Found: Yellow Watchman Goby - whoopie!

[hatessushi]

After nearly a month of missing I found my Yellow Watchmen goby. He wasn't in the tank per say. He had jumped out and landed in the refugium section. My tank is an acrylic uniquarium which means the wet/dry bioball system and filtration is all part of the tank. It all runs parallel to the length of the tank and is about 20 gallons. That part is open on top. I removed the bioballs and put LR back there and a handfull of cheato. I went to add some topoff water and looke back there and he was just hovering there staring at me and probably thinking "help me, get me outa here. It's lonely in here."
I can't get to him. I can get a net in there but with the rock is all in the way. The tank is about 3 inches from the wall. I guess I could pull the rock out piece by piece with the tongs and take out the cheato and phosphate reactor.
By the way no food that I feed can get back there so he has to be living off the rock, maybe the pods cause there are a lot. I hopeI can get him out so wish me luck. :happyfish

 

[jam1e]

haha .. that's really funny .. I can picture the fish just sitting there looking at you .. haha

 

[hatessushi]

I can't get him. I went to the pet store to get a fish trap but they don't have any. I will try blocking off a section with my big net and try to catch him with the smaller net. I have really long arms but wish they were about 3 inches longer. It would be easy then.

 

[jam1e]

that's a good idea .. try putting some food in the net .. and keep it in there still for a while so he gets use to it .. then when he's close .. swoop up and grab him .. that's the only way I got my cream angel out of my 90 gallon

 

[alyssia]

Well, at least you found him. Good luck getting him out. The net trick that Jamie mentioned has worked for me before.

 

[hatessushi]

Well after I got all the rock out and chased him with 2 nets from one end to the other just once he decided to come to the top of the water and just sit there. He let me scoop him up with no fight. He is back in the tank checking out all the changes since he jumped out. He has been missing for about 3 weeks so now he has some new tank mates (coral beauty, diamond goby and cleaner shrimp) to get used to. They seem to be curious but leaving him alone.
My wife will be so happy when she gets home and learns about her favorite fish she thought died.

 

[shogun323]

How Crazy. I'm glad that worked out for you. I have a system II tank by Seaclear which is the same as a uniquarium and a Yellow Watchman is my next purchase. I guess I will go to Home Depot for eggcrate first after hearing your fiasco.

 

[hatessushi]

As a matter of fact before I tried to get him out I went to Home Depot myself and got some eggcrate. It's funny that now the goby sits on the highest rock in my tank now probably waiting to jump out :happyfish I just love the yellow watchman, he has such character

 

[mikeyjer]

We thought that our Bar Goby either died within our tank or jump ship somewhere. He was NO where to be seen for 3 months!!! He just started coming out to feed 3 days ago, he looks quite thin....Been eating like crazy....I wonder what he was doing all that time....He used to sit in the same area all the time and comes out to feed everyday and just suddenly disappeared one day until now..... :happyfish

 

[goathead76]

Well there is hope then because my yellow watchman goby has been missing for about 2 weeks now. It is a big mystery in our household but maybe one day it will show up.

 

[hatessushi]

I hope you find him. Is there anything in your tank that could eat him or could he have jumped out?

 

[goathead76]

Well I do have a marine betta and I think he may have eaten him but I never found the remains of him. I did find the remains of my scarlet hermit crab so something is probably eating my animals.

 

[goathead76]

I did some research on the marine betta and I knew it was a risk but I also was told if he was fed well it would probably be okay. Plus I observe my tank a lot and I never see any signs of him being aggresive. The only aggresive fish I have is my yellow tang but I dont think he would be the culprit.

 

[hatessushi]

If he got eaten there would probably be no leftovers.

 

[goathead76]

You are right he is a little guy and I will miss him. I still have my gray goby, he must be a fsat swimmer. I was suprised how much I liked them. I love how they cruise around and perch.

 

[hatessushi]

Well maybe he'll show up one day when you least expect it. Those bottom feeding fish have a wayof eluding others.

 

[yeldarbj]

I'm glad to read this in that I added a yellow watchman a couple weeks ago, with a pistol shrimp. He was out and about for the first couple days, then paired up with the shrimp for a couple does. Then the shrimp kicked him out of the hole and he was back out and about for a few more days and now I haven't seen him for a week. I assume he is still in there somewhere.