Is my new YWG dying ?

[Idech]

I’ve had this yellow watchman goby for 8 days now. My tank is 1 year old and there are six fish in it that have been there from the start. No fish is harassing the YWG.

Since adding it (after 45 min. acclimation), it disappeared, only to show up once in a while and glass surf or hide in a top or bottom corner. It doesn’t seem interested in eating. I watched him closely yesterday and there was no fast breathing. He seems thin and has stress lines.

Do you think he is dying or just stressed out ? I was going to take him out and put him in a hospital tank but this morning he seems to have more energy.

eta : he comes from a store that sells quarantined fish. He’s been in there a long time, at least 6 months.

 

[TheReefDiary]

First questions? Is it eating? Is it breathing normally? If yes to both of those most likely stressed, but still could be sick of course. Are any of the fish really harassing it? If so maybe consider rehoming him or putting him in an acclimation box so the other can get used to him.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’ve had this yellow watchman goby for 8 days now. My tank is 1 year old and there are six fish in it that have been there from the start. No fish is harassing the YWG.

Since adding it (after 45 min. acclimation), it disappeared, only to show up once in a while and glass surf or hide in a top or bottom corner. It doesn’t seem interested in eating. I watched him closely yesterday and there was no fast breathing. He seems thin and has stress lines.

Do you think he is dying or just stressed out ? I was going to take him out and put him in a hospital tank but this morning he seems to have more energy.

eta : he comes from a store that sells quarantined fish. He’s been in there a long time, at least 6 months.

Typical YWG when new. For the future, your acclimation is simply not long enough. Just alone, you would have floated bag to equalize temperature and you want to empty bag and fish into a CLEAN bucket and they add tank water until AT MINIMUM you matcged the salinity in the bucket with that of the tank. I add a cup of water every 15 mins 6X to assure salinity, ph have been equalized

 

[Idech]

First questions? Is it eating? Is it breathing normally? If yes to both of those most likely stressed, but still could be sick of course. Are any of the fish really harassing it? If so maybe consider rehoming him or putting him in an acclimation box so the other can get used to him.

As I wrote, I haven’t seen him eat. Although this morning he might have been eating extra tiny bits of frozen food that flew around but I can’t be sure.

No fish harassing him. No heavy breathing that I saw.

 

[Idech]

Typical YWG when new. For the future, your acclimation is simply not long enough. Just alone, you would have floated bag to equalize temperature and you want to empty bag and fish into a CLEAN bucket and they add tank water until AT MINIMUM you matcged the salinity in the bucket with that of the tank. I add a cup of water every 15 mins 6X to assure salinity, ph have been equalized

I usually do it for 1 hour but I thought he looked stress so shortened it a bit.

I’ll make it longer next time.

 

[TheReefDiary]

As I wrote, I haven’t seen him eat. Although this morning he might have been eating extra tiny bits of frozen food that flew around but I can’t be sure.

No fish harassing him. No heavy breathing that I saw.

What vette guy said. My YWG acclimated nicely to the tank no erratic swimming. But maybe this is their normal behavior.

 

[MnFish1]

I’ve had this yellow watchman goby for 8 days now. My tank is 1 year old and there are six fish in it that have been there from the start. No fish is harassing the YWG.

Since adding it (after 45 min. acclimation), it disappeared, only to show up once in a while and glass surf or hide in a top or bottom corner. It doesn’t seem interested in eating. I watched him closely yesterday and there was no fast breathing. He seems thin and has stress lines.

Do you think he is dying or just stressed out ? I was going to take him out and put him in a hospital tank but this morning he seems to have more energy.

eta : he comes from a store that sells quarantined fish. He’s been in there a long time, at least 6 months.

There is a list of questions in my signature - of which questions help us help you. I would not be concerned - about this behavior - probably getting used to a new tank/situation - assuming no other issues.

 

[MnFish1]

Typical YWG when new. For the future, your acclimation is simply not long enough. Just alone, you would have floated bag to equalize temperature and you want to empty bag and fish into a CLEAN bucket and they add tank water until AT MINIMUM you matcged the salinity in the bucket with that of the tank. I add a cup of water every 15 mins 6X to assure salinity, ph have been equalized

And just to add to this - IF you get your fish at an LFS - this is absoutely correct. If you got your fish from the internet - I would make sure to follow the instructions that whichever shipper recommends. Good luck with your fish.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

IMO - after this length of time, acclimation issues will have resolved themselves; either the fish has adjusted, or it died. I just do not see how an acute acclimation issue (typically too fast of a rise in salinity) could still manifest itself 8 days later....

