rubbed off scales on yellow watchman goby

whisk

Active Member
thanks for the comments guys. But of course, I guess I have an anti-goby tank because I believe goby #2 is about to bite the dust.

Over the past few days his color has been getting worse in spots. And each day the spots get bigger and bigger. It looks like the scales on his body are being rubbed off. Now an open sore has appeared on his body.
Since he has been in the tank, he has often attacked his reflection in the glass. He constantly will swim up and down the tank against the glass and he doesnt really like to go anywhere else. I never seen him once in the back of the tank and he rarely hides under the rock in the front. He just likes to swim against the glass. He eats daily food too as if nothing is wrong.
I have not seen any bullying from other fish, my firefish and sixline. They leave him alone. If you look at his fins, they are healthy and not bitten off.
Any ideas why he is doing this, I honestly think he is stressing himself out. My sixline did this for 2 days but he got over it. My goby keeps at it!

my test results seem normal
ammonia 0
nitrates 0
temp 77-78 all day
salinity 1.025


this is what he looked like 5 days ago



here's a vid of him stressing out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddEPfXgt3C8
 

shyfish

Member
Hi,
Oh he is a cute little goby!
It might be too late for this little guy. I lost a goby years ago, he got a sore place on him, he was being picked on at night. Now I have moon lights and it helps with night attacks.
If you can get him someplace quiet (QT tank) and dose him with something like stress coat to help him heal is about all I can think of to do.
I allow algea to grow on the sides of my tank so the fish know that the reflection is not a place they can swim to or fight with the fishy in the mirror.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
He's being attacked in my view. Do you have a QT to move him to?
 

whisk

Active Member
i dont have a QT. I wonder whats attacking him. I dont know what it is. Honestly i think its something else, i know hes not being bullied or attacked during the day. maybe at night like you said? poor little guy.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Fish can really be tricky with IDing attacks. I have spent hours a day observing to try and ID an aggressive fish.
The scales are being nipped off, and you can see that skin is broken in one of those pics. This fish won't make it much longer in this tank.
 

whisk

Active Member
well Beth, you were right. It wasn't any of my fish. It was my peppermint shrimp that had to be attacking my goby. When I got home yesterday I observed the peppermint attacking my sixline, and now my sixline is really messed up too. I cant believe it.

the peppermint is contained at the moment so he cant hurt any more of my fish but I swear it must have got rabies because everyone was getting along fine for awhile.
 

spanko

Active Member
I am surprised at this. Now I wonder if it was my peppermint that attacked and ripped the tails off and eventually killed my blue spot jawfish and pearly jawfish.
 

oldandtired

New Member
I agree with shyfish. Throw the stress coat at him. Your only chance to protect and hopefully heal the little guy.
 
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