You can't have everything. Where would you put it?

tbrown · Feb 5, 2023

Slocke said:
It looks by far the best thought the coral glasses but I can't attach that to my camera and it messes with the focus.

Yeah, I have to use manual focus if I use filters of any kind.

Slocke · Feb 7, 2023

Had to euthanize a fish today. One of my favorites unfortunately but it's been looking old for a month or so. I wonder if it got a spinal injury somehow as its spine was bent. Though maybe I wasn't giving it the proper diet. Found it struggling on the sanded this morning. It really was a beautiful fish with a fun personality.

Here's how it used to look:

crusso1993 · Feb 7, 2023

Slocke said:
Had to euthanize a fish today. One of my favorites unfortunately but it's been looking old for a month or so. I wonder if it got a spinal injury somehow as its spine was bent. Though maybe I wasn't giving it the proper diet. Found it struggling on the sanded this morning. It really was a beautiful fish with a fun personality.

Here's how it used to look:

This part of the hobby always sucks. I certainly hope it was not related to you not providing the right diet. Frankly, it would surprise me that you would get a fish without having an excellent understanding of its requirements including diet. However, I am happy you followed a good protocol and didn't let the fish suffer.

tbrown · Feb 7, 2023

Slocke said:
Had to euthanize a fish today. One of my favorites unfortunately but it's been looking old for a month or so. I wonder if it got a spinal injury somehow as its spine was bent. Though maybe I wasn't giving it the proper diet. Found it struggling on the sanded this morning. It really was a beautiful fish with a fun personality.

Here's how it used to look:

Court Jester?

Slocke · Feb 7, 2023

tbrown3589 said:
Court Jester?

Yeah

crusso1993 said:
This part of the hobby always sucks. I certainly hope it was not related to you not providing the right diet. Frankly, it would surprise me that you would get a fish without having an excellent understanding of its requirements including diet. However, I am happy you followed a good protocol and didn't let the fish suffer.

I just don't know. It's a sand sifter and they're notoriously hard to feed and with several wrasse and 2 mandarins I don't know if I had the natural food it needed. Of course it being captive bred I was hoping it wouldn't need that. My suspicion is a spinal injury as it was acting limp suddenly. Never saw any signs of broken fins to suggest bullying. It just seemed to suddenly look old and then waste away.

SaltyT · Feb 7, 2023

Slocke said:
Had to euthanize a fish today. One of my favorites unfortunately but it's been looking old for a month or so. I wonder if it got a spinal injury somehow as its spine was bent. Though maybe I wasn't giving it the proper diet. Found it struggling on the sanded this morning. It really was a beautiful fish with a fun personality.

Here's how it used to look:

Sorry for your loss

I'm by no means a fish disease expert, but if he didn't waste away due to lack of food in the sand another consideration could be that he succumbed to a mycobacteria infection. It can cause fish to waste away and develop a bent spine.

i cant think · Feb 7, 2023

Slocke said:
Had to euthanize a fish today. One of my favorites unfortunately but it's been looking old for a month or so. I wonder if it got a spinal injury somehow as its spine was bent. Though maybe I wasn't giving it the proper diet. Found it struggling on the sanded this morning. It really was a beautiful fish with a fun personality.

Here's how it used to look:

This is one of those things about old age in fish, my yasha looked similar the day he unfortunately passed.
My Hectori unfortunately just wasted away after a while and went missing so I wouldn’t say yours died due to malnourishment and instead purely old age.

Slocke · Feb 7, 2023

SaltyT said:
Sorry for your loss I'm by no means a fish disease expert, but if he didn't waste away due to lack of food in the sand another consideration could be that he succumbed to a mycobacteria infection. It can cause fish to waste away and develop a bent spine.

Thanks that may well be it or something similar. Certainly fits the symptoms.

i cant think said:
This is one of those things about old age in fish, my yasha looked similar the day he unfortunately passed.
My Hectori unfortunately just wasted away after a while and went missing so I wouldn’t say yours died due to malnourishment and instead purely old age.

I thought so too but apparently they live on average 5 years not the 1-2 I'd originally heard.

Slocke · Feb 7, 2023

In good news I noticed some new sponge growth and that my skimmer cup was infested with limpets. Always happy to get free CUC!

i cant think · Feb 7, 2023

Slocke said:
Thanks that may well be it or something similar. Certainly fits the symptoms.

I thought so too but apparently they live on average 5 years not the 1-2 I'd originally heard.

Honestly, my Hectori only lived a year. Generally they come in at an unknown age in captivity. I can see a captive bred one making it 3-4 years but 5 is unusual for most goby species.

tbrown · Feb 7, 2023

Slocke said:
Yeah

I just don't know. It's a sand sifter and they're notoriously hard to feed and with several wrasse and 2 mandarins I don't know if I had the natural food it needed. Of course it being captive bred I was hoping it wouldn't need that. My suspicion is a spinal injury as it was acting limp suddenly. Never saw any signs of broken fins to suggest bullying. It just seemed to suddenly look old and then waste away.

Try a Hector's. Very similar but it sifts sand and picks at rocks. Eats both algae and pods - even eats some hair algae.

Slocke · Feb 7, 2023

tbrown3589 said:
Try a Hector's. Very similar but it sifts sand and picks at rocks. Eats both algae and pods - even eats some hair algae.

We'll see. Mine certainly had enough food because it was a tiny 1/2" and grew very quickly to 2". Had it for almost a year and was possibly what helped me get through cyano. Hectors are just as nice but I think I may go in a different direction.

i cant think · Feb 8, 2023

tbrown3589 said:
Try a Hector's. Very similar but it sifts sand and picks at rocks. Eats both algae and pods - even eats some hair algae.

I may hunt another hectori down for my SPS reef as I have the cyano issue currently and also need a bit more activity in the tank.

Slocke · Feb 8, 2023

So I’m thinking about another fish.
Cirrhilabrus rubeus has been on the cards for a while.
Anampses caeruleopunctatus has been tempting though. Thoughts on how it will do in my tank?
Also a juvenile for this tank or get a large adult for the other tank?