Yellow Watchman Goby showing red flags

Jay Hemdal · Jul 15, 2022

IE Reefer said:
Seems that the goby pooped, but it's that white stringy thing in the video anything I can do to force feed him?

As I said, I just don't have enough clues to come with with a solid remote diagnosis. That is sometimes the case....

The white poop is mucus. In this case, from not feeding. I re-read your post to try and get more background information - this is a relative long term captive - like over a year?

The fin damage isn't primary, it looks like it is secondary to some systemic issue. In this case, I would say that Mycobacteria - fish TB is a possibility. It is a common chronic disease of older fish. However, it isn't treatable.
Another possible clue is that you said it just ate shrimp? Shrimp is high in thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down thiamin, vitamin B1. If fish are feed food high in that, and it is not supplemented elsewhere in their diet, they develop nutritional deficiencies that can be fatal. Again, the trouble is that once they stop feeding, it can't be fixed.

Sorry that I don't have good news for you.....

Jay

IE Reefer · Jul 15, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
As I said, I just don't have enough clues to come with with a solid remote diagnosis. That is sometimes the case....

The white poop is mucus. In this case, from not feeding. I re-read your post to try and get more background information - this is a relative long term captive - like over a year?

The fin damage isn't primary, it looks like it is secondary to some systemic issue. In this case, I would say that Mycobacteria - fish TB is a possibility. It is a common chronic disease of older fish. However, it isn't treatable.
Another possible clue is that you said it just ate shrimp? Shrimp is high in thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down thiamin, vitamin B1. If fish are feed food high in that, and it is not supplemented elsewhere in their diet, they develop nutritional deficiencies that can be fatal. Again, the trouble is that once they stop feeding, it can't be fixed.

Sorry that I don't have good news for you.....

Jay

In the past, I used to revert back and forth between mysis shrimp and brine shrimp, but early this year I switched to Rod's foods to vary their diet. I would usually give the goby the bigger piece since none of the other fish could eat it, which was most likely shrimp, but since there were other parts of the frozen food still being dispursed he would also eat whatever floated his way.

Yes, I've been having this fish for almost as long as I've been having this tank.

What should I do going on from here, is there anything that I could do for the fish to aid in his recovery, or is it already too late? I really hope this guy pulls through but it seems as if he's already at death's door.

Reefing Madness · Jul 15, 2022

thread bumps are only allowed once in a 24hour period.
Thanks

IE Reefer · Jul 15, 2022

Reefing Madness said:
thread bumps are only allowed once in a 24hour period.
Thanks

Whops! Sorry, I'm still getting used to online forums.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 15, 2022

IE Reefer said:
In the past, I used to revert back and forth between mysis shrimp and brine shrimp, but early this year I switched to Rod's foods to vary their diet. I would usually give the goby the bigger piece since none of the other fish could eat it, which was most likely shrimp, but since there were other parts of the frozen food still being dispursed he would also eat whatever floated his way.

Yes, I've been having this fish for almost as long as I've been having this tank.

What should I do going on from here, is there anything that I could do for the fish to aid in his recovery, or is it already too late? I really hope this guy pulls through but it seems as if he's already at death's door.

Well, if it is an issue with thiaminase, and the fish isn't eating, then there is nothing that you can do to save the fish. It could be something else of course.....

Jay

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Jul 15, 2022

IE Reefer said:
Yes, I've been having this fish for almost as long as I've been having this tank.

I don't recall you posting the age of the tank...
How long have you owned the goby, and what size was it when you got it?
It could just be old age...

IE Reefer · Jul 15, 2022

Erin1971Texas said:
I don't recall you posting the age of the tank...
How long have you owned the goby, and what size was it when you got it?
It could just be old age...

I posted it earlier, I've been running it for 2 years and 3 months (April 10th, 2020). I can't remember exactly when I got him but I know it must have been a little more than a month when I first started the tank. Here's the earliest picture I have of him dating June 6th, 2020.

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Jul 15, 2022

IE Reefer said:
I posted it earlier, I've been running it for 2 years and 3 months (April 10th, 2020). I can't remember exactly when I got him but I know it must have been a little more than a month when I first started the tank. Here's the earliest picture I have of him dating June 6th, 2020.

Sorry, I missed that info. Thanks.

IE Reefer · Jul 15, 2022

His breathing is getting faster, I'm guessing that he probably won't last until next week...

IE Reefer · Jul 26, 2022

So the fish ended up dying while I was away, it seems that there was a white spot that I noticed before which grew a lot bigger after his death so I'm not sure if that might have given away some information about what the fish had.