One dead fishy

[Mackman]

Hello all!
It is a sad day in my house, my newest member just passed (minute of silence).
I added a twin spot goby about 5 days ago, for the first 3 days he was sucking up alot of mouthfulls of sand, the last 2 days he was under a rock when i would look for him, tonight i found him dead!
I have a clown thats been in the tank for a month and is doing great! i also have 2 green cromis that have been in the tank for several weeks now and are also doing great! Why would this fish take a turn for the worse? i know my ALK is high but everyone on here says its not bad at least for fish (i am trying to lower it slowly)
all the levels have been steady! any ideas as to what is going on if anything would be greatly appreciated, my daughter does not know the gobie is dead yet, (thinking about getting another so she wont know but dont want to kill another fish)
If my tank is keeping some fish alive would you think there is really anything wrong? could it be a stressed fish? the others were not picking on him at all, The otehr fish are very colorfull and aggresive eaters (eat out of my hand).

Sorry this got a little long.

Mack

PH 7.8 to 8.1.
Alk 5.03 (trying to lower).
Salinity 1.025.
amonia 0.
nitrite 0.
nitrate 5.
120gal tank.
30gal sump seperate light sch then tank.
heater/skimmer.
60lbs base 60lbs live rock.
5lbs live sand.
54 watt actinic 54 watts 10k T5. (lighted 11 hours)
Mag 24 pumping into two returns.
Temp got a little hot today as my wife turned off the fan, 83.7, normally 79 to 81.

Occupants
1 ocellirus clown (sp)
2 green cromis
1 twin spot gobie (may he rest in peace)
about 10 snails and 5 blue leg hermits.

[steve1s]

Could actually be nothing wrong with what you did or the tank. These types of benthic gobies often do not do well in captive environments. They are what I would consider a 50/50 risk. They are primarily sand sifters and get most if not all their foods from the pods and other organisms in the substrate. Many do not take to aquarium prepared foods and may sometimes starve, especially in tanks under a year old.

If at the LFS for any period of time without eating, you unfortunately reaped the result. I would strongly suggest making sure these guys are eating prior to purchase and make note of what they are being fed. If the LFS is unwilling, then do not buy it.

Keep tabs on the other fish for possible signs of disease or parasite but I think you simpley got a goby that was already on the downhill slide. :?

Cheers
Steve

[Mackman]

Thanks again steve :)))
I thought they sifted algea types from the sand not pods, if you need to feed these type of fish what would you recomend? i would like to get another before my daughter sees he is dead but i dont want to unless i know how to feed him properly.

Thanks again

Mack

[steve1s]

I thought they sifted algea types from the sand not pods, if you need to feed these type of fish what would you recomend?
Gobies in general are carnivores and need meaty foods or a combination thereof. They definately sift through the substrate for live foods. Pods and other macro fauna are the main source.

i would like to get another before my daughter sees he is dead but i dont want to unless i know how to feed him properly.You should also be wary of placing an unquarantined fish into the main display tank, so far you may have been lucky. I am sorry about your daughter, I know that dissappointed look.. :cry: but I think you'll agree you'd be in the dog house for sure if the next fish you purchased infected the tank and wiped out all the livestock :wink:

Other than what I have mentioned above, adding some phytoplankton to the tank about twice a week will help grow and strengthen the fauna population. Getting the goby to eat any aquarium food is the main goal wether that be brine, mysis or whatever. Once eating then you can worry about trying to switch to something with better nutrition. One thing I used to do was place fortified pellet foods just beneath the surface of the sand where the goby primarily sifts so it will by default get some nutrition at least.

Cheers
Steve

[Mikeaveli21]

I definitely agree with steve. I had 2 diamond gobies that had the same fate. This was a good time back when I thought they could just sift through the sand and eat up any leftovers (as my LFS had told me). Remember that these guys can completely eat up the critters that make your "live" sand bed, so it may need to replenished via a detrivore kit every so often, especially in smaller tanks. Sorry for your loss.