Yellow Watchman Goby

[Bradco]

I had a Yellow Goby in my Quarantine, and when I transferred him two weeks ago to my main tank, he was acting like he wanted to jump out, needless to say the next morning he was gone, now last night I was shining my flashlight in my sump and behold there he was, under the shelf that holds the rubble rock, as he is okay there can I leave him there until he gets bigger as he was kinda small, my tank has been up for over 7 months and there are little critters in there for him to eat, plus the watsed food goes there, should he be okay, or should I try and get him out.

[sir_dudeguy]

he'd probably be fine, but i dont see why you want to keep him there. Fish are generally more interesting (and more convenient) to watch in the main tank ;)

[Shagsbeard]

They'll jump out given half a chance. It's just what they do. You need to have some method of keeping them in the tank. I tried covering my tank with eggcrate. Mine made it out somehow. Can't imagine why they would do this, or what natural behaivor they are converting to carpet diving.

[AZDesertRat]

I have had one inside my internal overflow for three years. Every time I net him out and put him back in the main tank he goes right back in a matter of minutes so I just left him alone. In my case I think my Sixline Wrasse was bullying him.

[sjm817]

Mine is paired up with a pistol shrimp. When I first put them into the tank, the YWG swam around up high looking for the shrimp. By the next day, they found each other and now are always together burrowing the the sandbed/rockwork. The YWG never is out swimming up high in the tank. Maybe they are better off paired up.

[Bradco]

Well I did add a pistol Shrimp a day nefore adding him, but the pistol shrimp is MIA as well, haven't even heard any clicking sounds for the last 2 weeks so I guess he did not make it. I will look for another one

[sir_dudeguy]

dont be so quick to assume the pistol is dead/gone. And yes, 2 weeks would be quick. I added a peppermint shrimp, which was about 2 inches or so. Not a small shrimp when you compair it to many other of the tiny ones. But i didnt see him for about 5 or 6 months. I just found him about half hour ago actually lol, and he's way bigger (not so much longer, but FAT!). My point...2 weeks is nothin when you think of all the places they could be hiding, and how SMALL those places could be.

[Twisted]

My watchman would look ready to jump every now and then. I added a small ranalls pistol shrimp a few weeks ago and they made a nice little burrow together and both hang out there.

The I moved my rock around to put in a new shelf and some new frags. He swam at the top for a couple days, but never jumpped, and I thought I lost the shrimp by smashing it or something because he disappeared.
My watchman still settled down and found a rock to hide behind. Then when I moved a piece of rubble yesterday to add a frag to it, there was my shrimp! I was happy, but I tried to usher him over to my watchman but he burrowed under a large base rock on the way, so no idea where that little bugger is now.

My pistol shrimp is like a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch big he is just a baby. I'm sure when he gets a little bigger I will see him more...? Won't I?

[Twisted]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8896030#post8896030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sir_dudeguy
dont be so quick to assume the pistol is dead/gone. And yes, 2 weeks would be quick. I added a peppermint shrimp, which was about 2 inches or so. Not a small shrimp when you compair it to many other of the tiny ones. But i didnt see him for about 5 or 6 months. I just found him about half hour ago actually lol, and he's way bigger (not so much longer, but FAT!). My point...2 weeks is nothin when you think of all the places they could be hiding, and how SMALL those places could be.

I did this with a boxer crab too. He disappeared the first night he was in my tank, then a month later I saw the red and white shell in the sand and knew he was a goner. Another month goes by and I found another shell....I thought, "What the heck?" moved some rock around and he skittered across the back of my hand. I was excited.....haven't seen him since....damn things!

[sir_dudeguy]

They're nocturnal i guess (the peps...idk about the boxers). I just never had the patients (or red light lol) to go looking for him at night.

Also, if a fish is constantly looking like they're about ready to, or ARE jumping...then there is something wrong. Usually a fish will only jump if you have something else in there terrorizing it, or if you have bad water quality...or if it got spooked. ORRR, if it is in bad water, and gets spooked by something thats been terrorizing it, i dont think that would be a good combo either lol.

[chrisstie]

I lost mine for nearly 3 weeks until i found him at the bottom under my power head still alive in my aquapod.. i've since made it safe to keep him in the main display now so i can enjoy him...

the YWG i think are cryptic escape artists due to the nature of the fish.. living in holes with shrimps and what not they enjoy being hidden so i dont think anything would be wrong with yours.


If you can describe what it is he's getting over to hide maybe we can help. I used some garden tubing that was maybe .5 to 1" and sliced it lengthwise and just shoved it down over the lip he was getting over and so far no more missing goby. Eggcrate can help too if your tank is setup to accept it

[Bradco]

I have some eggcrate but took it off duie to the mod on my seios, I have since put them on the inside with the suction cups so I can put the eggcrate back now, but he is small enoough to get thru the squares, I will still purchase another pistol then attempt to catch him in the sump which will be a chore in itself

[kass03]

I kinda have to disagree with you sir dude on the jumping thing.

I had a blue hippo in my 150 for 8 yrs and it jumped. I'm pretty sure it was cuz it was so tame it used to shoot water at me wanting me to feed it all the time. Prolly got excited and ended up jumping. My kid found it dead. Sad cuz that fish had personality.

Ive had several fish that I had for years and all of a sudden end up jumping for no apparent reason. They can fit out of the smallest holes to.

Usually burrowing fish like gobies, jawfish etc. try to jump when you first get them until they find a spot to burrow and get settled.
Once settled they are usually ok but don't ever think they won't jump lol.
It does'nt help them either if you keep moving things around lol.

I had a yellow watchman with my bullseye pistol for prolly 8-9 yrs then it died. I still have the pistol and they are shy. I see it sometimes when I feed them and it usually clicks at night but they arent going to be out all the time for you to see them.

kass

[sjm817]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8893491#post8893491 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
Mine is paired up with a pistol shrimp. When I first put them into the tank, the YWG swam around up high looking for the shrimp. By the next day, they found each other and now are always together burrowing the the sandbed/rockwork. The YWG never is out swimming up high in the tank. Maybe they are better off paired up.
This morning, I see my YWG out swimming around the top of the tank. I have a feeling the pistol shrimp is MIA. Bummer. :(

[sir_dudeguy]

I kinda have to disagree with you sir dude on the jumping thing.

there will always be the odd ones who do whatever they feel like doing lol. Dont get me wrong, i did not mean those to be the ONLY reason a fish will jump. I did say that it was "usually" the reason they jump...not the only ;)

[Bradco]

Update, yg is still in sump and is okay, and I have also found the Pistol shrimp on the other side of the tank where I put him at and he is fine, I noticed the clicking at night and now when I put food in he comes out from under the rock to grab some and back under he goes, guess I will have to get him another partner since it will be hard to get the goby without tearing down my sump