Hector's Goby struggling to swim - is there anything I can do?

saltcats · Dec 22, 2023

I imagine it's probably already too late but I figured I'd try - my hector's goby (added to the tank 11/24; evo 13.5 by himself for QT) started acting strange earlier this week and then disappeared totally yesterday. He just showed back up and he's not doing well at all - he's lying in the macroalgae on his side, can't seem to swim. He is still trying though. Breathing looks pretty slow.

His colour is good, no visible parasites or mucous/discolouration. His body is pretty curved. Does this sound like anything? Is there anything I can do to help or should I go ahead and euthanize?

I added a bottle of pods yesterday and I can see a lot in there... I know this species is difficult to feed enough but I will say he was plump when I last saw him swimming about on Monday evening, not pinched or sunken like other descriptions I've seen. It was a very rapid decline.

Temp 78, no ammonia, no nitrate. It's set up like a reef tank with live rock, some sand, clump of dragon's breath algae. Tank has been set up for about a year but he's the only fish that's been in there.

Is there anything I can try? Or at least, does this sound like anything so I know what might have happened/avoid it with another fish?

vetteguy53081 · Dec 22, 2023

Please provide

saltcats said:
I imagine it's probably already too late but I figured I'd try - my hector's goby (added to the tank 11/24; evo 13.5 by himself for QT) started acting strange earlier this week and then disappeared totally yesterday. He just showed back up and he's not doing well at all - he's lying in the macroalgae on his side, can't seem to swim. He is still trying though. Breathing looks pretty slow.

His colour is good, no visible parasites or mucous/discolouration. His body is pretty curved. Does this sound like anything? Is there anything I can do to help or should I go ahead and euthanize?
I added a bottle of pods yesterday and I can see a lot in there... I know this species is difficult to feed enough but I will say he was plump when I last saw him swimming about on Monday evening, not pinched or sunken like other descriptions I've seen. It was a very rapid decline.

Temp 78, no ammonia, no nitrate. It's set up like a reef tank with live rock, some sand, clump of dragon's breath algae. Tank has been set up for about a year but he's the only fish that's been in there.

Is there anything I can try? Or at least, does this sound like anything so I know what might have happened/avoid it with another fish?

Please provide pics and even video under white light intensity
When did this down spiral actually begin and possibilities are injury, impact injury, liver issue as examples

saltcats · Dec 22, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
Please provide

Please provide pics and even video under white light intensity
When did this down spiral actually begin and possibilities are injury, impact injury, liver issue as examples

Thanks for your reply -

I added the fish on 11/24 and he was very active, calm, always swimming around the whole tank picking at things. Never saw him take any food I offered so I'm sure that could play a role but I had a decent pod population before I added him I believe and he looked plump/had dark, not stringy poops.

12/19 I noticed him acting strangely - instead of swimming through the whole tank he was hovering above my clump of dragon's breath all morning, and would periodically dive into it and then reappear. His colours were good and his fins were not clamped - he actually had his dorsal fin erect much more than normal. Breathing seemed normal.
In the evening he started moving through the whole tank again and picking at sand/rocks like usual before going to bed as the lights went down, but I felt he was not swimming quite like usual - his tail drifted downwards so he was slightly curved, and I felt he seemed to tip side to side a bit when he moved abruptly to pick at something. He did a very large dark poop that evening.

12/20 I was more concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm. Again he stayed over the algae more when he finally did come out, but would disappear for longer when he dove into it. I don't recall if I saw him move around the tank and eat that evening, he was only making very brief appearances and that's when I was able to get the short video clip I shared in my other thread https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hectors-goby-not-sure-if-something-is-wrong.1024742/.
I took a sample to my LFS for testing that day and they didn't find anything off with my parameters (the manager who I've known for years tested it and I trust his judgement). I verified nitrates myself at home which were 0.

Yesterday and today I did not see him at all until just now. I tried to get a picture but I am not sure you'll get a good look - he's very hidden in the algae. He's upside down now so I suspect there's not much can be done

(In the time of writing this - I think he has passed now, I greatly appreciate your prompt response.)

I have another fish in a different tank in the same room with no issues, so I don't think it could be anything with a contaminant.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 22, 2023

saltcats said:
Thanks for your reply -

I added the fish on 11/24 and he was very active, calm, always swimming around the whole tank picking at things. Never saw him take any food I offered so I'm sure that could play a role but I had a decent pod population before I added him I believe and he looked plump/had dark, not stringy poops.

12/19 I noticed him acting strangely - instead of swimming through the whole tank he was hovering above my clump of dragon's breath all morning, and would periodically dive into it and then reappear. His colours were good and his fins were not clamped - he actually had his dorsal fin erect much more than normal. Breathing seemed normal.
In the evening he started moving through the whole tank again and picking at sand/rocks like usual before going to bed as the lights went down, but I felt he was not swimming quite like usual - his tail drifted downwards so he was slightly curved, and I felt he seemed to tip side to side a bit when he moved abruptly to pick at something. He did a very large dark poop that evening.

12/20 I was more concerned as I did not see him at all until about 3pm. Again he stayed over the algae more when he finally did come out, but would disappear for longer when he dove into it. I don't recall if I saw him move around the tank and eat that evening, he was only making very brief appearances and that's when I was able to get the short video clip I shared in my other thread https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hectors-goby-not-sure-if-something-is-wrong.1024742/.
I took a sample to my LFS for testing that day and they didn't find anything off with my parameters (the manager who I've known for years tested it and I trust his judgement). I verified nitrates myself at home which were 0.

Yesterday and today I did not see him at all until just now. I tried to get a picture but I am not sure you'll get a good look - he's very hidden in the algae. He's upside down now so I suspect there's not much can be done
(In the time of writing this - I think he has passed now, I greatly appreciate your prompt response.)

I have another fish in a different tank in the same room with no issues, so I don't think it could be anything with a contaminant.

Upside down often a fish which is moribund and will not eat or swim normal moving forward and there is no medication to reverse this condition