reason for 2 spotted goby death?

[DaBenzsta08]

I have had my 2 spotted goby for about a week or 2 now, and i woke up this morning to find him upside down practically half eaten, (looks picked at), but the only other fish i have is my Oscellaris clwonfish (minds his own business very small), green chromid, and my algae blenny, but i have an emerald crab along with another 50 snails turbo and cerinth, 25 hermit crabs, and then my array of corals, nothing else is dead water conditions were fine why else would it die? i had my new longnose hawkfish die also within 48 hours of getting it it wouldnt eat... but the 2 spotted seemed to be sifting my sand fine..


picuture of my setup ( has changed a little bit)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c14/DaBenzsta08/IMG_0367.jpg

[Randall_James]

He was probably scavenged by the hermits... The reason it died could be many... My first suspicion after the fish just being unhealthy and dying would be the hermits.

The tank looks pretty new, and with that large of a cleanup crew, things may be a bit scant for them to eat.

It is always possible that the hermits (crabs are predators) ambushed the guy while sleeping and had a late night snack. You are probably lucky to see any remains at all.

[Shagsbeard]

My advice is to not fret it for a while. It's obviously a new tank, and it's going to take time to get to where fish are comfortable in it. Many fish you will buy will be on the edge... and any stressors they encounter can put them over the edge. The "half eaten" thing is perfectly normal... crabs will do that... they eat their fill, then leave the rest.

Check your water parameters... give us a clue as to if there is any really obvious problems.

[DaBenzsta08]

only weird thing water parameters is ammonia is .25.... ubt other fish are withstanding it

[sarduci]

Two spot (AKA. twin spot) are sand sifters that only eat food found in the sand around them. Most new aquariums would not have the kind of life in the sand to feed them. Mortality rate in twin spots are really high like most small sand sifter gobies. I'd really like to have one, but infortunately I'm building my new tank for a mandarin and I can't have them competing with each other for food.

[Sk8r]

You're a new tank. Sandsifters may eat only detritus in the sand, and copepods. It probably starved to death. Wait for your tank to mature [8-12 months] before adding fish that have next-to-nature feeding requirements. A yellow watchman will generally both sift and eat pellet. Avoid: tangs, angels, rainford gobies, exotic gobies, and dragonets until the tank is quite mature.

[DaBenzsta08]

alright thanks a lot for the feedback guys. Just a newbie mistake I guess.

[Randall_James]

sorry for your loss