Banded Goby lost his soulmate

[PolypPocket]

I have a hi fin banded goby and his best friend (a candy cane pistol shrimp) died several days ago. Now the goby refuses to leave the burrow even for food. I’m concerned because he looks pretty thin already. My LFS doesn’t have any more CC shrimp, only much larger tiger pistol shrimp which is probably too large right? I mean the goby is only like 2” at most.

Will he eventually come out to eat or is it possible he will starve himself? I tried putting the food near the entrance but it’s literally at the back of the tank under a cave so really inaccessible. And he didn’t come out for it anyway.

Do these fish absolutely NEED a shrimp buddy to survive?

 

[Baldyreef]

I have a hi fin banded goby and his best friend (a candy cane pistol shrimp) died several days ago. Now the goby refuses to leave the burrow even for food. I’m concerned because he looks pretty thin already. My LFS doesn’t have any more CC shrimp, only much larger tiger pistol shrimp which is probably too large right? I mean the goby is only like 2” at most.

Will he eventually come out to eat or is it possible he will starve himself? I tried putting the food near the entrance but it’s literally at the back of the tank under a cave so really inaccessible. And he didn’t come out for it anyway.

Do these fish absolutely NEED a shrimp buddy to survive?

while they don't need a shrimp to survive this case could be the goby needing to adjust to life without his buddy with him, how long were they paired for?

 

[PolypPocket]

I have a hi fin banded goby and his best friend (a candy cane pistol shrimp) died several days ago. Now the goby refuses to leave the burrow even for food. I’m concerned because he looks pretty thin already. My LFS doesn’t have any more CC shrimp, only much larger tiger pistol shrimp which is probably too large right? I mean the goby is only like 2” at most.

Will he eventually come out to eat or is it possible he will starve himself? I tried putting the food near the entrance but it’s literally at the back of the tank under a cave so really inaccessible. And he didn’t come out for it anyway.

Do these fish absolutely NEED a shrimp buddy to survive?

while they don't need a shrimp to survive this case could be the goby needing to adjust to life without his buddy with him, how long were they paired for?

I’ve had them a couple of months and they were together at the store so I’m not sure but at least a few months. I guess I wouldn’t be so worried if he wasn’t so thin. He came out for .000001 seconds two days ago so I got to see how he looked. He’s like a head with fins
Well maybe not that bad but his tummy is sunken in.

Ever since the shrimp moved the burrow to the back of the tank (which was several weeks ago) the goby became more elusive. At first he was front and center all the time. And although I would spot feed back there maybe he wasn’t eating enough to begin with, I’m just not sure. It’s just strange to me that he looks so thin already. I’m a worrier so I guess my mind is going in circles.

 

[Baldyreef]

I’ve had them a couple of months and they were together at the store so I’m not sure but at least a few months. I guess I wouldn’t be so worried if he wasn’t so thin. He came out for .000001 seconds two days ago so I got to see how he looked. He’s like a head with fins
Well maybe not that bad but his tummy is sunken in.

Ever since the shrimp moved the burrow to the back of the tank (which was several weeks ago) the goby became more elusive. At first he was front and center all the time. And although I would spot feed back there maybe he wasn’t eating enough to begin with, I’m just not sure. It’s just strange to me that he looks so thin already. I’m a worrier so I guess my mind is going in circles.

the stomach sunken definitely is a sign of skinniness, was it eating when the shrimp was with him? maybe it is in fact a appetite or health problem not related to the shrimp's passing

 

[PolypPocket]

I’ve had them a couple of months and they were together at the store so I’m not sure but at least a few months. I guess I wouldn’t be so worried if he wasn’t so thin. He came out for .000001 seconds two days ago so I got to see how he looked. He’s like a head with fins
Well maybe not that bad but his tummy is sunken in.

Ever since the shrimp moved the burrow to the back of the tank (which was several weeks ago) the goby became more elusive. At first he was front and center all the time. And although I would spot feed back there maybe he wasn’t eating enough to begin with, I’m just not sure. It’s just strange to me that he looks so thin already. I’m a worrier so I guess my mind is going in circles.

the stomach sunken definitely is a sign of skinniness, was it eating when the shrimp was with him? maybe it is in fact a appetite or health problem not related to the shrimp's passing

That is also something I thought about. But I can’t think of what it would be. He otherwise looks good, bright colors, no obvious signs of disease. The reason I don’t know for sure how he was eating before is because they’d moved under the cave so even though I could see him come out at feeding time & I would squirt food back there I didn’t stop to watch him actually eat. I just assumed he was.