YWG up on filter return

[MikeyZo]

So a few days ago, my YWG started acting strange staying up top and lying against the overflow. I’m not one to sit and say OMG WHATS WRONG, I know things happen and figured he wasn’t doing well and we nearing the end of his life. But then he didn’t die, he’s still feisty if you go near him, and he lets go and swims around to eat before going back over there. He’s not spending all of his time there, but it definitely is a good portion of it. This isn’t normal behavior for them, ideas?

 

[Rocks reef]

It looks likes like his tail fin is torn up?

 

[MikeyZo]

No, I had looked for that kind of thing. It’s just the picture. He doesn’t get bullied from anyone, at least that I’ve seen. He’s with a 6 line, a clown, a firefish and a neon goby. Him and the neon share the same little cave. I’ve never once seen anyone go after him.

 

[Rocks reef]

Is he still eating well? Most YWG that I have seen, spend their time on the sand digging trenches

 

[MikeyZo]

Agreed, and that’s pretty much what he did until about four days ago. And as far as eating, yeah, as soon as you put food in the tank, he swims off and chases it down and eats.

 

[higher99]

So crazy story, I got a YWG who was a baby, around half an inch and no thicker than a #2 pencil and also a large tiger pistol shrimp from two different LFS.

The YWG so small that it actually jump into the overflow and hid under the tank bottom the first day I got it. Spent 2 hours taking apart my AIO tank equipments and rescuing it. Before jumping into the overflow chamber, it was swimming randomly against the power head and laying on the overflow. I thought for sure he wasn’t going to make it.

As soon as I got it out, I threw him into the same hole my Tiger Pistol Shrimp was digging in. Ever since that he stayed by the sand bed and rarely swims in the water column.

Bad news came and my Tiger Pistol Shrimp actually died a few days later. My suspicion is that my tank was too new and my sand bed was too clean. He was a larger shrimp and was in an established tank hiding for months.

As of now my YWG has grown a bit and doing fine, looking to get a new Tiger Pistol Shrimp for him next week and restart the pairing. Hopefully with a smaller shrimp this time and a more established tank setup.

Hopes this helps for anyone who’s new into getting a shrimp goby pair or just picked up one of those critters.