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View Full Version : Randall's goby missing. When to worry?


callibaetis
03/25/2013, 12:02 PM
So I added my Randall's a little over a week ago. Added him with a tiger pistol. Immediately had sand dunes everywhere, and still do. Saw the goby for the first few days hanging out around the pistols caves. Would only see him out for a short period of time each time though. Well, I haven't seen him out for just over 3 days now. I can still see the pistol digging around, but no Randalls. When should I start ripping up the rocks to find him? The LFS said 3 days is quite a while to not see him. Especially around feeding time. He should be coming out. If he has died in my tank, will he cause an ammonia spike if I don't get him out? Or will my hermits eat him? My tank is a 75 gallon. I have about 6 blue legged hermits in the with some snails, fire shrimp and the pistol. Plus 2 wrasses and a canary blennie.

I haven't really been spending much time looking for him though, as I'm currently on a 13 days on 1 off work schedule. After working 12 hour days, I don't have much time to watch the tank and look for him. So maybe he's coming out when I'm not watching? I just really don't want to have him die and possibly kill all my other fish.

Any idea when I should start to get worried about him?

MrClam
03/25/2013, 12:13 PM
Is the tank covered? These fish have a tendency to jump so I would suggest looking on the floor around the tank. Remember that they can jump pretty far so check a wide radius around the tank.

If he hasnt jumped then I would relax. These fish like to hide and I have heard many people say they lost a goby for a few weeks until he was just out and about one day.

Chaotic Reefer4u
03/25/2013, 12:19 PM
Greetings and good afternoon,
I wouldn't worry about it too much as your a very busy person and i believe what your saying could be as such, you don't have enough time to look around for him and he might be coming out when your not there...and if he passed then i wouldn't think it would cause too much problems as you said your clean up crew will take action and nature will take it's course. I don't see much of an ammonia spike from him, hope this helps.

callibaetis
03/25/2013, 12:29 PM
I have the tank covered tightly with eggcrate. But he is pretty small. I have had a look around the tank and can't see anything. I'll just keep an eye out for the time being while I'm at home and not sleeping. Thankfully I should be back to my regular 4 day work week next week. Been working like this since beginning of February and am getting pretty tired.

Thanks for the advice. Being new to this highly addictive hobby, I never know when the right time is to be worried. So I just worry all the time!

kismetsh
03/25/2013, 01:56 PM
Small fish like firefish and gobies can easily jump through eggcrate. 1/4" netting is normally small enough to keep them in.

callibaetis
03/25/2013, 02:02 PM
Ok. I'll get some netting and zap strap it on to the eggcrate. Thx for the advice.

boosted_347
03/25/2013, 03:28 PM
I just went through this. I had a small YWG and he was doing well for a month or so. Then he disappeared. To the point where even after checking my overflow/sump areas, moving rock around carefully, I couldn't find him. For a whole month and a half he was missing. I assumed he died somehow and my crabs got to him. I even made a 250 mile move with my tank... took care to make sure the rest of the livestock was transported carefully.. the rock went in a tub covered with water from the DT and then sat for 4 days while I got the system rebuilt in the new location. After everything was settled (a week), guess who I see sitting perched on a piece of live rock, about double the size I got him? The YWG. I don't know where he was, but he hid well.

Breadman03
03/25/2013, 04:03 PM
I just went through this. I had a small YWG and he was doing well for a month or so. Then he disappeared. To the point where even after checking my overflow/sump areas, moving rock around carefully, I couldn't find him. For a whole month and a half he was missing. I assumed he died somehow and my crabs got to him. I even made a 250 mile move with my tank... took care to make sure the rest of the livestock was transported carefully.. the rock went in a tub covered with water from the DT and then sat for 4 days while I got the system rebuilt in the new location. After everything was settled (a week), guess who I see sitting perched on a piece of live rock, about double the size I got him? The YWG. I don't know where he was, but he hid well.

You win.

weldon133
03/26/2013, 12:30 PM
My Randall's Goby has gone missing for a few days at a time. Just when I start to panic that's about the time he makes an appearance.

I get spooked as I've had TWO fish in the last six months jump from the tank (through egg crate material that is zip tied to the back top of the display area) into where the pump is housed (I have a 29 gallon BioCube). The first was my Six Line Wrasse -- didn't see her for a couple days and decided to start checking in back with a flashlight. She was rather easy to net and put back in the display area. The second fish to jump (again, through the egg crate) was my Firefish. He made it extremely difficult to get him out and I worried he wouldn't make it. Both are doing fine and I am quite relieved. Thankfully they didn't land on the drip tray or they'd be goners.

So...I admit I'm a bit paranoid now....when I don't see a fish for a day or two I start checking the pump area. I have to come up with something better than the egg crate for blocking those jumpers!!

Let us know when your Goby shows up!! I am hoping he's just taking a rest in the rocks.

weldon133
03/26/2013, 12:31 PM
kismetsch---thanks for the advice on the netting. I'll have to give that a try too!

Fish Biscuit
03/26/2013, 03:30 PM
He should show up eventually. My first goby was a yasha & I didn't see that fish for 2 weeks until we had a power outage & I showed up at the office at 10 pm with battery pumps. They will find things to eat, don't worry. Just give it time to settle in. Gobies are excellent jumpers, try making a screen with BRS netting.

Sk8r
03/26/2013, 04:13 PM
Had a YWG go missing for months. If he's not on the ground, he's probably quite happy.

johnike
03/26/2013, 04:29 PM
You can make a very nice frame for the netting with screen kits from your local home improvement store.
Hope your fish unhides, one of my favorite Gobies.

EllieSuz
03/26/2013, 04:46 PM
BRS sells clear 1/4" netting and although they also sell the frames, etc. to make a cover, I think it might be cheaper to get what you need from a home improvement store. You'll need the aluminum frames, the plastic corner pieces, the rubber spline and a spline tool. The frame can be cut to fit with a hacksaw.

callibaetis
03/26/2013, 05:57 PM
Thx all. Still no sign of him. I've scoured the carpet all around the tank. Even searched through my daughters princess dress trunk, as it has been open for a few days and sits right beside the tank. Problem is, our carpet is almost the same pattern as the fish. Makes for some intensive searching. Hopefully he pops up eventually. If not, I guess I just go buy another one and get him to pair up with the pistol.

I've already got the egg crate cut to fit around my Tunze skimmer and ATO. So I think I'll just buy some netting and zap strap it to the egg crate. Should work just fine I think.

EllieSuz
03/26/2013, 06:23 PM
The problem with egg crate is that is obscures quite a lot of light.

callibaetis
03/26/2013, 08:22 PM
I only have a FOWLR tank. Don't I only need to worry about light being obscured if I have corals or more of a reef than I have?

EllieSuz
03/26/2013, 08:24 PM
Yes, you're absolutely correct. I didn't catch that.

callibaetis
03/26/2013, 09:52 PM
I don't think I ever gave that info out. My bad. Maybe once my tank is way more established I might get in to corals and anemones or something and then will need to upgrade my lighting. I'd like to gain knowledge, experience and confidence before I go down that road. I'm in no rush.

Zer0.
09/30/2014, 02:46 PM
BRS sells clear 1/4" netting and although they also sell the frames, etc. to make a cover, I think it might be cheaper to get what you need from a home improvement store. You'll need the aluminum frames, the plastic corner pieces, the rubber spline and a spline tool. The frame can be cut to fit with a hacksaw.

Exactly what I did ^