How Much Should My Goby Be Eating?

Hello, I got a little Orange Spotted Shrimp Goby (about 1.5 inches long?) last week, and I've read that they can be quite difficult to feed.



So far he eats only around 3 or 4 pellets/2 or 3 mysis a day. I drop the food right above his hiding place and sometimes he'll snap them up, other times he just... leaves them lying there.

And because of that I'm having a slight leftover food problem.

He's not very active, spends 80% of the day at the same spot.

Is he eating the amount he should be? How do I get him to eat more?

 

just have plenty of patience, it sounds to me its just climatising.
first of all it wouldnt be eating like crazy after youve just put it in, it will take a few weeks till it feels comfortable.

if you want a great goby, get a diamond goby they are so cool to watch eating and filtering through the sand and you dont have to worry about them.

 

My watchmen gobies eat a couple of flakes and pellets, a few mysis and krill a day. They don't really need much more than this. I recommend investing in a clean up crew if you don't already have some. A few hermits some shrimp and snails would clean up any excess food.

I add a small amount of feed 3-4 times a day, they don't tend to eat a lot in one sitting. I also mix it up, so flake in the morning, krill and mysis when I get home from work and small pellets a few hours later then more mysis and krill before the lights go out.

 

They have been in my tank about a year and spawn regularly. The last spawning resulted in my male goby getting slashed on the head by one of my tangs for his eggs. He stayed in his burrow with the pistol shrimp for about 4 days and has now reapeared feeding well and his cut on the mend. The female has been looking after him when he has come out fighting other fish away from him.

 

I wouldn't worry too much if he doesn't eat much for a few days at a time. when in a new environment they can become stressed and not eat as much. Fish can generally go without food for 4 or 5 days at a time as long as they are still drinking water.