had him but he's been active picking at the rocks and glass and sifting sand, and I've seen him poop so I figure he's getting enough from what he's finding? I know there were a lot of amphipods before I added him, and I have green film algae growing on the glass as well. He has looked plump the whole time.
I feed the tank 6 drops phytofeast daily, and a few times a week I add some little pieces of mysis when I feed my other tank.

He has been very active and picking at things all day long since I've got him, until the last couple days... Monday he spent most of the day hanging out above the dragon's breath and periodically diving into it, and only started going around the tank and picking at things like normal in the evening.
Tuesday I'm not sure what he did during the day (was at work) but seemed to be picking at things actively and enthusiastically when I looked in on him in the evening, although I felt his swimming was strange. His tail was hanging down a bit, and I felt he seemed to be struggling in the flow in a way I haven't seen before? I did see him do a very large poop that evening before he put himself to bed for the night.
Today I was very concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm, and only briefly since then. When he is out he looks okay, same as yesterday, but he is still spending a lot of time by the macro and hiding more.

I am confused since this doesn't seem to match any symptoms that I'm familiar with - he is eating vigorously when he's not hanging out in one spot, his colours and body condition looks normal, and his fins aren't clamped at all (if anything the opposite, he seems to be keeping his dorsal fin extended more than I've seen before!).

Temp 78, no ammonia (I have an ammonia alert badge and my LFS tested). My LFS tested my water and didn't find anything concerning. Including a video of him from last night. Thanks very much!

Sorry the video is very brief - the lights were starting to dim and he is very prompt about going to bed I can try to grab some more footage if he comes out again today, he's been only making brief appearances.

I see a lot of dead hair algae - Assure nitrates have not become elevated.
Any changes made in light or water flow as of recent?

 

[saltcats]

I see a lot of dead hair algae - Assure nitrates have not become elevated.
Any changes made in light or water flow as of recent?

Thanks, I can check that tomorrow. The hair algae died pretty quick after adding him to the tank, in the first week or so I'd say.
EDIT - if it's the greyish fuzzy stuff on all the rocks you are referring to - that has always looked like that, was never green. I had a nasty cyano issue for a good few months between about June - September; when that finally cleared up this grey stuff appeared instead. There were 2 patches of new green hair algae that started growing before I got the fish (you can just see one on the left of the screen), which have started dying back subsequently.

No changes to flow and no real changes to light; we did have a brief power flicker last week which reset the timer on that tank, and when I reset it I made the lights come on 1 hours later and off 1 hour later. No change to the actual intensity or colour though.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi all,

My hector's goby seems to be acting differently the last couple of days and I'm not sure if something is up with him, and if so what it could be?

I have had him for about 3 1/2 weeks now (I believe he was at the store for a week before I got him as well).
He's in an evo 13.5 by himself; the tank has been running since last November although I did take it apart and move it in September of this year (added back all same rocks and just enough of the sand to cover the bottom).
I haven't made any changes in the time that I've had him - no temp fluctuations that I know of, not added or removed anything.

I haven't seem him eat anything I've offered directly in the time I've had him but he's been active picking at the rocks and glass and sifting sand, and I've seen him poop so I figure he's getting enough from what he's finding? I know there were a lot of amphipods before I added him, and I have green film algae growing on the glass as well. He has looked plump the whole time.
I feed the tank 6 drops phytofeast daily, and a few times a week I add some little pieces of mysis when I feed my other tank.

He has been very active and picking at things all day long since I've got him, until the last couple days... Monday he spent most of the day hanging out above the dragon's breath and periodically diving into it, and only started going around the tank and picking at things like normal in the evening.
Tuesday I'm not sure what he did during the day (was at work) but seemed to be picking at things actively and enthusiastically when I looked in on him in the evening, although I felt his swimming was strange. His tail was hanging down a bit, and I felt he seemed to be struggling in the flow in a way I haven't seen before? I did see him do a very large poop that evening before he put himself to bed for the night.
Today I was very concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm, and only briefly since then. When he is out he looks okay, same as yesterday, but he is still spending a lot of time by the macro and hiding more.

I am confused since this doesn't seem to match any symptoms that I'm familiar with - he is eating vigorously when he's not hanging out in one spot, his colours and body condition looks normal, and his fins aren't clamped at all (if anything the opposite, he seems to be keeping his dorsal fin extended more than I've seen before!).

