Banded Watchman Goby

[bbeavers]

My 55g tank which was set up over a month ago has completed its cycle, and all of the parms I test for(NH4, pH, NO2, NO3, and specific gravity) are either zero or within safe limits(NO3-20 ppm). I removed all the live rock today(80 pounds) to catch the Damsels I cycled the tank with - I know now that's not the thing to do, but I was new to this a couple of months ago. We went into town, gave the Damsels to the store, and came back with a Percula Clown, Yellow Tang, and a Banded Watchman Goby.
The Goby stayed on the bottom after being introduced for about 5 minuted then went into the rock (well hidden) and hasn't come out. When I fed them tonight, he showed his face, but then disappeared again. The clown and the Tang are eating well and seem to be fine. Do I need to worry about the Goby? Will he eventually come out and eat? The Clown and Tang preferred flake over pellet and the Tang has been snacking on algae all day. The advice I've been given is to feed the fish as much as they can eat in 15 minutes or so every two days, and this worked with the Damsels. Please offer your comments if this is not accurate.
Thanks for any advice or help you may be able to give.

 

[shannpeach]

We have a spotted mandarin goby and he hid for quite some time when we first got him. Now he comes out all the time to graze and isnt shy anymore. Keep in mind that these fish have really special needs, like particular microfauna to feed on. Usually in a new tank there isnt enough of these to keep up with the feeding habits of the gobies. We werent told this when we first got ours, but many gobies won't feed on the food you give them. Possibly your goby isnt coming out to graze because there isnt much there for him to graze on. We have resorted to supplementing our tank with copepods for ours to feed on. We also have a relatively new tank so maybe thats something you should think about to help with your goby. Hope that helps a little!

 

[farslayer]

My watchman goby hides all day and comes out when he feels like it, so there's nothing to worry about. But you should only feed what they can eat in about 2 minutes, not 15.

 

[rubberduck]

normal fish will die if they get 15 minutes worth of food every 2 days. try more 2 minutes

 

[rubberduck]

and if he just acclimated, thats normal, especialy for gobbies

 

[bbeavers]

Thanks for your help. 2 min's is another opinion I've heard and I'm glad to finally get a resolution on that matter.:thinking:
I really appreciate the posters on this board, as this is the best source of info I've found to date. When I get up to expert level I'll give some advice myself, until then, I'll just live and learn from these boards.
Shell Singleton, hey buddy, are you hidden out there anywhere?