The Story of Gilbert

[Shiggknight]

I had a horrible outbreak a long time back in my 32 bio cube. It destroyed all the fish and killed them all. I had a yellow watchman goby too! He was with a pistol shrimp and was eating great, then one day gone. Without a trace never to be seen again.
I looked high and low and on the floor expecting a crispy watchman potato chip! I looked in the back filtration with a flashlight too!!!!
I drained my tank 8 weeks ago today and all that was left in it was the land on the bottom and a little bit of water. In the back chamber though I had about 6-7 inches of water. No lights! No Heater!! No water flow for 8 weeks!!
While I was spraying it out today with the hose. Freezing cold well water from East Tennessee we are getting snow all day tomorrow. Clinging to the black filter pad next to the return pump was Gilbert. Gilbert the Goby.Thin, gray, all sunken in and lifeless was the missing goby!!
I pulled him out of there and to my surprise his eyes were really clear. Then a little wiggle of the tail, and the pectoral fins flutter. He was alive so I ran him down to the basement where my frag tank was and threw him in my mushroom basket and he swam right down to the rocks.
I would never had expected a fish to survive all that! He is currently doing fine and eating so he will be back. Here is a before picture!

Who else has had a crazy fish experience like this! Any miracles happen out there?

 

[Macbalacano]

WOW he's a survivor! We should all strive to be like Gilbert! haha

 

[DeniseAndy]

That is impressive. I think he has a theme song....

 

[iamacat]

Wow that’s incredible. I don’t have anything that wild, but I’m proud of how tough and rewarding my frogspawn has been. I got it many many years ago. It survived a power outage and copper that kept it closed up (think dead but not) for 1.5 years. That was about 7 years ago and I just recently fragged it up into 4 sections on the rocks of my euphyllia garden. My reward for keeping the faith was the beautiful purple tips that have developed in half one of the heads.

 

[Jeffcb]

Wonderful fish you have. Gilbert !

 

[uhgster1]

I had one in a Nuvo 10 that disappeared. Turns out it was living in the sump for 8 months before I found him as I was upgrading the tank. I named him Lazarus. That wasn’t the worst part. I put him in a plastic bag to transfer him and forgot him outside in the middle of the summer for 3 weeks. He was still alive! And continued to live for another three years! He was definitely a survivor.

 

[Shiggknight]

His new home will be more accommodating.
32 Biocube 2.0
Going to finish the stand.
And get some water in it ASAP.

 

[RedReefer]

Lucky guy! He’s a fighter!