Jay

 

[Idech]

@MnFish1

Aquarium Parameters:
Aquarium type: Reef, Fish-only, Quarantine tank : Reef
Aquarium water volume : 75 gallons
Filtration type : Tunze internal filter, Tunze internal skimmer
Lighting : 4 x AI Prime 16 HD
How long has the aquarium been established? 13 months
Digital image of the aquarium under white light

Water quality (be sure to indicate what measurement units you are using)
Temperature : 77 F
pH: 8,01
Salinity / specific gravity : 1,026
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite : 0,02
Nitrate : 7,9
Phosphorus : 0,01
Copper : 0
Other

I just had an ICP test done

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? (see below) : no
Are any invertebrates affected? no
Respiration rate of affected fish (in gill beats per minutes, count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4) : haven’t counted, but very slow
Are the affected fish still feeding? new fish, doesn’t come up for feedings
What remedies have you tried so far? none
Digital image of the fish with the health issue, taken under white light - see video
- if needed, indicate by drawing a line around the area in question.
Short video of the fish (linked YouTube videos work well) - video posted

 

[Julbra]

When I got my YWG he was a very small juvenile and only eating live foods. He was not eating and freaking out on the glass a lot. Here is what I did.

I put him in an acclimation box in the QT with a pipe and had to teach him how to eat.

I was squirting bits of frozen repeatedly in front of his mouth until he ate it. Repeated this with pellets. He was regularly glass surfing like yours and freaking out but after 4 weeks we tamed him.

Here he was at the beginning:

And a few months later in the display:

 

[Idech]

When I got my YWG he was a very small juvenile and only eating live foods. He was not eating and freaking out on the glass a lot. Here is what I did.

I put him in an acclimation box in the QT with a pipe and had to teach him how to eat.

I was squirting bits of frozen repeatedly in front of his mouth until he ate it. Repeated this with pellets. He was regularly glass surfing like yours and freaking out but after 4 weeks we tamed him.

Here he was at the beginning:

And a few months later in the display:

I could do that but it’s a lot of effort. I asked what he was eating at the LFS and they said frozen foods. He lived under a rock in a small tank, maybe 5-10 gallons. I think he was by himself.

They said he would come out for feeding. He had been in the store for at least 6 months, so for sure he is used to eating what he is fed or he would have died a long time ago.

I’ll still consider this if I see no progress. He has beat up fins and stress lines, so he must be stressed.

 

[Julbra]

I could do that but it’s a lot of effort. I asked what he was eating at the LFS and they said frozen foods. He lived under a rock in a small tank, maybe 5-10 gallons. I think he was by himself.

They said he would come out for feeding. He had been in the store for at least 6 months, so for sure he is used to eating what he is fed or he would have died a long time ago.

I’ll still consider this if I see no progress. He has beat up fins and stress lines, so he must be stressed.

Yours sure is much further ahead than ours was. If you know where he hides you can try target feeding with a long coral feeder. He won’t eat while in freak out mode glass surfing.

 

[Idech]

It was still up in the corner this morning, lying vertically against the glass. I caught it and put it into a small breeder box inside the tank. I fed him frozen and flakes and he ate none. The other fish were pretty happy about it though…

I’ve shut half the lights in the tank to let him rest. I’ll try feeding him again tonight. He looks very depressed and weak. His spine I’m not very confident he will live unless he starts eating soon.

I don’t know how he is still alive. I don’t see him breathing and his gills aren’t moving. He ate 1-2 pieces of frozen food for dinner, then wouldn’t touch anything else. I’ll have to get rid of the leftovers tomorrow. Now he needs to rest if he is going to make it through the night.

 

[MnFish1]

It was still up in the corner this morning, lying vertically against the glass. I caught it and put it into a small breeder box inside the tank. I fed him frozen and flakes and he ate none. The other fish were pretty happy about it though…

I’ve shut half the lights in the tank to let him rest. I’ll try feeding him again tonight. He looks very depressed and weak. His spine I’m not very confident he will live unless he starts eating soon.