Temp 78, no ammonia (I have an ammonia alert badge and my LFS tested). My LFS tested my water and didn't find anything concerning. Including a video of him from last night. Thanks very much!

Sorry the video is very brief - the lights were starting to dim and he is very prompt about going to bed I can try to grab some more footage if he comes out again today, he's been only making brief appearances.

I’ve had some issues with hectors getting them to eat enough…grazing in the tank only goes so far. Has it fed on any user supplied foods at all?

Jay

 

[saltcats]

So there are no medications in the tank, correct?

No medications.

I meant to say in my original post but forgot in trying to include all the details - I did do a dose of Fritz slime out for the cyano back in July but the tank has had a 40+% water change since then.
I have added occasionally a bit of NeoNitro and NeoPhos when the macro started looking too sad but none recently. Last dose was definitely before getting the fish.

 

[saltcats]

I’ve had some issues with hectors getting them to eat enough…grazing in the tank only goes so far. Has it fed on any user supplied foods at all?

Jay

I haven't seem him take any.
I have offered mysis and LRS nano; any suggestions? I can get tigger pods readily... would that work?
He's intended to go into my 50g when it's set up; the evo is just meant as a QT.


I checked my nitrate per vetteguy's suggestion and it is reading 0 using API.
I did also notice while I was taking the water sample that the tank has a very good view through the window of the neighbor's rapidly flashing and very bright Christmas lights; I have closed the blinds in case that was bothering him, although I am skeptical it's causing what I've noticed since he seemed to get more normal in the evening vs the day.

 

[Rubymoon286]

How is your pod population? I loved my Hector's, but it wouldn't take prepared foods, only pods/grazing, and I found that if my population wasn't high enough that they are regularly seen on the glass, he'd start getting lethargic and look a little thin. If you have access to it, see about adding a couple jars of pods, I ended up having to dose two jars every two weeks to keep population up in the tank he was in, otherwise he'd just decimate the population (I kept him in a 20, so there also wasn't a lot of room for pods to keep breeding.)

 

[saltcats]

How is your pod population? I loved my Hector's, but it wouldn't take prepared foods, only pods/grazing, and I found that if my population wasn't high enough that they are regularly seen on the glass, he'd start getting lethargic and look a little thin. If you have access to it, see about adding a couple jars of pods, I ended up having to dose two jars every two weeks to keep population up in the tank he was in, otherwise he'd just decimate the population (I kept him in a 20, so there also wasn't a lot of room for pods to keep breeding.)

Thanks - I added pods today and there's definitely lots in there now. I haven't seen him at all today but I have been out most of the day... fingers crossed he's okay!

The tank had a good amphipod population before I added him and I do still see them at night when I check on the tank... not sure if they might be bigger than he'd eat though.

 

[Rubymoon286]

Thanks - I added pods today and there's definitely lots in there now. I haven't seen him at all today but I have been out most of the day... fingers crossed he's okay!

The tank had a good amphipod population before I added him and I do still see them at night when I check on the tank... not sure if they might be bigger than he'd eat though.

Yeah, they can be kind of finicky especially wild caught, mine was tank raised, but still refused prepared foods, but he'd eat all kinds of live preps, I don't remember if I ever offered amphipods in that tank or not, but he'd find all kinds and I even caught him eating a tiny bristle worm once, so I imagine they eat amphipods too. I hope your dude recovers, they're one of my favorite fish. Beyond that I would just keep an eye on him to see if any visual symptoms of disease turn up. Best Wishes!

 

[Greyskull_714]

Hi all,

My hector's goby seems to be acting differently the last couple of days and I'm not sure if something is up with him, and if so what it could be?

I have had him for about 3 1/2 weeks now (I believe he was at the store for a week before I got him as well).
He's in an evo 13.5 by himself; the tank has been running since last November although I did take it apart and move it in September of this year (added back all same rocks and just enough of the sand to cover the bottom).
I haven't made any changes in the time that I've had him - no temp fluctuations that I know of, not added or removed anything.

