Highfin goby disappearing act

[Chrisv.]

I added a highfin goby and his pistol shrimp pals to my tank two nights ago.he is the only fish in the tank (a nano).

Parameters are standard: no3= 8ppm, po4= .06 ppm, sg= 1.026, temp 79f, alk= 8.5 dkh, ca= 400.

Highfin was drip acclimated from another local reefer's tank. When I added him to the tank he totally freaked, ran into a zoa patch and looked stunned for a few seconds and then disappeared into the rockwork. I turned the lights out so that he could find his happy to place. His shrimp pals have been going to town with their bulldozing and they snap from time to time (I have not seen them) but fishy remains to be seen.

I know these can be shy fish. How long before I should expect to see him?

I fed the tank 24h after adding him but he didn't show up for food.

 

[blaxsun]

Send out the rescue party after a week...

 

[Chrisv.]

Send out the rescue party after a week...

If there is a rescue party, it's made up of hermits and they have probably already taken care of things if needed!

 

[blaxsun]

If there is a rescue party, it's made up of hermits and they have probably already taken care of things if needed!

I said "rescue" party, not burial detail, lol. I've had fish (supposedly) disappear for over a week. Turns out they found their ideal 'bat cave' and only left when they finally got hungry. Right now I have a dottyback named "Carl". "Has anyone seen Carl?"

 

[Chrisv.]

I said "rescue" party, not burial detail, lol. I've had fish (supposedly) disappear for over a week. Turns out they found their ideal 'bat cave' and only left when they finally got hungry. Right now I have a dottyback named "Carl". "Has anyone seen Carl?"

We're changing this from a rescue to a recovery effort. Lol

 

[Chrisv.]

Hm we're ten days with no goby....

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I lost mine for two weeks. One day (after I bought a yellow watchman) he shows back up and darted back in its cave. I see once a week

 

[Chrisv.]

I lost mine for two weeks. One day (after I bought a yellow watchman) he shows back up and darted back in its cave. I see once a week

Lol once a week!? What madness. I need another fish.

 

[Chrisv.]

Well, I spotted the goby today for the first time. I was sure that it was dead. After almost a full months of not seeing him. I was 99% sure he was dead. Go figure.

 

[i cant think]

Well, I spotted the goby today for the first time. I was sure that it was dead. After almost a full months of not seeing him. I was 99% sure he was dead. Go figure.

My yasha goby did that trick with me 6 months ago, he had vanished completely with no trace after a tank upgrade (15g to 20g) and then a crater appeared under a rock after Atleast a week. The only other thing in the tank was a golden dwarf coral banded shrimp and I was so sure he was eaten but no, he was just under a rock round the back (Now his ditch has taken over almost the entire bit below the rock and he hangs out infront) the shrimp gobies are certainly strange creatures and I don’t think we know enough about them if I’m honest.

 

[Chrisv.]

My yasha goby did that trick with me 6 months ago, he had vanished completely with no trace after a tank upgrade (15g to 20g) and then a crater appeared under a rock after Atleast a week. The only other thing in the tank was a golden dwarf coral banded shrimp and I was so sure he was eaten but no, he was just under a rock round the back (Now his ditch has taken over almost the entire bit below the rock and he hangs out infront) the shrimp gobies are certainly strange creatures and I don’t think we know enough about them if I’m honest.

This is my first shrimp/goby pair. I was so excited to observe the symbiosis, but honestly I'm not too jazzed about looking at what amounts to a tank with no fish in it. Maybe if I get some bolder tank mates he will be more confident about swimming.

 

[i cant think]

This is my first shrimp/goby pair. I was so excited to observe the symbiosis, but honestly I'm not too jazzed about looking at what amounts to a tank with no fish in it. Maybe if I get some bolder tank mates he will be more confident about swimming.

Mine hangs out infront and as tankmates there are:
- Dot dash Blenny,
- Blue star leopard wrasse (Not a permanent home! She is just under an inch so I’m getting away with it)
- Naoko fairy wrasse (Same story as with the blue star leopard - Except he is 1.5”)
- Cryptic sixline wrasse (This is his forever home however, when I upgrade I will just put him in the new tank)
I think that the Blenny is actually helping him get more brave, along with the naoko fairy, I will feel so cruel when I have to move him since the naoko and yasha sleep with eachother but the yasha tends to go on guard, their relationship is basically the fish & goby version of pistol shrimp & goby

 

[Chrisv.]

Mine hangs out infront and as tankmates there are:
- Dot dash Blenny,
- Blue star leopard wrasse (Not a permanent home! She is just under an inch so I’m getting away with it)
- Naoko fairy wrasse (Same story as with the blue star leopard - Except he is 1.5”)
- Cryptic sixline wrasse (This is his forever home however, when I upgrade I will just put him in the new tank)
I think that the Blenny is actually helping him get more brave, along with the naoko fairy, I will feel so cruel when I have to move him since the naoko and yasha sleep with eachother but the yasha tends to go on guard, their relationship is basically the fish & goby version of pistol shrimp & goby

I'm thinking about a small wrasse, but the possum wrasse I'm considering is also notoriously cryptic. Maybe a blenny is the answer. Good algae eater, too.

 

[i cant think]

I'm thinking about a small wrasse, but the possum wrasse I'm considering is also notoriously cryptic. Maybe a blenny is the answer. Good algae eater, too.

Actually, I’m my experience possum wrasses aren’t actually as cryptic as made out to be. I had a tanaka Pygmy possum and he was out all the time just pecking at rocks (Obviously that was after he got established) and ive been debating on trying a pair or trio of possums.
My first possum wrasse met the pincushion urchin’s beak and got eaten (I have sworn against pincushions in nano tanks now, I hate them I was up all night just listening to the bone crushing beak chowing down on the possum wrasse unfortunately but had no idea what it was until 6am that morning) blennies are for sure a good personality fish!

 

[Chrisv.]

Actually, I’m my experience possum wrasses aren’t actually as cryptic as made out to be. I had a tanaka Pygmy possum and he was out all the time just pecking at rocks (Obviously that was after he got established) and ive been debating on trying a pair or trio of possums.
My first possum wrasse met the pincushion urchin’s beak and got eaten (I have sworn against pincushions in nano tanks now, I hate them I was up all night just listening to the bone crushing beak chowing down on the possum wrasse unfortunately but had no idea what it was until 6am that morning) blennies are for sure a good personality fish!

That's cool! I really like the Tanaka's but like everything else, they have become quite expensive. Yellow banded can be had at my LFS for $100 but the Tanaka's are $140. I like Tanaka's more, but it's hard to justify that big of a bump given how similar they are.

 

[i cant think]

That's cool! I really like the Tanaka's but like everything else, they have become quite expensive. Yellow banded can be had at my LFS for $100 but the Tanaka's are $140. I like Tanaka's more, but it's hard to justify that big of a bump given how similar they are.

Yeah, I prefer the tanakas Pygmy over the others but I agree that the gap between them is so difficult to actually compare them to being better than eachother. It was the tanakas that I unfortunately lost to an urchin

 

[Tchung23]

My Yasha was very cryptic for the first 6 months in my tank but now come out as soon as I turn off pumps to feed. They are really cool to watch so give it some time. I do agree getting fish that swim around the tank is nice too