I don’t know how he is still alive. I don’t see him breathing and his gills aren’t moving. He ate 1-2 pieces of frozen food for dinner, then wouldn’t touch anything else. I’ll have to get rid of the leftovers tomorrow. Now he needs to rest if he is going to make it through the night.

Actually fish can go for quite a while without food - though yours looks thin as already mentioned. Since he/she is in an acclimation box (assuming in your tank - and assuming - in the same water as your other fish) - I don't think you risk anything (except an attack from your existing fish) - to releasing it into the tank. These fish can be quite shy at first - and perhaps you're just prolonging the agony? (again - assuming its been QT'd previously) - i.e. I don't see an advantage to putting it in an acclimation box - now

 

[Julbra]

It was still up in the corner this morning, lying vertically against the glass. I caught it and put it into a small breeder box inside the tank. I fed him frozen and flakes and he ate none. The other fish were pretty happy about it though…

I’ve shut half the lights in the tank to let him rest. I’ll try feeding him again tonight. He looks very depressed and weak. His spine I’m not very confident he will live unless he starts eating soon.

I don’t know how he is still alive. I don’t see him breathing and his gills aren’t moving. He ate 1-2 pieces of frozen food for dinner, then wouldn’t touch anything else. I’ll have to get rid of the leftovers tomorrow. Now he needs to rest if he is going to make it through the night.

I can see his fins and foot are damaged, was this from other fish or something else?

Should be easier spot feeding him in the box and no one will steal his food.
Also it really helps to run away from the tank and observe from a distance as humans are pretty scary.

Don’t lose hope ours wasn’t eating for a week.

 

[Idech]

Actually fish can go for quite a while without food - though yours looks thin as already mentioned. Since he/she is in an acclimation box (assuming in your tank - and assuming - in the same water as your other fish) - I don't think you risk anything (except an attack from your existing fish) - to releasing it into the tank. These fish can be quite shy at first - and perhaps you're just prolonging the agony? (again - assuming its been QT'd previously) - i.e. I don't see an advantage to putting it in an acclimation box - now

I see many advantages, but I could be wrong. First, he is not glass surfing like a maniac. When doing that, he is spending energy while not ingesting food to replenish what calories he is losing. In the breeder box he is forced to rest.

Second, he doesn’t have to look for food as it will be placed right in his face. I have never seen him even look for food.

Third, he looks pretty beat up and I can’t know for sure if one of my fish is harassing him. Now he is safe.

You may be right though and maybe he needs to be let in the tank to settle in, but he’s been in there for 8 days already and he is not adjusting.

I’d like him to fatten up and heal before I let him go. He’ll be monitored frequently.

 

[Idech]

I can see his fins and foot are damaged, was this from other fish or something else?

I wish I knew. I think he wasn’t beat up when I go him, but I can’t be certain.

 

[Julbra]

I wish I knew. I think he wasn’t beat up when I go him, but I can’t be certain.

Yes ours was pretty stupid when he was little, he was not running away from the firefish in QT and was getting his fins nipped, that’s why we had him in the box. It helped with the feeding too.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It was still up in the corner this morning, lying vertically against the glass. I caught it and put it into a small breeder box inside the tank. I fed him frozen and flakes and he ate none. The other fish were pretty happy about it though…

I’ve shut half the lights in the tank to let him rest. I’ll try feeding him again tonight. He looks very depressed and weak. His spine I’m not very confident he will live unless he starts eating soon.

I don’t know how he is still alive. I don’t see him breathing and his gills aren’t moving. He ate 1-2 pieces of frozen food for dinner, then wouldn’t touch anything else. I’ll have to get rid of the leftovers tomorrow. Now he needs to rest if he is going to make it through the night.

Fish looks pretty god and good color. Mine does not breathe heavy and its seems somewhat thin but good colr. The fact it ate is a good start.
Assure it has semi-deep sandbed and places to hide as they can be bashful but note can also be jumpers. Offer small meaty foods as you have including mysis and brine shrimp, small plankton, chopped krill and even bloodworm.