Orange Diamond Goby

[NC2WA]

Newly added orange diamondback gobies to tank have not been seen for 2 days. Is this common and/or expected behavior??

 

[mmkeeper]

Not a surprise. They burrow and hide well. Can be spoked easily. Look in all your nooks and crannies.

 

[Elmo18]

They are also nice jumpers.

Areas outside of your sump...quite possible...although I hope it is still alive..

Best,
Ilham

 

[NC2WA]

I had a window screen with fine mesh over the holes of the tank. I have checked around the floor on the tank and no fish. I will check again to be sure. I have the same issue with a royal gramma. Haven't seen it since I added on Friday.

I guess I have to use what this hobby demands---patience.

 

[Elmo18]

Is there a way to check your overflow?

Best,
Ilham

 

[bbehring]

My diamond hid for 2 to 3 days. Found a great rock and then began to venture out. First very little, and now he's out all the time.

 

[NC2WA]

Elmo,

yes there is, and I just did that. I used a collection cup to get a good view and no fishes. The only fish small enough to fit thru the slits would be the royal gramma and it is not in the overflow chambers. To be thorough, I got a flash light and got on my hands and knees in the garage floor and look behind the tank stand and cabinets which are adjacent to the tank. NO GOBIES. I can only deduce that there are in the tank and hiding. And to think, I built a custom window screen for these dudes to ensure that would stay in the tank. (used the idea from RC). I guess it worked. :lol:

I hope they come out soon, as my wife wants to know why such pretty fish are hiding.

I will keep you posted.
Kirk.

 

[Damsel13]

I have a yellow watchman goby that I thought was a goner for sure but he/she showed up about 2 weeks later and after a couple of months actually comes out of the burrow every once a day or so.

 

[NC2WA]

Deb,

Thanks for the reply. This gives me hope. Today still nuthin..No royal gramma, no orange diamond gobies..kinda stinks..pay all this money and have nothing to show for it..

Oh well, tomorrow is another day, hopefully someone will rear its head.

 

[mmkeeper]

Try looking at night when the lights are out.

 

[edwing206]

Have you tried feeding yet?

 

[Damsel13]

My watchman ate pretty much all my mysid shrimp the first couple of weeks now he comes out at feeding time briefly as well. Hang in there, I find my goby to be very cool and I am so glad he did not perish.

I have a question tho ... I can't imagine my goby jumping since he is such a bottom dweller. What's the story with jumping? Is that in shallow tanks?

 

[bbehring]

Orange diamonds are major sand sifters. Mine doesn't feed on any mysis, prepared food or pellets, just sifts sand. I must say that my tank has always had clean water, great parameters, great corals and coral growth, but most of the time had some cyno on the sand bed. With this guy in the tank, it's a thing of the past. He sweeps my sand bed all day long! Very welcome addition to my tank!

 

[NC2WA]

Deb,

Has nothing to do with a shallow tank. My 375 gallon tank is 30 inches high. These fish spook very easily and will jump out of an open tank in a heartbeart (as well as most fairy wrasses).

Call me suttborn, but this is my second pair of orange gobies. The first pair I had jumped out at night. I had eggcrate over the port holes and that did not do the trick, so after reading a DIY thread on RC about window screens as a replacement for eggcrates, I got my own window screen kit and there is no way they are jumping out.

When I did have the first pair of orange gobies working, my sandbed was very white and clean. I just hope the second pair is not dead.

I will try and look for them at night.
I am feeding a mixture of mysis shrimp and ocean cusine. My pair of cinnamon clownfish and gold spotted rabbitfish love the mysis shrimp.

Kirk

 

[Damsel13]

hummmm guess I won't leave the canopy off at night anymore!!!!

 

[Elmo18]

Deb,
These fish spook very easily and will jump out of an open tank in a heartbeart (as well as most fairy wrasses).

Kirk

Yup, this is the reason I suggested what happened to them earlier.

I hope they come up soon Kirk.

They're cool fish.

Best,
Ilham

 

[Holygral]

My Orange Diamond has been around for 2 years in an open 75 and has gone thru 3 tank upgrades also. After the upgrades he disapears for a couple of days, but then he stays mostly out in the open. I guess I am lucky so far that he is not a jumper

 

[NC2WA]

Well, my problem is my pair of cinnamon clownfish were the first fish in the tank, they tend to "check out" everyone that enters the tank.

 

[bbehring]

My onyx clowns (the female) are aggressive and do chase my diamond from time to time back to his hiding cave. For the most part he's out and about. I've heard if you have 2 diamonds they stay out more frequently and sift? Was thinking of testing that theory soon and adding another.

 

[NC2WA]

Yes, the short period of time I do have a pair of orange diamond gobies, they were out more and sift. That was until they were spooked and committed suicide by jumping out of the tank onto the garage floor.