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pkirby
06/13/2011, 05:36 PM
I have a diamond goby that I'm sure is dead... haven't seen it in a while (week) and am now measuring low levels of ammonia in my tank. I looked for his body but couldn't find it and don't want to dig out all my live rock trying to find him.

I have a clean up crew of snails and hermit crabs, so it's possible they have already worked over his body... The corals in this tank appear to be doing fine and the remaining fish don't seem bothered. I think he wasn't getting enough to eat maybe? He would never come up to eat when I was feeding the tank... my other goby's in my second tank eat the food I was trying to feed it, but he didn't.

Anyway, I'm thinking my best course of action at this point is to just do small water changes over the next few days to help maintain low levels of ammonia (I'm above 0 but under .25) The live rock should take care of itself as far as breaking down the ammonia, I'll just have a small mini cycle. At least that's my belief.

Does anyone else agree with this approach? Is there anything else I can do short of severely disrupting my tank searching for the decaying body?

Thanks

kb1916
06/13/2011, 05:47 PM
depends on the size of the tank but I don't think one dead goby will raise your ammonia level high enough to be a problem, especially since the crabs, etc probably already disposed of everything and you don;t have the body decomposing.

thebkramer
06/13/2011, 05:51 PM
there is a possibility that it is still alive :)
I just got the diamond myself.. he hid for days.. many reefers here assured me this is normal.. some told me their diamonds hide for weeks, sometimes months at a time ;)
Hopefully yours has just found a good burrow and is adjusting to its surroundings.. look for sandstorms during the day.. if you see them.. then he is def in there!! :bounce3:
What are the other fish in there? could he be scared to come out?

aleonn
06/13/2011, 06:04 PM
My diamond goby took a month to get comfortable enough to come out of the rock work. Your ammonium levels, however, are concerning and should be addressed if the water changes don't help. Tank size and whether it's new or established would be helpful.

pkirby
06/13/2011, 07:38 PM
it's a 75 gallon tank with a 29 gallon sump. The diamond goby was in the tank and sifting fine out in the open until about a week ago when I stopped seeing him.

The tank is new, it's only been set up for 3-4 months. It's been cycled for over 2 months. The only other fish in the tank currently are 2 chromis, so it's a very small bioload.

Squall
06/13/2011, 08:02 PM
Don't go searching for a body. I had a yashaba goby in my 40 breeder, went missing after a month and I assumed it was dead, three months later it pops out of a rock to eat a mysis shrimp from the baster. Lots of rocks and lots of hiding spots.