Diamond goby hungry but can't eat!

[Stuginski]

Hi guys, here Iam again facing a weird problem. I have a Diamond goby and during the past few weeks I noticed he started to get skinny. He likes to stay on his hole so It took me a while for understand that he wasn't doing good.
After I noticed the fish wasn't in good shape I thought that could be related with not enough food reaching him. This hypothesis wasn't really good because I fed my tank ALOT, my other fish are fat and the diamond goby always "ate" everything that I put in the tank.
Firstly, I increased once more my very heavy feeding schedulle and try some target feeding. Then I notice that despite he engulf flake food voraciously the flakes just leave it's body thru the operculum a second later.
I also fed frozen shrimp, clams, mussles, squid and fish roe. He loves shrimp!
In fact, he try to eat almost everything (besides fish roe).
Then I noticed that he was grasping the food, keep chewing and sometimes after many minutes he spit it. He has a huge mouth but even tiny pieces of shrimp can't be swallowed (like pieces of a few millimiters)!
Iam trying to feed him ALL day, during many days. Now he is picking very tiny shrimp pieces from my hand but most time he just can't ingest!!! It is a heartbrake situation because the fish is desesperated for food but can't eat. Today I bought Dr. Bassler 0.5mm pellet food to give a try because I Just can't make so tiny shrimp slices and he doesn't recognize "shrimp paste" as food. He is getting more and more skinnyvery fast but the fish wants to eat and wants to live. I just don't know what exactly should I do. I never face this situation before. I can't get mysis in my country. I tried some brine shrimp and he ate a little bit I guess he needs real food. Anyone can help me, please? I Just don't know what is happening with him.


Best regards.

D.

 

[DinoMagnet]

Hi guys, here Iam again facing a weird problem. I have a Diamond goby and during the past few weeks I noticed he started to get skinny. He likes to stay on his hole so It took me a while for understand that he wasn't doing good.
After I noticed the fish wasn't in good shape I thought that could be related with not enough food reaching him. This hypothesis wasn't really good because I fed my tank ALOT, my other fish are fat and the diamond goby always "ate" everything that I put in the tank.
Firstly, I increased once more my very heavy feeding schedulle and try some target feeding. Then I notice that despite he engulf flake food voraciously the flakes just leave it's body thru the operculum a second later.
I also fed frozen shrimp, clams, mussles, squid and fish roe. He loves shrimp!
In fact, he try to eat almost everything (besides fish roe).
Then I noticed that he was grasping the food, keep chewing and sometimes after many minutes he spit it. He has a huge mouth but even tiny pieces of shrimp can't be swallowed (like pieces of a few millimiters)!
Iam trying to feed him ALL day, during many days. Now he is picking very tiny shrimp pieces from my hand but most time he just can't ingest!!! It is a heartbrake situation because the fish is desesperated for food but can't eat. Today I bought Dr. Bassler 0.5mm pellet food to give a try because I Just can't make so tiny shrimp slices and he doesn't recognize "shrimp paste" as food. He is getting more and more skinnyvery fast but the fish wants to eat and wants to live. I just don't know what exactly should I do. I never face this situation before. I can't get mysis in my country. I tried some brine shrimp and he ate a little bit I guess he needs real food. Anyone can help me, please? I Just don't know what is happening with him.


Best regards.

D.

Brine isn’t really nutritional. My fish rarely let any food land for my diamond. So what I do is get PE mysis (larger and meatier) and with a long coral feeder/ turkey baster I target feed him.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi guys, here Iam again facing a weird problem. I have a Diamond goby and during the past few weeks I noticed he started to get skinny. He likes to stay on his hole so It took me a while for understand that he wasn't doing good.
After I noticed the fish wasn't in good shape I thought that could be related with not enough food reaching him. This hypothesis wasn't really good because I fed my tank ALOT, my other fish are fat and the diamond goby always "ate" everything that I put in the tank.
Firstly, I increased once more my very heavy feeding schedulle and try some target feeding. Then I notice that despite he engulf flake food voraciously the flakes just leave it's body thru the operculum a second later.
I also fed frozen shrimp, clams, mussles, squid and fish roe. He loves shrimp!
In fact, he try to eat almost everything (besides fish roe).
Then I noticed that he was grasping the food, keep chewing and sometimes after many minutes he spit it. He has a huge mouth but even tiny pieces of shrimp can't be swallowed (like pieces of a few millimiters)!
Iam trying to feed him ALL day, during many days. Now he is picking very tiny shrimp pieces from my hand but most time he just can't ingest!!! It is a heartbrake situation because the fish is desesperated for food but can't eat. Today I bought Dr. Bassler 0.5mm pellet food to give a try because I Just can't make so tiny shrimp slices and he doesn't recognize "shrimp paste" as food. He is getting more and more skinnyvery fast but the fish wants to eat and wants to live. I just don't know what exactly should I do. I never face this situation before. I can't get mysis in my country. I tried some brine shrimp and he ate a little bit I guess he needs real food. Anyone can help me, please? I Just don't know what is happening with him.


Best regards.

D.

It sounds like he has a mechanical blockage. Usually, when a fish doesn't eat, it also doesn't have an appetite. In this case, the fish wants to eat, but cannot swallow the food. To me, that implies a blockage. Could be a tumor (thyroid tumors grow right there) or perhaps it got a bit of gravel stuck. If it has had the blockage long enough to noticeably lose weight, I don't think it will clear it on its own. You COULD try catching the fish and using a soft catheter or piece of stout fishing line to try and probe its throat...but I don't hold high hopes for that working, sorry!

Jay

 

[Stuginski]

Brine isn’t really nutritional. My fish rarely let any food land for my diamond. So what I do is get PE mysis (larger and meatier) and with a long coral feeder/ turkey baster I target feed him.

Thks Gabriel,

Now he is trying to eat from my hands, so my major problem is the fact that he can't swallow. Iam trying to find some frozen mysis but this is not an easy task here in Brazil.

It sounds like he has a mechanical blockage. Usually, when a fish doesn't eat, it also doesn't have an appetite. In this case, the fish wants to eat, but cannot swallow the food. To me, that implies a blockage. Could be a tumor (thyroid tumors grow right there) or perhaps it got a bit of gravel stuck. If it has had the blockage long enough to noticeably lose weight, I don't think it will clear it on its own. You COULD try catching the fish and using a soft catheter or piece of stout fishing line to try and probe its throat...but I don't hold high hopes for that working, sorry!

Jay

Thks Jay.

I also thought that it is a stenosis or sth like that. I will give a try. I guess he will starve to death if I don't do sth.
His mouth is big, I will try with an urethral cattheter. If it is sth removable, I could use a small forceps also.
The first problem will be catch this little guy. If I fail in my first try he will enter into his cave and remains hidden for a long time. His cave is under the base rock of my aquarium, so...looks like a big problem.
Today I received Dr. Bassleer M food. Firstly, I will try It, to see if he eats sth.
I will keep you informed.

Once more, thk u.

D.