Help with Watchman Goby

[mress20]

Hello all!

New to the forum and excited to be here!

However, could really use some help figuring out what's going on my with my watchman goby if possible!

I've had him for 2 years now in my 24g cube and lately I've noticed his gills look like flared out more than usual? And what looks like to be like a darker lump or something like under his lower jaw / in his mouth/gill area?

He still is showing interest in eating, however when he goes to eat lately, it looks like whatever it is, is bothering him. I also feel like he's doing that yawning action more than normal and seems to be swimming in the upper third of the tank, here and there, near the flow output.
And yesterday, saw him do a spaz like rub on/off the substrate one time, almost like to get something off him? Haven't seen him do this before.

Attaching 3 clips I took to see if anyone would be able to help give their thoughts, really want to help him as he's my favorite fish! Lol. Any help would be great appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello all!

New to the forum and excited to be here!

However, could really use some help figuring out what's going on my with my watchman goby if possible!

I've had him for 2 years now in my 24g cube and lately I've noticed his gills look like flared out more than usual? And what looks like to be like a darker lump or something like under his lower jaw / in his mouth/gill area?

He still is showing interest in eating, however when he goes to eat lately, it looks like whatever it is, is bothering him. I also feel like he's doing that yawning action more than normal and seems to be swimming in the upper third of the tank, here and there, near the flow output.
And yesterday, saw him do a spaz like rub on/off the substrate one time, almost like to get something off him? Haven't seen him do this before.

Attaching 3 clips I took to see if anyone would be able to help give their thoughts, really want to help him as he's my favorite fish! Lol. Any help would be great appreciated!

Thank you!

The heavy breathing , loss of appetite and yawning are clear symptoms of Flukes and fish should be treated with PraziPro. While you can treat in-tank, I recommend treatment in a separate tank or container. You want to dose at 85% of recommended and allow it to work for 8 days, change water and apply one more application lasting 8 days and do add an air stone as Prazi lowers both oxygen and appetite

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello all!

New to the forum and excited to be here!

However, could really use some help figuring out what's going on my with my watchman goby if possible!

I've had him for 2 years now in my 24g cube and lately I've noticed his gills look like flared out more than usual? And what looks like to be like a darker lump or something like under his lower jaw / in his mouth/gill area?

He still is showing interest in eating, however when he goes to eat lately, it looks like whatever it is, is bothering him. I also feel like he's doing that yawning action more than normal and seems to be swimming in the upper third of the tank, here and there, near the flow output.
And yesterday, saw him do a spaz like rub on/off the substrate one time, almost like to get something off him? Haven't seen him do this before.

Attaching 3 clips I took to see if anyone would be able to help give their thoughts, really want to help him as he's my favorite fish! Lol. Any help would be great appreciated!

Thank you!

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

The symptoms for the most part does seem to point to gill flukes. However, that is a bit unexpected given the time you've had the fish. Have you added any other animals recently, say in the past few months?

For flukes, you can treat with praziquantel:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-praziquantel-pzq.1105700/

The swelling at the base of the gills may be goiter, an enlarged thyroid gland. There isn't a good treatment for this in small fish (larger fish can get oral iodine).

 

[mress20]

Thank you both for your help and input! Thinking maybe the best move for me is to treat with Prazipro then.

I heard and read about doing a freshwater dip with my Goby, however what's the thoughts on that? Recommended or not really? Worried about trying to catch the guy without stressing him out a lot currently Lol.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you both for your help and input! Thinking maybe the best move for me is to treat with Prazipro then.

I heard and read about doing a freshwater dip with my Goby, however what's the thoughts on that? Recommended or not really? Worried about trying to catch the guy without stressing him out a lot currently Lol.

A FW dip won’t cure flukes, but if you have a microscope, you could look at the dip water afterwards and confirm flukes.

What happens is that FW dips are not 100% effective at killing all parasites, and then, if you move the fish back into the tank it came from, it will just become reinfected.

FW dips can sometimes buy some time, but in heavy parasite loads, fish can die during the dip process or soon after.

 

[mress20]

A FW dip won’t cure flukes, but if you have a microscope, you could look at the dip water afterwards and confirm flukes.

What happens is that FW dips are not 100% effective at killing all parasites, and then, if you move the fish back into the tank it came from, it will just become reinfected.

FW dips can sometimes by some time, but in heavy parasite loads, fish can die during the dip process or soon after.

Good to know thank you, that's what I was worried about if I did it. Thinking the best move would be to just treat the tank with Prazipro.

