Watchman goby

Jessicaray94 · Nov 27, 2019

My watchman goby has been in this tank for a month & he has yet to settle in. He is constantly at the top of the tank, he never goes down to the sand bed. Is this normal?
I have 2 pistol shrimp which I was hoping he would pair with but since he never goes to the sand bed, I dont think hes even seen them. I also have in the tank a zebra tang, 2 clown fish, hermit crabs, a turbo snail, a conch snail, a few bumblebee snails, 2 nosarius snails, & a few starfish.

Quietman · Nov 28, 2019

Seems a bit longer than usual to settle in, but fish are different. If it looks otherwise healthy I wouldn't worry too much. Mine was so stressed for the first week or two it turned ash grey. Soon as it found the pistol shrimp, yellowed up the immediately. Interesting little creatures. So, if it seems happy, eating, good color, just go with it.

Tennyson · Nov 28, 2019

How strong is your flow? Tank size?

He's a small one. My baby tomato clown behaves the same way - there are nems for him to host, but he's so small and can barely keep up swimming along the wall (he hosts the wall).

Hemmdog · Nov 28, 2019

Check your salinity, something is up with it. Also, those rocks look way to white for a tank that has had that many fish in it for weeks. Did you fully cycle and make sure you still have zero ammonia?

Reefpuck · Nov 28, 2019

I have a yellow watchman goby and it used to hang up in the top corner of the tank for several weeks when I first got it. No fish were picking on it or anything I noticed.

Now it hangs on the bottom but has no interest in my pistol shrimp. 8 months in...still not paired. Guess every fish is different.

Jessicaray94 · Nov 28, 2019

Tennyson said:
How strong is your flow? Tank size?

He's a small one. My baby tomato clown behaves the same way - there are nems for him to host, but he's so small and can barely keep up swimming along the wall (he hosts the wall).

Its a moderate flow, my corals are doing superb with the flow rate. Tank size is 55 gallons. The problem is he keeps going down my overflow & I have to fish him out of the socks in my first chamber of my sump.

Quietman · Nov 28, 2019

Maybe a simple overflow cover you can cut out from plastic or order...lots of little custom aquarium plastics you can find from sellers on ebay for reasonable money.

Jessicaray94 · Nov 28, 2019

Hemmdog said:
Check your salinity, something is up with it. Also, those rocks look way to white for a tank that has had that many fish in it for weeks. Did you fully cycle and make sure you still have zero ammonia?

Salinity is great, the rocks are starting to turn deep violet in color like the one is on the bottom back left. The rank has been cycled & I dont have any ammonia, nitrates & nitrites are within normal range. Since I've made this thread he has gone to the floor bed and sifted sand a few times, I believe he has decided to host/nest behind my powerhead, but because he is so small he keeps going down my overflow into a sock in my sump & I have to fish him out