YWG Help

[BootyPup]

Hi, so let me give a little back story to my problem first.

So, maybe eight or nine months ago I bought my first YWG (yellow watchman goby) and a pistol shrimp. Fast forward maybe three or four months, the goby vanishes. Now I knew they liked to hide so I waited a while, but he never showed up. I didn't get another YWG until a few months ago since I was thinking maybe hes just under the rocks, but I did get another one since I like them and I thought he just died. Yesterday though while looking for a Chromis that I thought was in my "sump" (I have a 29 gallon bio cube so I mean the back compartment thing) I saw what I thought was the Chromis. But when I managed to get him out tonight.. turns out it was my old YWG. Some how he managed to live this who time just eating little worms or other food or what ever was back there. Now, he is small as heck. He hasn't grown in that entire time, I am assuming due to him obviously not eating a lot since he was in the sump for probably at least seven months. And he is much smaller than my YWG. I put him into my tank today and so far he seems pretty fine, nervous but fine. The new and larger YWG did try and "eat" or attack him when he got close, but he isn't actively attacking or chasing, and it has only been a few hours.

Now my question is, should I try and keep him in the tank? Could he live in there? Or should I take him to my LFS. I would love to keep him, especially if he would be okay with my new YWG but I just don't know. So I am just here for suggestions. I am thinking I should wait and see how they act and if he settles down in a rock. A lot of my tank is rock so he might be fine.

Any suggestions would be great, thank you, here are pictures, the larger YWG is obviously the newest one/the one that didn't go missing.
Thank you for any help.

(Side note, I know the little goby might be hard to see but he is in a weird angle under a rock. sorry.)
The Big Goby: https://imgur.com/a/aI3B1
The Small Goby: https://imgur.com/a/COvtH

 

[rockstarta78]

Huh! This reminds me, I have a YWG as well. I wonder where he is tho. Haven't seen him in few weeks. How big is your tank. Maybe they will just go to different corners and not cross each other's path. Usually, unless paired, YWGs don't like to co-exist. Your's seem like they are doing fine other then some occasional chasing.

 

[BootyPup]

Huh! This reminds me, I have a YWG as well. I wonder where he is tho. Haven't seen him in few weeks. How big is your tank. Maybe they will just go to different corners and not cross each other's path. Usually, unless paired, YWGs don't like to co-exist. Your's seem like they are doing fine other then some occasional chasing.

Yeah, I know at one point my old goby before he dissapeared for the seven months he would just dissapear for a week or two. So yours could just be taking a little break.

But my tank is 29 gallons, I am hoping that they will go to separate corners since my bigger one likes the left side of the tank.

And yeah, it's not as if the big one is chasing the little one, just when he gets too close.

 

[rockstarta78]

Yeah, I know at one point my old goby before he dissapeared for the seven months he would just dissapear for a week or two. So yours could just be taking a little break.

But my tank is 29 gallons, I am hoping that they will go to separate corners since my bigger one likes the left side of the tank.

And yeah, it's not as if the big one is chasing the little one, just when he gets too close.

Dude, I am keeping my fingers crossed, but I think you got lucky that they are not trying to kill each other. I say keep em as long as the bigger one does not try to kill the smaller one.

 

[BootyPup]

Dude, I am keeping my fingers crossed, but I think you got lucky that they are not trying to kill each other. I say keep em as long as the bigger one does not try to kill the smaller one.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, if he settles down soon then I think I'll keep him, if it gets worse I'll just give him to my LFS.

 

[MikeyAl]

He is small. If you decide to keep him, make sure you target feed him. Mine became malnourished, so I started hatching bbs and target fed him. He did great. I also dropped some pellets close to his cave but crabs and others keep stealing it. Eventually he recovered. But others will easily outcompete him for food, so try targeting

 

[BootyPup]

Just an update for anyone who might have been curious, I did end up giving him to my lfs as he seemed to be completely uncomfortable and out competed for food.