However, just did some googling on the goiter thing you mentioned, because I haven't added anything new to the tank, and saw that sometimes high nitrates can cause it / the lack of iodine issue? If so that, makes me wonder somewhat because my nitrates have been or were very high not too long ago. So now I am wondering, if it is that, and if so, what I should or can do to treat it / help?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Good to know thank you, that's what I was worried about if I did it. Thinking the best move would be to just treat the tank with Prazipro.

However, just did some googling on the goiter thing you mentioned, because I haven't added anything new to the tank, and saw that sometimes high nitrates can cause it / the lack of iodine issue? If so that, makes me wonder somewhat because my nitrates have been or were very high not too long ago. So now I am wondering, if it is that, and if so, what I should or can do to treat it / help?

High nitrates have been implicated in goiter, but public aquariums often have very high nitrates and don’t see it more often.

There are other reasons goiter starts up, sometimes it’s due to low iodine, but often it is due to some issue that keeps iodine from being assimilated properly.

Some species are more prone to it: sharks, jawfish, gobies and cardinal fish.

 

[mress20]

High nitrates have been implicated in goiter, but public aquariums often have very high nitrates and don’t see it more often.

There are other reasons goiter starts up, sometimes it’s due to low iodine, but often it is due to some issue that keeps iodine from being assimilated properly.

Some species are more prone to it: sharks, jawfish, gobies and cardinal fish.

Interesting and good to know, thank you!

Just to update after the weekend, I dosed the tank with PraziPro on Thursday, since then he's just been hiding in the back and his interest in eating has only gone down. I'm not sure what to think or do now :(

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Interesting and good to know, thank you!

Just to update after the weekend, I dosed the tank with PraziPro on Thursday, since then he's just been hiding in the back and his interest in eating has only gone down. I'm not sure what to think or do now :(

Goiter can interfere with feeding, but there may be another issue going on. Did you ensure you have good aeration with the Prazipro?

 

[mress20]

Hello everyone, wanted to give a big update here on my Goby. So today is day 6 after treating Prazipro. Up until yesterday, he was showing no signs or interests of eating, however yesterday I saw some interest and attempts, and then today he was being his normal self again! Out as soon as I put food in and actively attempting and successfully eating pellets/food!

With tomorrow being day 7, my thoughts are this sudden change and positive sign of eating again means it's working and I should dose the tank with the 2nd treatment tomorrow?

However wanted to see what others thoughts and opinions were first!

Also was able to get possibly the best back side view of him and his gills today since he finally stopped hiding behind the rock work. I am attaching a regular speed and slow motion version of the clip to this post, very confused and what I'm looking at here at the end of the clip when he goes to swim back into the rock work??

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello everyone, wanted to give a big update here on my Goby. So today is day 6 after treating Prazipro. Up until yesterday, he was showing no signs or interests of eating, however yesterday I saw some interest and attempts, and then today he was being his normal self again! Out as soon as I put food in and actively attempting and successfully eating pellets/food!

With tomorrow being day 7, my thoughts are this sudden change and positive sign of eating again means it's working and I should dose the tank with the 2nd treatment tomorrow?

However wanted to see what others thoughts and opinions were first!

Also was able to get possibly the best back side view of him and his gills today since he finally stopped hiding behind the rock work. I am attaching a regular speed and slow motion version of the clip to this post, very confused and what I'm looking at here at the end of the clip when he goes to swim back into the rock work??

I’d give it another day of feeding and then redose on day 8. That way, it will have gained some food energy in case it goes off feed again.

 

[mress20]

I’d give it another day of feeding and then redose on day 8. That way, it will have gained some food energy in case it goes off feed again.

Interesting, I can do that, I've got the saltwater for water change brewing right now but thinking can just keep it brewing for an extra day then?

 

[mress20]

Here's better clips of the angles I got today, the first one being the slow motion clip. Really confused what I'm looking at here.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Here's better clips of the angles I got today, the first one being the slow motion clip. Really confused what I'm looking at here.

There are three issues that this could be; gill flukes, goiter or crustacean gill parasites. I ruled out the third option due to the length of time the fish has been in your tank (those parasites are always seen on newly acquired fish). that leaves the goiter and flukes that we've been talking about. It's possible that the fish has both of these issues at once.

 

[mress20]

There are three issues that this could be; gill flukes, goiter or crustacean gill parasites. I ruled out the third option due to the length of time the fish has been in your tank (those parasites are always seen on newly acquired fish). that leaves the goiter and flukes that we've been talking about. It's possible that the fish has both of these issues at once.

Ugh, thank you for the help and reply! I will continue with the second dose/treatment of Prazipro then! The gills being that flared out and red like that is what concerned me the most. But he had a strong interest and appetite yesterday, so that was a great sign!!