Yashia goby hunger strike post divorce from pistol shrimp

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I received a yashia goby from Dr Reef last Friday. By the end of the day he had paired up with my tiger pistol shrimp. The goby almost immediately set about grabbing food and bringing it back into the burrow. We were seeing the pistol shrimp more than ever and all looked happy. Then Wednesday my wife found that the pair had separated. The goby had moved to a decoration on the other side of the tank and she said he wasn't coming out to eat anymore. I didn't think it was much to worry about because I previously had a yashia goby that almost never ate in front of me and I figured they would reunite in time. It's now clear the yashia is not eating. I don't think he has eaten since Tuesday. His respirations have slowed significantly but he is still taking full breaths. He can swim, he just chooses not to.

What can I do to get him to eat if he is still alive in the morning? He was eating PE mysis pellets and hikari seaweed extreme pellets and actually was noticably plumper. Now he won't eat any of that, he won't eat frozen mysis, nor frozen brine, nor chunks of table shrimp.

I have some TDO chromaboost and reef jerky that arrived today, but I don't want to spike ammonia by filling the tank with unwanted food.

The goby is not showing any other signs of disease that I know of. No slots, no lesions, no torn fins, just lethargy and he is starting to look skinnier.

This was a fully quarantined fish from Dr Reef and there are no other fish in the system right now.

@Dr. Reef
#fishmedic

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I have also added a bubbler to the tank to help in case he is hypoxic. But I don't think that is the case because I have not noticed any distressed breathing or flashing at the surface.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I received a yashia goby from Dr Reef last Friday. By the end of the day he had paired up with my tiger pistol shrimp. The goby almost immediately set about grabbing food and bringing it back into the burrow. We were seeing the pistol shrimp more than ever and all looked happy. Then Wednesday my wife found that the pair had separated. The goby had moved to a decoration on the other side of the tank and she said he wasn't coming out to eat anymore. I didn't think it was much to worry about because I previously had a yashia goby that almost never ate in front of me and I figured they would reunite in time. It's now clear the yashia is not eating. I don't think he has eaten since Tuesday. His respirations have slowed significantly but he is still taking full breaths. He can swim, he just chooses not to.

What can I do to get him to eat if he is still alive in the morning? He was eating PE mysis pellets and hikari seaweed extreme pellets and actually was noticably plumper. Now he won't eat any of that, he won't eat frozen mysis, nor frozen brine, nor chunks of table shrimp.

I have some TDO chromaboost and reef jerky that arrived today, but I don't want to spike ammonia by filling the tank with unwanted food.

The goby is not showing any other signs of disease that I know of. No slots, no lesions, no torn fins, just lethargy and he is starting to look skinnier.

This was a fully quarantined fish from Dr Reef and there are no other fish in the system right now.

@Dr. Reef
#fishmedic

Sorry to hear. They are picky at times with water quality and diet. Pellets not the best offering but rather Mysis shrimp, LRS nano frenzy, spirulina brine shrimp and Formula 1 frozen are best,
Assure you are testing with reliable test kits and ammonia, nitrate and salinity has not become elevated.
Any unusual behavior such as scratching, hiding?

 

[Tired]

A few days of not eating shouldn't kill him quite this fast. Fish metabolisms are slower than warm-blooded animals; you have a little time.

Try hatching some baby brine shrimp. Fish love those.

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

Sorry to hear. They are picky at times with water quality and diet. Pellets not the best offering but rather Mysis shrimp, LRS nano frenzy, spirulina brine shrimp and Formula 1 frozen are best,
Assure you are testing with reliable test kits and ammonia, nitrate and salinity has not become elevated.
Any unusual behavior such as scratching, hiding?

Thank you Vetteguy. I had not noticed him eating the frozen mysis but I suspect he was. He was DEFINITELY eating the pellets initially.

I have a seachem ammonia badge that is showing 0. This is not a new system, so I have no reason to doubt that number.

Salinity is 1.026 via Hanna tester.

Nitrate is 11.7 via Hanna tester.

I just did a small water change which will help drop that nitrate number a little, but from what I understand, I don't believe that should be concerning for a system with just fish and shrimp.

The temperature was a little high at 79.1 so I adjusted my heater down a tad.

He has not been scratching, flashing, swimming erratically, looking unbalanced or uncoordinated. He is hiding some of the time but not all of the time. And when I found him in his hiding place, he did not seem too concerned with the fact that I found him or that I was shining a light in his face. Really all I'm noticing is the lethargy and do not believe he is eating. His breathing rate is slow, but not abnormally slow if you consider the fact that he is not active.

In general, his behavior is not too un-goby like. I am only worried because we don't think he is eating.

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

A few days of not eating shouldn't kill him quite this fast. Fish metabolisms are slower than warm-blooded animals; you have a little time.

Try hatching some baby brine shrimp. Fish love those.

Well that is somewhat promising. @Snoopdog has white worms on the other side of town. If I can get over there tomorrow, would that be an easy food to feed?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you Vetteguy. I had not noticed him eating the frozen mysis but I suspect he was. He was DEFINITELY eating the pellets initially.

I have a seachem ammonia badge that is showing 0. This is not a new system, so I have no reason to doubt that number.

Salinity is 1.026 via Hanna tester.

Nitrate is 11.7 via Hanna tester.

I just did a small water change which will help drop that nitrate number a little, but from what I understand, I don't believe that should be concerning for a system with just fish and shrimp.

The temperature was a little high at 79.1 so I adjusted my heater down a tad.

He has not been scratching, flashing, swimming erratically, looking unbalanced or uncoordinated. He is hiding some of the time but not all of the time. And when I found him in his hiding place, he did not seem too concerned with the fact that I found him or that I was shining a light in his face. Really all I'm noticing is the lethargy and do not believe he is eating. His breathing rate is slow, but not abnormally slow if you consider the fact that he is not active.

In general, his behavior is not too un-goby like. I am only worried because we don't think he is eating.

I’m not too concerned on nitrate number but am on the badge which I do not trust after first couple of weeks, to sustain costly fish. Take a Water sample to an LFS that does not use API test and see what ammonia level they come up with and to compare with yours

 

[BamaCoastPyrat]

I’m not too concerned on nitrate number but am on the badge which I do not trust after first couple of weeks, to sustain costly fish. Take a Water sample to an LFS that does not use API test and see what ammonia level they come up with and to compare with yours

I will do that. @Snoopdog do you have an ammonia test kit, or do you know what bill tests with?

I found an Aquarium Münster strip test kit. It showed nitrate at 10 and nitrite at 0. I'm not sure that carries much weight if any, but it's all I have tonight.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I will do that. @Snoopdog do you have an ammonia test kit, or do you know what bill tests with?

I found an Aquarium Münster strip test kit. It showed nitrate at 10 and nitrite at 0. I'm not sure that carries much weight if any, but it's all I have tonight.

Nitrite has no significance unless sky high and nitrate if accurate is acceptable

 

[Snoopdog]

Well that is somewhat promising. @Snoopdog has white worms on the other side of town. If I can get over there tomorrow, would that be an easy food to feed?

They are not grown out though, it will be about 7-14 days before the cultures produce. After that though, I will always have more than my tank can consume.

 

[Snoopdog]

I will do that. @Snoopdog do you have an ammonia test kit, or do you know what bill tests with?

I found an Aquarium Münster strip test kit. It showed nitrate at 10 and nitrite at 0. I'm not sure that carries much weight if any, but it's all I have tonight.

Sure do. I have no idea what Bill tests with. My ammonia is a Salifert but just about everything else I have including Nitrate is a hannah now. My wife is starting to like the hannah better so we are slowly going away from Salifert.