Can not keep a Goby .. HELP!

[btldreef]

So in every tank that my husband and I have had, we have a Goby issue. We started with a Diamond, it died. Tried another Diamond, it also died. Tried two Golden Head Sleepers (I think that's what they were, it's been awhile), one went floor surfing, the other died shortly after. Tried a Diamond again, died. One of the guys at a LFS told us to try a Dragon Goby, that they were a little more hardy, must say, they did last longer than the others, but still die after a few months. Our most recent death occurred this morning.

The fish looked fine last night. He's been eating (eats the food put in the tank for the other fish), sifting sand, no sign that anything was wrong.
Each time this happens, it seems to be completely out of left field. No warning signs whatsoever. It isn't just in one tank either, both our 40G and our 155G have this issue. All our water parameters are always good, we are absolutely meticulous about water conditions since we have a finicky angelfish, no other fish or invert deaths, corals look great, etc. Why can't we keep a Goby alive? Should we just give up on having a Goby and stick with a good CUC and sand sifting starfish since we don't seem to kill them?
Our setup:
155G, 150lbs sand (CaribSea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef Sand), 200lbs LR
Current fish: 2 baby percula clowns, 1 baby green spotted mandarin, 1 coral beauty angelfish
Current inverts: 2 skunk cleaner shrimp (yes we'll get more), tons of tiny hermits, 3 large blue knuckle hermits, 2 scarletts, 2 sand sifting starfish, tons of brittle starfish that came as hitchhikers with our LR, but they never really come out. Tons of snails, not naming all the different varieties, only 2 ceriths though.
Any suggestions?

 

[btldreef]

lots of views, no suggestions?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3142982
So in every tank that my husband and I have had, we have a Goby issue. We started with a Diamond, it died. Tried another Diamond, it also died. Tried two Golden Head Sleepers (I think that's what they were, it's been awhile), one went floor surfing, the other died shortly after. Tried a Diamond again, died. One of the guys at a LFS told us to try a Dragon Goby, that they were a little more hardy, must say, they did last longer than the others, but still die after a few months. Our most recent death occurred this morning.

The fish looked fine last night. He's been eating (eats the food put in the tank for the other fish), sifting sand, no sign that anything was wrong.
Each time this happens, it seems to be completely out of left field. No warning signs whatsoever. It isn't just in one tank either, both our 40G and our 155G have this issue. All our water parameters are always good, we are absolutely meticulous about water conditions since we have a finicky angelfish, no other fish or invert deaths, corals look great, etc. Why can't we keep a Goby alive? Should we just give up on having a Goby and stick with a good CUC and sand sifting starfish since we don't seem to kill them?
Our setup:
155G, 150lbs sand (CaribSea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef Sand), 200lbs LR
Current fish: 2 baby percula clowns, 1 baby green spotted mandarin, 1 coral beauty angelfish
Current inverts: 2 skunk cleaner shrimp (yes we'll get more), tons of tiny hermits, 3 large blue knuckle hermits, 2 scarletts, 2 sand sifting starfish, tons of brittle starfish that came as hitchhikers with our LR, but they never really come out. Tons of snails, not naming all the different varieties, only 2 ceriths though.
Any suggestions?

Food may be the issue...a green mandarine will clean out the tank of copepods. Then add the sand sifting sea stars...what can the goby eat? My goby killed my mandarine over food territory.
I think you simply have too many critters fighting for the same food source.

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3143069

Food may be the issue...a green mandarine will clean out the tank of copepods. Then add the sand sifting sea stars...what can the goby eat? My goby killed my mandarine over food territory.
I think you simply have too many critters fighting for the same food source.
Okay. Thanks for the suggestion, but to further your thought, because I've had it too:
We seed the tank for the mandarin, plus he's really small (not even 2") and there are tons of copepods in our tank as it is. We also did not have a mandarin or the sand sifting starfish when this problem first arose. The hermit crabs are TINY ... and they never come down into the sand, they're always on the rock work, same with the snails. This last goby that just died was being fed as well as sifting the sand on his own. He was eating absolutely fine last night and then just kicked the bucket early this morning.
Do you really think that two sand sifting starfish and one 3" goby is too much in a 155G? Everyone keeps telling me that we should have at least 2 gobies in a tank this size, but we can't even keep one alive.
We had the same issue in our 40G with far less critters in it as well. At one point we only had 2 clowns and the goby died after 3 weeks.
I can not figure it out.

