Goby lethargic and swimming weakly.

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

Hello all,

My Goby doesn't seem to be feeling well. I woke up to him floating around the tank, upside down and every which way. The lights were not on yet. I turned off one of my PH and he was able to settle down and sit near the bottom again. I did notice some redness around the gills but I am not able to confidently say that is new, or was there before. He usually hugs the sandbed and comes out to feed only so this was the best look I've been able to get at him.
No other fish. Some cleaners and small assorted coral. No visible damage to the flesh or fins that I can see. I usually feed once daily with either frozen seafood mix or mysis. I added an airstone this morning in case it was an oxygen issue. Link to two videos below- the first one with the lights out was this morning and he was swimming all around the tank. The second one is later, with lights on. Cleaners seem to be checking him out which I haven't seen before. Breathing does not appear rapid and I don't see any gulping.



Salinity: 35ppt
Alk: 9
Nitrate: 35
Phos: 0.3
pH: 7.7
I have not tested Ammonia.

I had a tessellated blenny go missing last week if that means anything.

 

[Uncle99]

Can you do a water change?
That would ease ammonia if present.
He is running the surface.
Any white dots on fins?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello all,

My Goby doesn't seem to be feeling well. I woke up to him floating around the tank, upside down and every which way. The lights were not on yet. I turned off one of my PH and he was able to settle down and sit near the bottom again. I did notice some redness around the gills but I am not able to confidently say that is new, or was there before. He usually hugs the sandbed and comes out to feed only so this was the best look I've been able to get at him.
No other fish. Some cleaners and small assorted coral. No visible damage to the flesh or fins that I can see. I usually feed once daily with either frozen seafood mix or mysis. I added an airstone this morning in case it was an oxygen issue. Link to two videos below- the first one with the lights out was this morning and he was swimming all around the tank. The second one is later, with lights on. Cleaners seem to be checking him out which I haven't seen before. Breathing does not appear rapid and I don't see any gulping.



Salinity: 35ppt
Alk: 9
Nitrate: 35
Phos: 0.3
pH: 7.7
I have not tested Ammonia.

I had a tessellated blenny go missing last week if that means anything.

The missing blenny could well be related.

The pH is a bit low, not harmfully so, but could indicate an issue with proper gas exchange (keep running the air stone).

Other than the lethargy, I don't see any signs of a specific disease - sorry.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello all,

My Goby doesn't seem to be feeling well. I woke up to him floating around the tank, upside down and every which way. The lights were not on yet. I turned off one of my PH and he was able to settle down and sit near the bottom again. I did notice some redness around the gills but I am not able to confidently say that is new, or was there before. He usually hugs the sandbed and comes out to feed only so this was the best look I've been able to get at him.
No other fish. Some cleaners and small assorted coral. No visible damage to the flesh or fins that I can see. I usually feed once daily with either frozen seafood mix or mysis. I added an airstone this morning in case it was an oxygen issue. Link to two videos below- the first one with the lights out was this morning and he was swimming all around the tank. The second one is later, with lights on. Cleaners seem to be checking him out which I haven't seen before. Breathing does not appear rapid and I don't see any gulping.



Salinity: 35ppt
Alk: 9
Nitrate: 35
Phos: 0.3
pH: 7.7
I have not tested Ammonia.

I had a tessellated blenny go missing last week if that means anything.

I dont see this being an ammonia issue and if other fish and inverts doing well which it seems, it rules out water.
By chance, does the fish respond to movement as it appears it may be Blind?
Additionly, the gills are red and flares - a symptom of flukes which causes loss of swimming, hazy eyes, loss of color, loss of appetite and heavy breathing

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

Can you do a water change?
That would ease ammonia if present.
He is running the surface.
Any white dots on fins?

I don't see any dots. He does appear to have lost some coloring on the body.

 

[Uncle99]

I don't see any dots. He does appear to have lost some coloring on the body.

Water looks still on the surface.
Do you have good water movement?
A Skimmer?

I’d try the water change.

 

[Uncle99]

Water looks still on the surface.
Do you have good water movement?
A Skimmer?

I’d try the water change.

Any update on the Goby?

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

He seems to be doing ok, but with low activity and is just chilling near the sandbed. I still have one PH off to reduce flow and ended up doing a big water change last night, in case the issue is water related.
Im at work today so I’m unable to monitor him like I was yesterday, but my wife reported no change in condition.
PH is still relatively low at 7.5 even with the bubbler and airstone.