I haven't seem him eat anything I've offered directly in the time I've had him but he's been active picking at the rocks and glass and sifting sand, and I've seen him poop so I figure he's getting enough from what he's finding? I know there were a lot of amphipods before I added him, and I have green film algae growing on the glass as well. He has looked plump the whole time.
I feed the tank 6 drops phytofeast daily, and a few times a week I add some little pieces of mysis when I feed my other tank.

He has been very active and picking at things all day long since I've got him, until the last couple days... Monday he spent most of the day hanging out above the dragon's breath and periodically diving into it, and only started going around the tank and picking at things like normal in the evening.
Tuesday I'm not sure what he did during the day (was at work) but seemed to be picking at things actively and enthusiastically when I looked in on him in the evening, although I felt his swimming was strange. His tail was hanging down a bit, and I felt he seemed to be struggling in the flow in a way I haven't seen before? I did see him do a very large poop that evening before he put himself to bed for the night.
Today I was very concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm, and only briefly since then. When he is out he looks okay, same as yesterday, but he is still spending a lot of time by the macro and hiding more.

I am confused since this doesn't seem to match any symptoms that I'm familiar with - he is eating vigorously when he's not hanging out in one spot, his colours and body condition looks normal, and his fins aren't clamped at all (if anything the opposite, he seems to be keeping his dorsal fin extended more than I've seen before!).

Temp 78, no ammonia (I have an ammonia alert badge and my LFS tested). My LFS tested my water and didn't find anything concerning. Including a video of him from last night. Thanks very much!

Sorry the video is very brief - the lights were starting to dim and he is very prompt about going to bed I can try to grab some more footage if he comes out again today, he's been only making brief appearances.

Did your goby start eating?

 

[saltcats]

Did your goby start eating?

He passed away not long after this (it sounds like either cyanide toxicity or some type of internal injury) - but I ended up getting another one which is doing well! It isn't really eating anything I am feeding that I've seen but it did pick at frozen mysis a day or 2 after I got it; I think it's just finding enough to pick at that it doesn't need to.

[Wasn't planning on getting another after learning more about how hard to feed they are, but this one had been at my LFS a few weeks and seemed to be getting skinnier every time I saw it; decided to take a chance since it didn't seem like it was going to make it if it stayed there much longer. Have had it 6 weeks now and it has filled out nicely!]

 

[Greyskull_714]

He passed away not long after this (it sounds like either cyanide toxicity or some type of internal injury) - but I ended up getting another one which is doing well! It isn't really eating anything I am feeding that I've seen but it did pick at frozen mysis a day or 2 after I got it; I think it's just finding enough to pick at that it doesn't need to.

[Wasn't planning on getting another after learning more about how hard to feed they are, but this one had been at my LFS a few weeks and seemed to be getting skinnier every time I saw it; decided to take a chance since it didn't seem like it was going to make it if it stayed there much longer. Have had it 6 weeks now and it has filled out nicely!]

Im going through a similar situation with my Hector.... Poor guy. I cant get him to eat anything

 

[saltcats]

Im going through a similar situation with my Hector.... Poor guy. I cant get him to eat anything

Sorry to hear that I wish so many of the sources didn't gloss over so much how hard it is to get them to accept prepared foods.

Is he picking at things in the tank still and just not taking what you are offering? Or not trying to eat at all? If he's picking at things I'd see if you can get live pods from anywhere. I also found frozen copepods (Hikari Cyclopod+); I don't know that mine is eating them but I feel it could be a good option to offer. I've also wondered if something like masstick would work, since they love to pick at surfaces...

I hope he pulls through for you!

 

[Greyskull_714]

Sorry to hear that I wish so many of the sources didn't gloss over so much how hard it is to get them to accept prepared foods.

Is he picking at things in the tank still and just not taking what you are offering? Or not trying to eat at all? If he's picking at things I'd see if you can get live pods from anywhere. I also found frozen copepods (Hikari Cyclopod+); I don't know that mine is eating them but I feel it could be a good option to offer. I've also wondered if something like masstick would work, since they love to pick at surfaces...

I hope he pulls through for you!

Yes I agree on the info on feeding. I have tried feeding everything that I can think of. Hes still alive after 3 weeks so he must be eating something. When i feed the tank he comes out to take a look but doesnt take anything... unless hes filtering the water for particles that i dont see. Someone suggested masstick so i have that coming. I also am going to add pods... i didnt try that because he didnt take live brine shrimp. But after that Im out of ideas