yellow watchman goby jumping issues/not eating?!?!

Almost 2 weeks ago I got a yellow watchman goby and a pistol shrimp. Within the first couple days they had both ended up in the back chamber. Got them out (wasn't easy!!) and back in the main tank. I haven't seen the pistol shrimp since. The yellow watchman has now had to be rescued 3-4 more times out of the back. I have a canopy top and he at least hasn't jumped onto the floor yet, I put an egg crate up in the back and it still got back there. I put saran wrap over the top of the egg crate and it still got back there. determined little thing!!! Well that makes 2 of us......me and the fish haha! So I haven't seen the watchman in a couple of days now, I can't find him in the back chamber though so maybe he's just hiding in the rocks/sand somewhere? The thing I'm most worried about is I haven't seen him eat yet. I'm guessing maybe he has or he'd be dead by now. I've read watchman's hide and come out to eat, well during feeding time mine just spends all it's time hiding, swimming around the top like he's trying to find a way out,laying out up on top of the main pump (that's kinda weird) or in the back chamber. Do you suppose he is eating and I'm just not seeing it???? Any other ideas on how to make him happier so he wants to stay in the tank???

 

I don't know much about gobies...I don't have any, but I do know that a guy on NanoReefs (StevieT) started a company called InTank (http://shop.mediabaskets.com/main.sc) and makes a product that will keep your fish out of the back. Here's a link.

http://shop.mediabaskets.com/product.sc?categoryId=16&productId=7

We got to meet him at MACNA and I believe he's signed up to be a vendor at MACNA 2011...nice guy.

--AJ

 

some good news, just went in to feed the fish and my goby was just hangin out on the sand. still didn't see him eat though but hopefully i've finally got him contained to the tank.

 

thanks AJ! just checked out the link. sounds like it'd do the job and it certainly looks alot better than my egg crate/saran wrap contraption!!!! and the price is right too.

 

Mine did the same thing. swam around the top and i never saw him eat. A few times i thought he was dead... found him against my overflow but no he was "resting" probably tired himself out by all that swimming.. Finally after about 10 days he settled down.

They actually sit and watch the food pass by and if hungry will "jump" up to get it... mine spends most of his time hiding but comes out occasionally to perch on his rock. bu he is very easily startled... more than my jawfish, who could care less what i do......

 

i had a watchmen tiger pistol pair in a 12g they paired and started digging there burrow from the time i put them in and the watchmen was never a few inches from the burrow entrance. he always waited for food to float by never chased  it or went looking for it. i now have a pair of watchmens  and a candycane pistol there in a 75g and have never paired up all tho recently my watchmen pair have moved  from the right side of the tank after being there a year to the left and thats where my pistol is located. these guys will however come out of there den  to about mid tank when i feed. i have never seen any of my watchmens jump.

 

Mary- good to know it took about 10 days for yours to settle down, so maybe this is normal..... I'm on 13 days right now so suppose patience is the key word here (and I don't always have it... lol) He must be eating because I doubt they can make it that long without any food.

Yes mine startles extremely easily which is another reason I probably don't see it much. A couple times I've just entered the room slowly and it still darts away, and of course my 3 year old isn't quite so well at moving slowly so probably startles him away a lot too.

 

xmasia- thanks for the info on your experience w/ this pair, I was so excited to get the pair so I could enjoy watching them team up together. I have been dissapointed I haven't had a chance to see it at all but maybe the pistol isn't dead, maybe he's just burrowing/hiding well and in time I'll get to see them team up. Hoping my watchmen is done with the jumping now, I think it's been 4 days now since his last great escape.

 

I'm excited I just sent in my order for my in tank fish saver guard Man that paypal is scary... it's such an easy way to pay I could go crazy with online shopping!!!

I've noticed my watchman has been out the last couple of mornings, but then it seems to disappear by the time my lights come on. At least I know he's still alive and kickin

 

Just had to share this cause it made me so happy. For the first time in the 2 weeks I've had Sunshine (my yellow watchman) I finally got to see her eat today!!! She laid there in the sand hiding behind the rocks then when food came by she kinda lurched forward grabbed some and chomped away at it. YAY!!!!!!!!

 

Glad Sunshine is eating again!

--AJ

 

me too! Even more good news now!! It's so nice to have good news to share about my tank. Today is one of my most exciting days yet of having my tank I feed the fish and not only did I get to see Sunshine come out and eat, but my pistol shrimp too!!!!!!!! This was so exciting for me cause I hadn't seen him in 3 weeks and thought he was dead!!!! He is in a little cave just a couple inches away from where my watchman is They kinda seemed to take turns coming out and eating and going back in. I'm so glad I'm off work today so I was able to see this Sunshine was out a lot today! The most I've ever seen. My 3 year old finally now believes me that SUnshine is alive. Plus we had fun sneaking up to the tank and playing hide and seek with her!! lol hopefully this will be the beginning of more good news tank stories I"ll be able to share on here instead of my normal posts!!

 

That's good news! i haven't seen my pistol in a long time but i've hear his snaps now and then so i know he's in there.....