Diamond Watchman Goby - Behavior

I bought a Diamond Watchman Goby and he finally got introduced to the display tank 55, reef. Since intoduction I didn't see him for a week. The past two days he ventures out before the lights come on, and swims...swims swims..and then rubs around at the top like he's trying to get out. He doesn't sift sand like he did at the store, or when he was QT'd.

My initial thoughts were O2 levels. But the skimmer is dumping quite a bit of bubbles in the tank just to be sure...Water chemistry from what can be tested is good...I can't decide if I made a bad purchase, as I wanted him to sift and clean the sand...don't need a hider or a swimmer that wants to jump out.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreicated.
Thanks.

 

Sounds like you have voltage in the water. You running a ground probe??? Shut all your submersible pumps off and see if he calms down. You can check you water if you have a multi meter.

 

No ground probe, but I do have a voltmeter. I'm not sure how juice would have gotten in there, there aren't any electrical components directly in the tank...sump yes. What type of voltage am I looking for? Is he susceptible to voltage while others are not?

Thanks

 

Doesnt sound like voltage to me. Sounds normal. My watchmen goby did this same thing the first week I had it. It would swim at the top all night. Then he jumped out while I was standing there. Then I got glass tops. Then he jumped into the overflow. gobies like to jump and it seems like they only do it at night when the lights are dim and the tank is calm.

 

You get stray voltage from submerged power heads. Set meter to AC voltage then put on probe on ground or the center screw of you outlet and one in the water.

 

your always going to see stray voltage in an aquarium and it will be measurable. If you have a submersible pump in your tank then that pump creates a magnetic field in the water. When you have a magnetic field you have electricity. So you will measure some voltage and you will not know what it means. I think we are moving a little off topic. I really don't think this is why his new fish is acting funny.

Do you have any other fish? Are they acting funny? If your not getting shocked, then there is most likely no dangerous current flowing through the tank. The goby is looking for a way out, doesn't have enough oxygen, or is sick.

 

I've had TWO and neither one would stay in the tank. Both would sift sand, eat, and act normal, than BAM - found on the floor one day. After the first one jumped I made a combo glass and egg crate top as I didn't want to totally cover in glass (back half covered in glass, front half with the egg crate). But the second one managed to jump as well. I tried a yellow watchman goby and he jumped into my overflow and recently "disappeared". The only sand sifting goby I've had luck with is a golden headed sleeper. But his sifting was so aggressive that he buried my corals all of the time. He got banned to my refugium where he is living happily.

 

Now what

I have other fish, none act like this guy. He's pretty much full grown too..close to 6 inches I guess. I have full glass across the top of the tank and it fits pretty tight, but can be lifted ya know..its not screwed down or anything. This morning he was out before the lights came on, I knew this because I heard a weird noise from the room...its was him popping the glass lids up in the front. He can't pop the back ones, 'cause they go under the overflow, or water return pipe, making them pretty much fixed...the fronts he can't flip all the way open because they will hit the lights...but I guess he could flip one half of the lid, and flop out on top of the other side of the tanks front glass lid..(55 has the center diverer)

I don't believe there is a test for O2..if there is I haven't seen one..but I jacked the skimmer way up, even at its basic level, it should be dumping tons of oxygenated water back in the tank. Again all levels nitrate, nitrites, ammonia, ph, salinity are all good...

I don't get it...I don't want to get rid of him, but if he hates it here, he's going to certainly hate it anywhere I'd think. Tons of sand to sift, rock to hide under, and dig around...corals, etc...seems like a nice place to be, short of loose in the wild....CHOMP!

So now what...I'm not getting electricuted..other fish are fine, and have a fish who wants to go all suicidal and all.

 

Give him more time, and secure the top....he will be fine!!!

 

Poseidon smiled upon my watchmen today. He's is shoveling sand like 4 year old at the beach. He's got a whole new look on life I guess, came to grips with the fact he wasn't getting out, unless he was dead in the water.

He's shoveling and acting totally normal. Thanks to all those who have added feed back.