Yasha goby and jawfish missing - Sand to fine? little worried since i cant find them

[TinCanHero]

Hey guys!
I've had my new tank for a few months now. Downsized from 1600L to 200L.

I've been adding fish over the last few months and I made my last purchase yesterday.

I picked up both a Pistol and Yasha along with a yellow head jawfish.

The pistol went to work exactly where I wanted him to, on a rock outcrop island. He made a burrow pretty quickly and an hour or so later the Yasha was with him acting as a pair. Amazing since they were unbonded!
Today I popped home from work to check on everyone and I couldn't see the Yasha. the pistol was still digging and had made 2 more entrances around the rock but the Yasha wasn't in sight. I noticed that the more the shrimp digs the more the rock is sinking into the sand thou. I'm getting worried the Yasha has been pinned under the rock somehow but I'm reluctant to check. just seems a little weird the shrimp is doing his thing solo after they seemed to have paired last night.

I'm having the same worry about the jawfish. Out of all the fish I've ever had taken to the tank the worst, it was extremely stressed when I tanked it and lay in sand on its side against a coral for a few hours before moving to the back and digging a little dip for itself to lay in.
when I popped home in the morning it had moved a few inches over and had dug a larger "pit" rather than a burrow. seemed pretty stressed looking at how it was sitting still in a C or S shape. Upon returning home I cannot find it in the tank visually. I can possibly see what looks like some sort of evidence of digging close to the glass but I'm unsure if it's a burrow and if it is it's completely closed. I've checked every cave I know of in the tank visually and I cannot see him so I'm unsure of anywhere else he could be (I have a good-fitting lid)
I understand they do this and being so stressed I wouldn't be surprised if it had locked itself away.

While i understand this is pretty normal behavior for both of them what is getting me worried is my sand. If I'm honest I hadn't thought much about grain size and my sand is a finely crushed shell. I'm starting to worry it's too fine for both the pshrimp and goby and the jawfish and the burrow for the jawfish has collapsed and maybe the same for the goby, maybe its been pinned under the rock and sand while the shrimp was digging.

I'm just a little conflicted about what I should do. Should I lift the rock and check/put some larger rubble in the corners to prop it up (he has plenty close to his burrow he can use if he wants) Same for the jawfish. should I check around that area?
I'm going to assume there isn't much I could do if they had been pinned/buried since they are probably already dead but it could avoid an ammonia/neut spike.

I'm usually a hands-off - leave it to it kind of guy but something isn't sitting right with me about this one.
I plan to try and entice them out with some food later during feeding but other than that I'm sure of what to do. do nothing or go dig.


(Sand https://charterhouse-aquatics.com/s...on/dry-sand-and-gravel/tmc-eco-sand-fine-15kg)

Any input would be great.
Kind regards, The1

 

[mann1139]

First, I would keep your eyes open. These fish survive by hiding. I once had a goby go MIA for a month before showing up at feeding time like nothing was wrong.

Flashlight and patience may be able to show you some sign of the fish, but if its stressed, it might not like that either.

Unfortunately, you may never find a body if it went that way, especially if the fish is under something.

 

[TinCanHero]

First, I would keep your eyes open. These fish survive by hiding. I once had a goby go MIA for a month before showing up at feeding time like nothing was wrong.

Flashlight and patience may be able to show you some sign of the fish, but if its stressed, it might not like that either.

Unfortunately, you may never find a body if it went that way, especially if the fish is under something.

Yeah I've been keeping my eyes open since I've been home, my tank is 3 feet from me so it's pretty easy to get lost watching

I had tried a Yahsa before in my old system. it hid in a rock and I never saw it again, hence why I'm so worried.
The little guy seemed really at home around the entrance last night, with 0 stress once it had paired up. Even fed with the other fish at feeding time. it's just a little weird not to see him at all now - or maybe not.

The jawfish was the one that was super stressed. Still no sign of it, I can't imagine anywhere else it could be apart from under the sand somewhere. (can't see any other sand disturbance bar in that corner) .

ill see how it goes at feeding time.

 

[TinCanHero]

Found the Yasha during feeding. It came out around 5m after I put some mysis "juice" down its burrow looking for food. so i fed it and around 5m later it went back into its burrow. the pistol came fully out and started working again before returning back into the burrow also.

Still no sign of the jawfish, im totally at a loss for where it could be!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I'm unsure about behaviour of the species of fish you have introduced.

in my aquriam I have numerous living in one cave. they all seem to be happy except the odd nip of a tail. I have recently lost my 4th firefish for over 2 weeks now but I'm sure it will appear.. or not

Some fish create a symbiotic relationship and we want that to happen more than it actually happens in our aquriam.