 

[Uncle99]

He seems to be doing ok, but with low activity and is just chilling near the sandbed. I still have one PH off to reduce flow and ended up doing a big water change last night, in case the issue is water related.
Im at work today so I’m unable to monitor him like I was yesterday, but my wife reported no change in condition.
PH is still relatively low at 7.5 even with the bubbler and airstone.

Could he have been stung?
He goes from normal to lethargic within hours.
I usually find that’s as a result of some aggression, fight, sting or ammonia spike.

Does the bottom have an inch or so of sand? I can’t see the substrate in the pic, sand is a must.

Keep us posted if you can

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

He seems to be doing ok, but with low activity and is just chilling near the sandbed. I still have one PH off to reduce flow and ended up doing a big water change last night, in case the issue is water related.
Im at work today so I’m unable to monitor him like I was yesterday, but my wife reported no change in condition.
PH is still relatively low at 7.5 even with the bubbler and airstone.

Could he have been stung?
He goes from normal to lethargic within hours.
I usually find that’s as a result of some aggression, fight, sting or ammonia spike.

Does the bottom have an inch or so of sand? I can’t see the substrate in the pic, sand is a must.

Keep us posted if you can

It is possible, I have several anemones in the tank.
I use the black Hawaiian sand which is fairly course. I’ve thought about changing it.

 

[Uncle99]

It is possible, I have several anemones in the tank.
I use the black Hawaiian sand which is fairly course. I’ve thought about changing it.

Put in a tray of sand for him.
That’s a fast fix.
He will like this a lot.
Goby and sand….thats a must….or he will not settle…..making it more likely to touch a nem.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It is possible, I have several anemones in the tank.
I use the black Hawaiian sand which is fairly course. I’ve thought about changing it.

What species of anemone do you have in the tank? Any LPS corals?

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

What species of anemone do you have in the tank? Any LPS corals?

Its a sherman rose that keeps splitting. I have some smaller LPS corals, couple of hammers, a blasto and some small assorted mushrooms. Its a 20g AIO and i've struggled with flow and subsequently dino and cyano for the better part of a year. Its been kind of a nightmare.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Its a sherman rose that keeps splitting. I have some smaller LPS corals, couple of hammers, a blasto and some small assorted mushrooms. Its a 20g AIO and i've struggled with flow and subsequently dino and cyano for the better part of a year. Its been kind of a nightmare.

Rose’s don’t have a super strong sting. Maybe the hammer, but it would need to be large.

How is the goby today?

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

I took a video last night- I dropped some food in like I normally do and he didn’t go for it. I had to put the food in front of him to take it.
There also seems to be a small abrasion on his side. The glow from the light seems to highlight it.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I took a video last night- I dropped some food in like I normally do and he didn’t go for it. I had to put the food in front of him to take it.
There also seems to be a small abrasion on his side. The glow from the light seems to highlight it.

Well, at least it ate some food.

This species is prone to skin infections, but we usually see that on freshly imported fish. The location of the area on this fish is consistent with that.

The missing Blenny is also something that may be connected.

The flared gills could be flukes.

Trouble is, I can’t make a firm diagnosis for you - the choices would be prazi in your display against flukes, or moving the goby to a treatment tank and dosing with an antibiotic like kanaplex or Neoplex.

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

Would these treatments be harmful to the cleaner shrimp in the display? If so I guess I could treat in a 1 gallon tank I have. I don’t have any other livestock in here other than the shrimp and coral now.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Would these treatments be harmful to the cleaner shrimp in the display? If so I guess I could treat in a 1 gallon tank I have. I don’t have any other livestock in here other than the shrimp and coral now.

You can dose prazi in your display and the shrimp would be fine. Antibiotics typically need to be dosed in a hospital tank.

 

[BlueBayouReefHTX]

View attachment 20260102_110919 AM_5B6E403F-5465-4E19-B04C-C7EDE2918B46.mov
This is him this morning. Definitely still looking off. I’m going to try the prazi and will update.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

This is him this morning. Definitely still looking off. I’m going to try the prazi and will update.

I’m struggling to see what’s going on with its lower jaw - that just doesn’t look right.