Thanks for the opinion though

 

[btldreef]

Some things I've been told by people about this issue and don't know how much merit there is in any of these statements, do you guys have an ideas:
We've been told:
1) Gobies can sift up bristle worms and die
2) Gobies can choke on small rocks in the sand
3) There may be parasites in the sand that are killing the gobies over time.
I'm not sure I believe any of these statements, but looking for ideas.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3143095
Some things I've been told by people about this issue and don't know how much merit there is in any of these statements, do you guys have an ideas:
We've been told:
1) Gobies can sift up bristle worms and die
2) Gobies can choke on small rocks in the sand
3) There may be parasites in the sand that are killing the gobies over time.
I'm not sure I believe any of these statements, but looking for ideas.

I am going to comment on #3...Nothing sounds like it is a killer in your tank, yet it sounds like agression deaths. If something poisons the goby wouldn't OP be losing other sandsifting critters?..%%
What kind of sand do you have and how long?...you may have posted this answer but I am too lazy to go back and check.

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3143176

I am going to comment on #3...Nothing sounds like it is a killer in your tank, yet it sounds like agression deaths. If something poisons the goby wouldn't OP be losing other sandsifting critters?..%%
What kind of sand do you have and how long?...you may have posted this answer but I am too lazy to go back and check.
That's what I thought. I figured if there was something wrong with the sand, then more than a Goby would be dying. We have 150lbs CaribSea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef. Some of it is about a year old, about 40lbs, and in this new tank we added another 100lbs or so about 2 months ago. We've had this issue in two different tanks now and really can't figure it out.
I'd believe it was aggression if it had not occurred before we put more fish in, like I said, it was going on when all that was in the tank were two baby clowns and 1 goby. It stumps everyone I ask, the LFS guys have finally thrown their hands up.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3143235
That's what I thought. I figured if there was something wrong with the sand, then more than a Goby would be dying. We have 150lbs CaribSea Arag-Alive Special Grade Reef. Some of it is about a year old, about 40lbs, and in this new tank we added another 100lbs or so about 2 months ago. We've had this issue in two different tanks now and really can't figure it out.
I'd believe it was aggression if it had not occurred before we put more fish in, like I said, it was going on when all that was in the tank were two baby clowns and 1 goby. It stumps everyone I ask, the LFS guys have finally thrown their hands up.

I guess I get to join the LFS guys...I personally wouldn't buy any more gobies. 2 different tanks????? I can't imagine what it could be that kills only one type of fish.

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3143399

I guess I get to join the LFS guys...I personally wouldn't buy any more gobies. 2 different tanks????? I can't imagine what it could be that kills only one type of fish.
yeah, that's what throws me for a loop, 2 tanks and same issues. Everyone has that one fish species they can't seem to keep alive, seems like it's gobies for me. oh well

 

[shainline]

Do you buy your gobies from your LFS? or do you get them from different places? The reason I ask is my LFS has not had good luck with PJ Cardinals, they ALL die. If you are getting them from one place they may not have good luck with them, Just a thought

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by SHainline
http:///forum/post/3144351
Do you buy your gobies from your LFS? or do you get them from different places? The reason I ask is my LFS has not had good luck with PJ Cardinals, they ALL die. If you are getting them from one place they may not have good luck with them, Just a thought

Bought them from several different places. I live close to NYC so I have 100 or so LFS's fairly close to me

I'm giving up, although my husband is intent on getting two small yellow watchmen just because he likes them. We'll see.

 

[btldreef]

So my husband was intent on having two yellow watchman, I bought them for him last night, along with a Lawnmower Blenny because I love them. Acclimated them and as soon as we put them in the tank, the Coral Beauty started harassing them!

I've never seen her harass another fish, EVER. But, I think it's her. I started thinking about it and ever since we got her, none of our fish survive for more than a couple months, but the fish that were there before her are fine. If it's her, I'm going to have a hell of a time trying to catch her, but she will be going in the QT. Our stock list is quite extensive for this upgrade and I can't have her kill everything, it's too much money on the line. I was thinking I should just get a shark if she kills these guys, that'll teach her!