I'm sure your 'jawfish' may of started creating it's own home and find it unlikely that it got crushed under your aquascape (even pistol shrimp move faster than you can imagine) so if anything moved/ aquascape/rocks it would be out of there instantly (I assume)

If you have ability to remove sand from underneath your aquascape this will help in future/ relief you of stress of 'what if' then you can move on with care, I'll try to attach some videos

Hope this helps

 

[Rick's Reviews]

My mandarin scared it... Blink and it's gone

 

[TinCanHero]

I'm unsure about behaviour of the species of fish you have introduced.

in my aquriam I have numerous living in one cave. they all seem to be happy except the odd nip of a tail. I have recently lost my 4th firefish for over 2 weeks now but I'm sure it will appear.. or not

Some fish create a symbiotic relationship and we want that to happen more than it actually happens in our aquriam.

I'm sure your 'jawfish' may of started creating it's own home and find it unlikely that it got crushed under your aquascape (even pistol shrimp move faster than you can imagine) so if anything moved/ aquascape/rocks it would be out of there instantly (I assume)

If you have ability to remove sand from underneath your aquascape this will help in future/ relief you of stress of 'what if' then you can move on with care, I'll try to attach some videos

Hope this helps

Hey, rick!

Thanks for the reply and hello to a fellow UK reefer! (SW Wales).

I've gone ahead and searched the rockwork again as best I can visually and I cannot find him in there. I hand-made the rock from small bits so I know of every cave and hiding place that he could fit into with no luck again.
Also, the sandbed seems undisturbed in all but the place the pistol has dug and the corner he was in this morning.
it's a bit of a mystery as to where it could be hiding right now, the only other place I can think of is the shrimp and goby cave. who knows?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowhead_jawfish This is the species I'm talking about. Super cool!

as for the rock work sinking in the sand, the main structure is supported on rubble (it's one bit) so shouldn't sink anymore. The "island" is just a medium bit of cycled rock from the old system I placed on top of the sand bed. it seems it may not have sunk as much as I thought or at all. I totally forgot to account for how much sand the shrimp had moved!

That video is super cool also! I didn't realize they could move quite that quickly, I've seen mine move fast but not like that! although the way they can kick sand with their back legs, so this doesn't surprise me

I think ill just keep an eye out for the Jawfish over the next day or so. I'm flying out for the weekend this week so hopefully, he turns up before then or ill be worried my whole trip!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Hey, rick!

Thanks for the reply and hello to a fellow UK reefer! (SW Wales).

I've gone ahead and searched the rockwork again as best I can visually and I cannot find him in there. I hand-made the rock from small bits so I know of every cave and hiding place that he could fit into with no luck again.
Also, the sandbed seems undisturbed in all but the place the pistol has dug and the corner he was in this morning.
it's a bit of a mystery as to where it could be hiding right now, the only other place I can think of is the shrimp and goby cave. who knows?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowhead_jawfish This is the species I'm talking about. Super cool!

as for the rock work sinking in the sand, the main structure is supported on rubble (it's one bit) so shouldn't sink anymore. The "island" is just a medium bit of cycled rock from the old system I placed on top of the sand bed. it seems it may not have sunk as much as I thought or at all. I totally forgot to account for how much sand the shrimp had moved!

That video is super cool also! I didn't realize they could move quite that quickly, I've seen mine move fast but not like that! although the way they can kick sand with their back legs, so this doesn't surprise me

I think ill just keep an eye out for the Jawfish over the next day or so. I'm flying out for the weekend this week so hopefully, he turns up before then or ill be worried my whole trip!

Great, in regards to the species 'jaw fish' I have never owned one so unfortunately I can not advise any further but @mann1139 may be able to provide insights as I assume they have more experience.


My video is a highlight of how my pistol shrimp lives with others.
This is only in my aquriam and my advice is purely based on my experience, most of my advice is general and hopefully show/point you in the right direction.
but it's only advice, I'll add some videos from 'my aquarium'
Videos are from 'my aquarium' and sorry if I'm misleading

 

[jrill]

First mistake was your rock sinking. Rock should be placed all the way down on the glass, not on top of the sand.

 

[TinCanHero]

First mistake was your rock sinking. Rock should be placed all the way down on the glass, not on top of the sand.

As i said above its not my main rock structure, that is on some rubble on the glass. this is a small rock island, if that were on the glass it would be completely buried.

I managed to find the jawfish around an hour ago when I got back from work, he had moved another inch over and dug himself a burrow against the glass where I can see him.

My sand isn't ideal thou, ill check on him after my trip and decide if i need to do something. ill buy some coarser material along with breaking up some of the rock I have in the sump. ill also add a few small PVC pipes buried with some stones around them, maybe he will appreciate a "prebuilt" home.

-the1