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The Case of the Missing Wheeler's Goby


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...and his sidekick, the Amazing Vanishing Pistol Shrimp!

 

So here's my situation. I've recently set up my first actual SW tank, a 13.5 EVO, and after holding him in QT at my store, just brought home my first proper inhabitants, a wheeler's goby and red-banded pistol pair. They settled in great and I was thrilled. And now I'm being a very worried fish mom, since I haven't seen either of them since this morning. I know the shrimps are super shy (I watched him shuffle into a little burrow immediately after he was released), but Mr. Wheely was hanging out fairly in the open for the last couple of days. He did eat a bit and was behaving normally. I've spent all day watching the tank, and the only sign of life I've seen is of my peppermint shrimp. I just recently dug through the tank, carefully lifting all my rocks (there's only a few of them so far) and even dragging my fingers through the sand a bit. The "lid" is an improvised piece of glass that doesn't quite fit flat thanks to my light mount, so I feared he'd done the goby thing and jumped out, but I've checked all around the exterior of the tank, and in the back chambers, and still nothing. I've seen nothing close to evidence of a death, unless my tiny cleanup crew is somehow ruthlessly efficient, and I'm sure the tank was cycled and pretty stable before I introduced the little guy.

 

I dunno, I guess I could use some reassurance that I'm just worrying too much and the little guy will probably pop out in a day or two. I bet he's wedged himself in the rocks (this is what I get for picking a ton of nice pukani/tukani stuff), the sneaky little son of a gun. Anyone else had a similar issue with a shrimp/goby/both?

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When I brought my Hector's goby home, it was about 3 days until I saw the guy again. I only have a 30 gallon cube, so also not much rock. At that time I didn't have any CUC, so I figured I'd see some evidence (body or nutrient spike) of death. I just kept feeding like he was in there and hoped for the best. I don't know about the goby and shrimp pair you specifically have, but my bet is they are hanging out in the sand someplace. 

 

BTW - I'm always hesitant to lift rocks to search for inhabitants for fear of crushing them when I put the rock back down unknowningly on top of them. 

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