Something in Sand Killing Diamond Watchman Gobies

4theluvofcoral · Nov 5, 2020

I have a question for the Reefing community, my boyfriend and I have had a reef tank a little over a year almost two now and within the past 6-7 months have added a lot of NPS, mainly gorgonian/sea fans to our 125 gallon reef tank. Ever since we've been trying to add a dependable clean up crew, mainly for the sand, we've been struggling with keeping the Diamond Watchman gobies alive. We are now on our third set. Just found one dead earlier and haven't seen the other so our fears is it's most likely dead where ever it's at as well. Everything else we've added does fine. It's just the sand sifting variety that seem to be affected and die. I do have bristle worms in our Caribsea Arag-Alive Bahamas Oolite substrate.

I must say we have quite a diverse array of life in our tank so we were wondering if maybe it scooped up a worm, or a snail shell and either choked or it stung it to death? I don't know if anyone else has had the same problem we are, but we are now just going to go with a Conch or Sand Sifting Mole Crabs. If anyone might have any ideas of what's going on and would like to weigh in I'm open to all possibilities, and to reiterate it's just the sand gobies. We've also added an Arrow Crab (for Bristle worms), Kole Tang and teamed him up with a Foxface to combat the algae. There's also a Lawnmower Blenny, and a Starry Eyed Blenny (for algae) as well as a Peppermint shrimp. The shrimp has been in the tank since it was maybe a half an inch long and now is easily pushing 2-2 1/2 inches now.

Webslinger · Nov 6, 2020

starvation?

Idoc · Nov 6, 2020

My guess is also starvation. I regularly feed mine mysis directly to him with a turkey baster if i see the slightest skinny change to his belly. He loves seeing that baster come into the tank... eats right out of the end of it.

ScottB · Nov 6, 2020

That is the one fish I also have struggled to keep as well. I do keep the sand fairly clean, but I feed super heavy. I've had no trouble keeping other "hard to keep" or iich magnet fish like a Powder Blue. But I must have killed 4 of these over the years. I never did try to target feed though, so maybe I should try that next time.

4theluvofcoral · Nov 6, 2020

If he starved to death then it was at the shop because he was introduced not even 24 hours before I posted the article. Still haven’t found the other or seen any signs it’s alive but we bought them the day before yesterday, acclimated them, they seemed fine then found the one the next morning. There’s a black blotch on the bottom jaw that was not there but for whatever reason we have not been able to keep a single diamond watchman goby alive...all the other fish and inverts are fine so I give up.

ScottB · Nov 6, 2020

Again sorry.

Your LFS should refund or replace. At least mine does in the first week as long as you bring in a water sample.

4theluvofcoral · Nov 6, 2020

ScottB said:
Again sorry.

Your LFS should refund or replace. At least mine does in the first week as long as you bring in a water sample.

I wished that were possible, because for as small as they are and rather a common type found in shops, it’s pretty expensive but there’s a sign when you go into most shops that says “Livestock is not Guaranteed.” A lot of places here in Southern California are like that, at least here in my region.

4theluvofcoral · Nov 6, 2020

So I found or rather he came out of wherever he was, the other goby, and he is alive but he has something going on with his mouth. It's red or irritated by something. Anyone have any ideas what is causing this? As mentioned before this has happened to other Diamond Watchman Gobies we've tried to house as well...whatever is causing this it ends up killing them.

csb123 · Nov 6, 2020

You don’t have a lot of open sand for them to sift and get nutrition. I’ve found they need a big sand bed that’s very “alive” or diligent, frequent, feedings.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 6, 2020

24 hours ?
How was fish acclimated (introduced)
What is Age of tank?
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet?
What is:
Salinity?
Tank Temp?
Ph?
Ammonia level
Nitrate level?

4theluvofcoral · Nov 6, 2020

csb123 said:
You don’t have a lot of open sand for them to sift and get nutrition. I’ve found they need a big sand bed that’s very “alive” or diligent, frequent, feedings.

125 gallon tank with plenty of open spaces...feedings of what? My tank is pretty much NPS so there’s excess food that collects on the sand bed which is the reason I need a sand sifting variety. The issue is they don’t sift anything before they succumb to whatever it is they die of. I’m trying to find out why they die so prematurely. This is the third time we’ve bought a pair and the third time it’s happened exactly the same way.

They barely last 24 hours but the one that’s left, last I checked is still alive but has not sifted anything, like the other, since introducing it as seen in the video I posted. There’s plenty of food and he did not look thin or unhealthy when I bought him, they both were sifting and acting normal at the shop when I purchased them.

Their mouths have a red discoloration or irritation. Looking around their “lips” or around that area it looks rough and cut up like it fought with something. Then theres a black blotch or spot underneath the bottom jaw that wasn’t there before like the first one that died.

jeffrey750750 · Nov 6, 2020

I have the same two gobies in each tank and they both have the black beards under the jaw

4theluvofcoral · Nov 6, 2020

jeffrey750750 said:
I have the same two gobies in each tank and they both have the black beards under the jaw

Are they acting funny? Ours didn’t have the black beards when we bought them. We are very observant especially with new additions. Just appeared right before they died. The other is now dead.

4theluvofcoral · Nov 6, 2020

Well here’s another thread from over a year ago that to me seems like they experienced the same thing. Pictures look identical with the red around the mouth. Comments ruled it as trauma. I don’t know but this is the last one I buy.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diamond-goby-died.587624/

jeffrey750750 · Nov 7, 2020

4theluvofcoral said:
Are they acting funny? Ours didn’t have the black beards when we bought them. We are very observant especially with new additions. Just appeared right before they died. The other is now dead.

They both had them from day one, ones about 14 months old and about a month on my other one. They don't act funny, just my little sand turners