YWG acting strange

Dawson_hatton · Jan 20, 2021

I’ve had this YWG for about 2 weeks now, and i’ve been nursing it back to health since I got it with damaged fins and a missing eye. everything has healed back but today I’ve noticed him actually very strange. his color seems a tad bit darker, he’s swimming around more but he’s also running into things and kind of swimming with his head in the gravel, and keeps leaning up against the glass as opposed to staying in his little cave per usual. he’s also breathing somewhat heavy, not fast but hard. all my other inhabitants are fine, I tested my water this morning and there was nothing off about it, but I was wondering if this could be in relation to moving my LR around? he also doesn’t seem to be interested in food, however he’s never really actually come out for feeding anyway, i’ve only seen him scavenge, lucky if I catch him eating something. I’ve also noticed he’s kind of tilted on his side at times. I know there’s no possibility of parasites, so i’m seriously confused as to what this could be, and it just happened this morning all the sudden, because last night he was fine. He is still responsive to my hand in the tank and he’ll dart away from it, and if my damsel nips him or anything he still puffs up a little. worried about my little guy though.

here’s a link to a video of him, don’t mind my yellow tail damsel.

CoralNerd · Jan 20, 2021

YWG are nutty. Plenty of nutty watchman threads out there, I know I did one on a local forum years ago. Guess you can call them sensitive to changes disturbances.

Dkmoo · Jan 20, 2021

O no! This is the one eye pirate ywg you posted from the other thread. I've grown attached to him too.

Did you accidentally move his cave or did anything about that cave change? Ie did a snail move in or shrimp?

Looks like hes looking for safety somewhere so leaning against glass maybe?

Pulling for the lil guy.

Dawson_hatton · Jan 20, 2021

I actually did move my live rock around, but he figured it out quickly and was in his cave last night. now he’s more in the open, and his fins look frayed, still showing strange behavior such as like wiggling his whole body. I think my damsel may have been picking on him considering how his fins are. never used to be an issue because when he was in his cave he used to protect it like crazy and not let that damsel anywhere near. last night I did see my damsel and him get into it but it appeared the YWG won, now i’m not sure what’s going on (my damsel gets into little scuffles with all my fish, never usually any issues or stress from it) but maybe this time around it’s different.