Diamond Goby HELP

Last week, I bought a diamond goby. He was in a pair in the store, but I only took one to save some cash. He got right down to the sand, has been sifting, being a happy diamond goby. Then, the next day, I decided that a pair would look great, so I went to the LFS to get the other. He was acting strange and didn't look great, but stupidity got the best of me and I bought him anyway. This goby has mostly been in hiding in the rocks. I see him maybe once a day, and I target feed him whenever I do see him. He eats mysis when I give it to him, but he's so skittish he doesn't get much because he disappears as soon as another fish shows up. Also, the first diamond goby chases him when he sees the new one. How can I help keep him alive and hopefully get him settled in?

 

Anyone?

 

They are pretty territorial vs their own kind unless they are a mated pair. I think that unless you are open to rearranging your rocks, you will just have to give them time. If your sand bed is large enough and well established, it should be able to get enough food out of the substrate to survive without the target feeding. if you know where it resides, you can try sticking food into the sand near its lair. Hopefully he will get to it before any snails or hermits (the problem I have had).

 

The problem is the second goby has not ventured into the sand bed yet, or if he has its way in the back under the rock structure. When I see him, its on the back glass toward the top of the tank. I thought it might be okay because they were paired up in the LFS the day before, but I guess separating them for a day killed my chances of having both peacefully.

 

yes, they seem to forget quickly. i have a wrasse that will bury itself in the sand for a couple of days if scared. When he finally comes out, my powder blue will attack him as if he is new. i have to go through a little routine every time to calm the tang down.

Is he hiding up there because of the other goby's aggressiveness. If he is, the trick i use for the wrasse is to stick my large net in a corner of the tank. The rest of my fish know the net and have learned to stay away. however, the harrassed wrasse quickly learns that it is the only place he is safe and will stay there while taking short excursions out into the tank but running back to the net when necessary. This allows the other fish to see him and get used to him without being brave enought to go near the net. i don't know if this would work for everyone but works in my tank.

 

I'm just hoping the new goby will survive long enough to settle down.

 

good luck.

 

I just saw him in the back and fed and he took off so quickly that he didn't get to eat anything. He's looking very thin.

 

We've all seen it-the stage where a fish is lying on it's side gasping and you know its only a matter of time. The second goby is there. I should never have bought him. I knew he was unhealthy at the LFS, but I was hoping for a pair of diamond gobies, so I tried the rescue mission that we all know is a bad idea. I cut the lights to ease the stress on the little guy, but by morning he'll be gone.

 

And, he's gone. Just got home from dinner and he's nowhere to be found. I feel bad about this one, but I don't think he would have lived anywhere.