First fish lost :(

[howaboutme]

So I am strike one in my "prove I can keep fish alive" test.

 

My pink/blue watchman goby finally showed up when I woke up this morning. Unfortunately, it was dead. It's been about 1.5 weeks and I have not seen it since the 2nd day. I assumed it was in the many burrows the pistol shrimp had dug. I tried to target feed it but it wouldn't come out. He had shrunk considerably so I assume he died from starvation. He was eating good at the LFS on pellets though. I tried pellets, flakes, Jans and mysis and was hoping he would graze at night. I guess not.

 

Since it's been 1.5 weeks, can I rule out acclimation? I used the float method and dumped water into the bag every so often, then emptied half the bag and did it again until the salinity matched. It took about 1.5 hrs.

 

I believe my pistol is still alive since I hear the snapping at night. Actually, the snapping sounds (at least my noticing it) started a few nights ago. Of course, I am new so I can't 100% confirm that's what I am hearing but it is a new sound and it's sharp.

 

Anything I should/could have done? I will replace him w/ a smaller watchman (this one was ~3" or more) in due time and try again. In the meantime, I took him out and will plan to do a wc tonight just in case the water is a bit messed up. The 2 clowns seem fine though.

 

Also interestingly, no snails were on the dead fish. I have no crabs but don't snails munch on dead fish too?

 

Boohoo!

[smallreef]

If you drip acclimate it may take some of the shock away from fish as pouring water into the bag can freak them out...

Secondly, making sure they eat at the LFS was a good thing....just some time with the shock of the move or if the tank having any ammonia can keep it from eating...

[kjamaya]

Sorry to hear your lost...

I would try the drip acclimation instead.

[Origami]

It probably acclimated just fine. I suspect that it probably was not eating and was not acclimated to life in an aquarium. It starved most likely. Was it wild-caught? Did you observe it eating before purchasing it?

[howaboutme]

Thanks for your responses.

 

I hope that acclimation wasn't the issue but so that I can rule this out in any future event, I will drip acclimate from now on. I did have doubts as to my method so I wish I stuck to my instincts. I did drip acclimate the shrimp though.

 

From what I know, the fish had been at the LFS for 2 weeks (what I'm told, who knows if it's true?) and ate like a champ when spot fed at the store when I observed it. It was also in the open, in a burrow but not hiding, so it wasn't too shy. I do not know if it's wild or tank bred. I have not thought to ask that but will from now on.

 

Have to break the news to my daughter. She always says when I get home, "Dad! I didn't see the goby today."....

[Origami]

What was it eating in the fish store? Did you try feeding it the same? It doesn't sound like it was getting picked on, though.

[howaboutme]

What was it eating in the fish store? Did you try feeding it the same? It doesn't sound like it was getting picked on, though.

 

Yeah, I did observe it eating. I believe it was fed NLS pellets. I have tried feeding Dianachi pellets (stuff John at BRK uses), Oceans Nutrition Reef Flakes, Jan's food and PE Mysis and it didn't come out during any of the feedings, including targeted.

 

No, doesn't sound it was picked on at all. It's been in the burrow with I assume the shrimp but I can't confirm that as I haven't seen the shrimp since the 1st day, only heard snapping recently.

[kjamaya]

What happened when you first released in into your tank? did the fish go hide and never come back out?

Edited May 1, 2013 by kjamaya

[howaboutme]

What happened when you first released in into your tank? did the fish go hide and never come back out?

 

It found a corner. Not sure how long it was there because we went out to dinner shortly after. When we returned, it had found a burrow and I can still see the tail sticking out from under the rock. The next day, still see the tail a bit. When we returned home after leaving in the AM, the goby was out and about. But as soon as he saw us approaching the tank, he scurried back to the burrow. It never came out since except for a little piece of the tail was viewable for a day extra. Just 2, maybe 3 days ago, there was a new burrow. I assume it went there w/ the shrimp but not sure. Now that I know about the death, I'm guessing the shrimp was the busy one while the fish may have been on it's last breath. Sad.

[miggs76]

I spot feed my yellow watchman. If I don't, the pig clowns and anthias will eat every pellet in sight and let nothing fall to the bottom for him. I use "julian's tool" and he basically runs up to it when I stick it in the tank and waits patiently.

[howaboutme]

I spot feed my yellow watchman. If I don't, the pig clowns and anthias will eat every pellet in sight and let nothing fall to the bottom for him. I use "julian's tool" and he basically runs up to it when I stick it in the tank and waits patiently.

 

Yeah, I did do that a few times. I never went into the burrow, just at the entrance or nearby. Besides, I wanted to see the fish come out but it never did. I assumed it was eating at night and getting scraps.

 

I am thinking that maybe acclimation had a tiny part but more like it was just too stressed from the new environment to eat. I hope the outcome next time will be positive.

 

Why weren't my snails eating the body? Was it just too soon after death and they haven't gotten there in time? Glad I didn't see that anyways...

[Integral9]

Why weren't my snails eating the body?

Probably ran out of garlic.

 

Seriously though:

Could have been too soon. Snails aren't the speediest of critters. However, it usually doesn't take long after death for critters to become the food on the food chain. Any bristle worms? Do you have nassarius snails? Nass. snails are carrion eaters more so than turbos or margs. They are also quicker to the buffet than the others, which may never show up. I've seen things get a little rowdy between the hermits & nassarius snails in the buffet line.

[howaboutme]

Probably ran out of garlic.

 

Seriously though:

Could have been too soon. Snails aren't the speediest of critters. However, it usually doesn't take long after death for critters to become the food on the food chain. Any bristle worms? Do you have nassarius snails? Nass. snails are carrion eaters more so than turbos or margs. They are also quicker to the buffet than the others, which may never show up. I've seen things get a little rowdy between the hermits & nassarius snails in the buffet line.

 

Ah, that would explain it....I have 1 nass snail that I know of and the rest are turbos, margarita, ceriths and astreas, i believe. I did know that if I had hermits, they'd be all on it. I guess I'm glad I got to the fish very soon after it passed. Poor thing.

 

I guess my questions are all moot but hopefully I can learn something from this.

 

Thanks all!

[howaboutme]

By the way, is it plausible that my tiger killed the goby? I've read on other forums that a few people believe the tiger is capable of killing fish/goby....Keep in mind, the goby was big, ~3 or so inches. The tiger was pretty big too, maybe 1" or slightly more. I'm worried that if I add another goby, that it may be dinner for the shrimp again. As I said previous, there were a lot of snaps starting from a few nights ago. Not sure if that's any significance though.

 

Is it significant that the goby's body was out of the burrow at death and not in the burrow? I find that kind of hard to explain and wonder what happened....