Now You See Her, Now You Don't ......

[ladygwen]

Now You See Her, Now You Don't !!!

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I was just wondering if anyone has ever had a fish disappear for an extended length of time.

I have a Neon Blue Goby that I added to my tank the end of July 06. She "Little Lady" as we have named her settled in very quickly and comfortably within the first few hours of being added. Got along well with the other fish, 1 false percula, and 3 pajama cardinals. She found herself a home and set up a cleaning station even though the other fish didn't utilize her services very often she still made herself available. She even had a little routine with us. Every evening at feeding time she would ready herself on her dinner perch next to a small crator in the rock and we would serve her dinner there in her "bowl". Then in February she missed her first meal, but then was steady again for about a week, then she missed another meal, then 3 meals in a row. By about the end of February she disappeared. We thought she must have gone into hiding to pass away.
Well to my utter surprise 2 nights ago when I moved my mag-float to clean the glass I saw a blue streak out of the corner of my eye, so I watched for a little while and oddly enought there she was. Looking pretty thin and a little worse for the wear mind you but shes back. She seems to have forgotten our routine and she's taken to staying on the opposite end of the tank as before, but all in all she seems okay. I'm just completely dumb founded by the whole situation, and just wondered if anybody else has ever been through anything like this.
Just can't figure out how she might have survived.

Thanks All
Ladygwen
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GOT KILT ??? :eek1: :fish1:

[jer77]

This is common for fish, especially small fish, to disappear and then come back after long periods of time. I've heard stories of gobies disappearing for up to 6 months surviving on their own. How your neon goby did it I don't really know, maybe surviving on pods and and parasites. Fish can go up to two weeks without eating anyways.

[seapug]

There's a chance she might have just died of old age (in neon goby life). If I'm not mistaken, I think the neons have a natural lifespan of about 1 year. If you got the fish last july, there's a chance it was already 3-4 months old so its natural expiry date might very well have arrived.

[sunfish11]

There's a chance she might have just died of old age (in neon goby life). If I'm not mistaken, I think the neons have a natural lifespan of about 1 year. If you got the fish last july, there's a chance it was already 3-4 months old so its natural expiry date might very well have arrived.

The fish isn't dead...

There aren't any fish I know of that live only a year long natural life span but it is possible that I am wrong. Anyone that can confirm or deny this with authority?

Lisa

[seapug]

From the experts at Wet Web Media:
"The young are fully developed in a month; which seems fast until you realize their full lifespan is but a year or two. "

Want more?

http://wetwebmedia.com/neongobies.htm

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=624

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/site.php?postnum=846

http://www.reefland.com/forum/reef-aquariums/10680-neon-goby-w-2-percs-10-gall.html

[papagimp]

I agree, about a year for a neon goby, this is why there nice to have in a small group, they'll readily spawn and may get more that way instead of restocking yearly. Neon gobies are also somewhat of a "cleaner fish" and will survive on pods, parasites, and the like more often than prepared foods. But they do easily ween onto prepared foods. At least mine did.