violet goby wasting away

Sploke

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
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South Windsor, CT
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Matt
I can't get my violet goby to eat enough to sustain itself. This has got to be the most inept fish I've ever seen at actually finding food. Up until a few weeks ago it was in a 40 breeder, 1.010 SG, temp about 75, with mollies, BBGs and an atlantic mudskipper. The goby is about 7". The goby spent most of its time in a little cave I built it, doesn't do much swimming around. Its been getting skinnier and skinnier. The tank gets fed a mixture of frozen bloodworms, mysis shrimp, and brine shrimp. I've tried spot-feeding it but as soon as it feels a burst of water coming down the tube it just takes off and hides.

About 2 weeks ago the tank was upgraded to a 75, and I just added a GSP that seems to be minding its own business so far. Now that I have a better view of the goby, I can see just how skinny it really is, pretty emaciated. I pulled it out of the tank and put it in a critter keeper with some tank water, and I'm trying to feed it there since it doesn't seem aggressive enough to get food when there are other fish around. I'm kind of at a loss as to what I can do, since taking it out of the tank to feed it every day is going to get fairly tedious, not to mention stressful for the fish. The only thing I can think of right now is to put it in a QT tank and get it fattened up, and try it in the main tank again. Any suggestions are welcome, I'm out of ideas for this little guy.
 
does he mabey come out and swim when your not around or mabey the other fish harrass him - mine does fine in my new tank - eats a lot and is growing - he loves frozen bloodworms - i just try to make sure it falls by him and feed when i see him out filter feeding - my power heads make it go everywhere so he gets some by him - is your tank really clean, thye do filter feed - i dont really know - good luck -
 
Well the problem is not that I never see it eating, its that the fish is getting dangerously thin. If it was nice and fat, I don't really care if I ever see it eat, because at least then I'd know that it was eating.
 
Try fedding after lights out. Fish with beady eyes like that, are nocturnal.
 
What is the salinity of your tank? The salinity in my brackish tank is 1.018,and my gobie looks like this.


Picture 911.jpg Picture 909.jpg Picture 905.jpg
 
As stated in the original post, SG is kept at about 1.010-1.012.

I've tried feeding after lights out, but as soon as the mollies hear something hit the water they're wide awake. I can try it again maybe a few hours after lights out, after the fish settle down more.

Lupin, what would that do for me?
 
Nah. I have two gobies. One is a little thinner because he is very timid. The other one will push my puffers out of the way for food. It depends on the f ish.


Picture 737.jpg Picture 909.jpg
 
sploke said:
Ok I read about it here... http://www.loaches.com/disease-treatment/levamisole-hydrochloride-1 So you think its parasites rather than just a lack of eating?
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You did say the fish is getting skinnier as the day progresses. Either it was because of starvation due to low salinity (which I don't think is the case here anyway) or the intestinal parasites. Levamisole is pretty safe and can be used in the main tank unlike most meds. It is best used as early as possible because if the fish becomes even skinnier, it is beyond being saved.
Gangstafish said:
One is a little thinner because he is very timid.
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It is either not in good health or the others were outcompeting it so how would the goby just go being timid and then refuse food assuming your salinity is not low at all? You mentioned your other goby are pushing the puffers out of the way during feeding frenzy then it is easy to assume 'competition' as the cause of its poor state.
 
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