Gobie Problem

[turruty]

I have a 125 gallon 2ft x 2ft x 4ft aquarium with a 45 gallon refugium. It has been running for about 9 months and my livestock is as follows:

3 - blue chromis
2 - Clarkii Clownfish
1 - firefish
1 - Rainford's Goby
1 - Lawnmower Blenny
1 - Spectled Rabbit fish
1 - Roayl Gramma
1 - Zebra Goby
1 - Chalk Basslet
1 - Flame Angel
1 - Longnose Hawkfish

I have tried adding some small gobies (2 - clown gobies, orange spot goby, yellow watchman goby). Note: I did not add all at one time, I added individually and lost them. I can't seem to keep small gobies alive. They end up missing. They can not escape the tank, they just end up gone. I'm wondering if the Hawkfish is the problem or if I may have a predatory starfish or crab that I can't see. My tank runs ammonia - 0, nitrite - 0, nitrate - 15, ph - 8.3. I feed once a day and the small gobies all ate and were active; however, one day they would each be gone never to be seen again.

Please give me your thoughts.

Thanks.

 

[gary shandling]

Your tank is pretty loaded as is.

What do you use for water flow?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

My guess is that your Hawkfish is really appreciative of you right now and smirks every time you add another goby.

 

[turruty]

I have a 650 gph return pump from my refugium and 3 powerheads in the display tank.

I thought maybe the hawkfish but I'm not sure. He doesn't pay much attention to them while I'm watching but maybe he commits his crimes at night. Hawkfish like the dark better anyway I think.

 

[NaH2O]

If your other gobies are fine, then I can't imagine your hawkfish being the problem, unless the gobies were very small (which I can see with the clown gobies). You could always try and move the hawkfish to a protected section of the sump when you add another goby, and see if it lasts. It is a possibility that they are getting bullied. Maybe they jump? Is the hawfish vey large? There might be some territory problems with it.

Have you tried to add a watchman goby with its pistol shrimp? My thought is that the pistol would snap at anyone trying to bother the goby. I know my yasha goby is protected by the pistol in my daughter's 29 gallon. I hear the pistol snapping away at the clowns when they get too close. Although, you'd have to make sure the pistol shrimp is large enough to not be eaten by the hawkfish.

Here is further reading on:The Longnose Hawkfish

 

[turruty]

Okay, First off there might be hope for the orange spotted goby. The clown goby is gone I think though as it has been about a week and he doesn't come out to feed and I can't see him anywhere. When I got home last night I was looking around the area where the orange spotted goby had his hole that he would dart into. The old hole has nothing using it as it gets smaller everyday; however, behing this hole, in a very, very hard to see portion of my reef, there appears to be a new hole being dug as there was a bit of fresh white sand pilled up and what looks to be like the entrance to a hole under a rock. I could not see the hole itself and didn't see the orange spotted goby; however, I have three pistol shrimp in the tank and one of them is always behind that rock during the day.

Do orange spotted gobies form a relationship with pistol shrim similar to the yellow watchman goby? Maybe my orange spotted goby is "shacking up" with a new found shrimp friend.

I don't think any of the other fish in the tank would dig a hole. Maybe the Zebar (bar) goby?

 

[NaH2O]

The orange spot goby will form a relationship with a pistol shrimp. Also, the digging might simply be the pistol doing all the engineering work that they do. I'd give it some more time, and see if you eventually see the goby out and about. How long has it been since the orange spot was added?

 

[turruty]

The orange spot was added about two weeks ago; however, he was out and about for about 8 days so he's been missing for about 6 days or so.

 

[jezzeaepi]

You sound overstocked to me. Theres probably no territory left for them and they get picked on by the current tank mates till they die.

 

[Smoothy 425]

My Yellow Watchman ended up in my sump twice, the last time I didn't notice him because he was behind my in-sump skimmer.

I think your over-stocked also!