Yasha goby dying suddenly before my eyes, please help

[DooDeeReefer]

Please help!! I’m new to reefing and I’ve had a small yasha goby for 28 days now, he’s been in qt and was doing very well. Yesterday he seemed a bit lethargic for his pm feeding. Then ate some food and immediately spit it out and started breathing hard. I checked the water.
Temp 79
ammonia-0
nitrites-0
ph-7.8
salinity-1.024
Please help I don’t want him to die!!! He’s not swimming and rotating between half sideways and laying upside down. He’s breathing very hard and rapidly, at times almost contorting himself. I dosed the current water with prazipro as a preventative right before typing this. I’m currently making some water hoping to be able to do a massive water change Incase there’s something I’m missing. He has no physical symptoms and has been great until this point. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

Bump. I’m open to any advice, I feel horrible just watching him like this.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Unfortunately with these little guys, they can just die. It is heartbreaking and I am sorry you have to go through this. We as reef keepers have all seen this. And all have felt helpless. So sorry.

Not much can be done. You sound like you had a nice qt set up and were monitoring well. What else was in there? What meds did you use?

 

[DooDeeReefer]

I haven’t given him any meds before this point because I got him from liveaquaria and was just observing him closely, I do have meds available. He has a sand bed in a Tupperware and two pvc tubes, he eats frozen mysis shrimp twice a day. But it’s just him in there. Everything seemed fine until last night. I just wish there was something I could do. I understand it might be beyond my control. And I might have to have my first death with my reef tank keeping. It’s unfortunate I would do anything to help this little guy. Thanks for reaching out, just feeling super new to this whole thing.

 

[Miller535]

Please help!! I’m new to reefing and I’ve had a small yasha goby for 28 days now, he’s been in qt and was doing very well. Yesterday he seemed a bit lethargic for his pm feeding. Then ate some food and immediately spit it out and started breathing hard. I checked the water.
Temp 79
ammonia-0
nitrites-0
ph-7.8
salinity-1.024
Please help I don’t want him to die!!! He’s not swimming and rotating between half sideways and laying upside down. He’s breathing very hard and rapidly, at times almost contorting himself. I dosed the current water with prazipro as a preventative right before typing this. I’m currently making some water hoping to be able to do a massive water change Incase there’s something I’m missing. He has no physical symptoms and has been great until this point. Any advice would be much appreciated.

View attachment 1590587 View attachment 1590603 View attachment 1590604

So he was fine until you dosed Prazi?

 

[DeniseAndy]

No I think the prazipro was dosed as a preventative after symptoms appeared. If I am understanding that correctly.

Poor thing may have had some infection or parasite that was not noticeable. Maybe he will recover, but with the tiny guys, I have not seen it. They just perish so fast.

 

[Miller535]

I can not tell in your picture, but Prazi depletes oxygen in the tank quickly. A power head pointed at the top and or a air pump with a sponge filter are a must.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

So he was fine until you dosed Prazi?

No, I only dosed it this morning. He was fine until he ate last night. He ate in the day and greeted me when I approached the tank. He ate a larger piece of shrimp last night and immediately spit everything out and hid. He was breathing heavily and opening his mouth wide. I went to bed and checked on him in the morning and I read sometimes they don’t show physical symptoms so I decided it can’t hurt when he’s just lying on the ground like that. Since I dosed it he moved onto the sand bed and is just lying there breathing heavily.

 

[DeniseAndy]

As stated, make sure to get some extra air exchange going. Airstone or pump to break surface. Good luck! I really am pulling for him. I had one of those guys. So fun.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

I can not tell in your picture, but Prazi depletes oxygen in the tank quickly. A power head pointed at the top and or a air pump with a sponge filter are a must.

I have both, I have a sponge filter running over the top and an air stone going. I unplug the filter while I feed but plug it back in after. He’s only been dosed this morning though.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

As stated, make sure to get some extra air exchange going. Airstone or pump to break surface. Good luck! I really am pulling for him. I had one of those guys. So fun.

Thank you so much!!! I will keep my eye on him and post an update. Dig is a fighter so I hope he pulls through! Thank you again for the direction, I was feeling alittle lost.

 

[Miller535]

I would also check ammonia level if you can. Even if you have an ammonia badge on the tank.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Are you going to get a shrimp for him if he makes it? Sometimes I think they can settle better with their buddies around. Just a thought.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

Are you going to get a shrimp for him if he makes it? Sometimes I think they can settle better with their buddies around. Just a thought.

Yeah, actually I didn’t want to add him into the main tank until I found one for him!! He’s tiny so it’s been hard. Online they have been out for a while and locally I’ve only found one who was four times too big for the guy. I’m really hoping he pulls through.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

I would also check ammonia level if you can. Even if you have an ammonia badge on the tank.

I don’t have a badge currently because I haven’t treated him before this morning. So when I checked today it was zero. I’ll check again as soon as I get back home shortly. It almost seems like he’s suffocating. When I first got him shipped he was in a bad state with high ammonia levels in the bag, I don’t know if that would have given him something to cause him to die almost a month later?

 

[ThRoewer]

Unfortunately, it can be a number of things.

Ammonia should be checked first to exclude that as the cause.

The sudden onset, the connection with the feeding, and the colicky symptomatic could point to an intestinal/digestive issue.
"Food poisoning" can also affect fish and unfortunately we don't have too much information on or control over the frozen feeds we give our fish.
I'm not sure if there is anything else to do than wait and see with this.

A parasitic infection is also a possibility but generally, with those you can spot signs of discomfort a couple of days before things get dire.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

Unfortunately, it can be a number of things.

Ammonia should be checked first to exclude that as the cause.

The sudden onset, the connection with the feeding, and the colicky symptomatic could point to an intestinal/digestive issue.
"Food poisoning" can also affect fish and unfortunately we don't have too much information on or control over the frozen feeds we give our fish.
I'm not sure if there is anything else to do than wait and see with this.

A parasitic infection is also a possibility but generally, with those you can spot signs of discomfort a couple of days before things get dire.

Wow, thanks so much!! I never even thought about it being the actual food itself. I’ve read about straining and refreezing using my tank water but haven’t gotten that far. I’ll keep it updated, hoping he’s a tough guy!! I appreciate the feed back, I just want to do everything I can.

 

[Cell]

Increase o2 asap. Side effect of prazipro.

 

[DooDeeReefer]

He hasn’t moved from the sand bed all day.
temp-79
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Ph- 7.8
Salinity- 1.024
I don’t really want to try to feed him since he’s barely breathing. So for now I’m just watching, waiting and testing the water. I’m trying not to be anxious about it. I attached pictures of his set up, I can add more airflow if needed. Hopefully in a day or so I can post a positive update!!! Thanks again for everyone’s help, I really appreciate the direction and advice. Little Dig might make it, he’s definitely trying to hold on!!!

 

[ThRoewer]

BTW, without a suitable pistol-shrimp, the container with the deep sand doesn't do her (no black spot on the ventral fin = it's a female) much good. Some small tubes or rocks to hide in or under would be better. If you use rocks you can add a bit sand where the rocks are.