Is my yellow goby having eating issues?

[TerraNova]

I'm really concerned about my yellow clown goby - he's having trouble eating and only seems to taste his food at times. I'll get a photo up soon, but I'm getting worried that he might have picked up some kind of parasite. When I first brought him home, I noticed a small protrusion, but now there are several of them. I'm feeling pretty helpless without a small tank to quarantine him - having an emerald crab and a mushroom coral in there with him isn't ideal.

[TerraNova]

Those protrusions you're seeing on your yellow clown goby, I think they're actually normal - they typically have several of them. From what you've described, I'm not seeing any signs of disease, just a fish that's likely stressed and hiding when you walk by. It's not uncommon for them to taste food and then spit it out.

I'm actually dealing with a similar issue and I recently checked my salinity, which was a bit low at 1.020. I'm increasing it to 1.026, and the place I got my goby from thinks this might help stimulate his appetite. Has anyone else had experience with yellow clown gobies or green gumdrop gobies that might be able to offer some insight?

[felinxo]

Have you tried offering enriched brine shrimp - they're often irresistible to fish. To stimulate a feeding response, you might want to give them a go.

[TerraNova]

I've been racking my brain, trying to figure out why he just wouldn't eat anything. I'm convinced there must have been some contaminant in the tank. Not running the filter with carbon was a mistake, I realize now - I was worried about removing trace elements, but I think that was a risk I shouldn't have taken. From now on, I'm running with carbon filtration, probably for good - the truth is, you just can't test for every possible contaminant that could get into the water.

I've been thinking about my setup, and I'm worried that something might have leached into the tank - all the pumps are made of plastic, and I've got a foam filter, so it's possible a VOC got in somehow. That's why I've decided to take no chances - I just bought a used 5-gallon quarantine tank, so I can isolate any future fish and keep them safe.

[felinxo]

Has he passed on then? What are your current water parameters looking like - salinity, pH, ammonia levels?

[creebo]

I've lost count of how many yellow gobies I've bought, only to watch them struggle and eventually pass away. It's always something - eating issues, parasites, you name it. I've tried every trick in the book, from garlic juice to a wide variety of foods - krill, brine shrimp, mysis, squid, clam, the list goes on. I've just never had any luck with these little guys. I've come to accept that it's just my experience, but I'm hoping yours will be different.

[TerraNova]

Yes Seffie, I lost him. I'm devastated, to be honest. Losing my yellow clown goby has really taken a toll on me. I'm not sure I'm ready to try again with another one anytime soon. I've just brought home a juvenile clown fish, about 1 1/2 inches long, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll thrive.

I did manage to raise my salinity to 1.026, but it was too late for my poor goby. Looking back, I think my best chance at keeping a clown goby would be to run the filter with fresh carbon and somehow introduce live copepods into the quarantine tank before bringing the goby home. Then, I'd keep him isolated for at least two months before introducing him to the main tank.

[coral8]

Unfortunately, this is a common issue with clown gobies. Some do fine on frozen foods, but it's crucial to see them eat before bringing one home. I'd recommend asking your LFS to feed them in front of you prior to purchasing, and take a moment to observe their eating habits. I had a green clown goby a while back, and he'd been at the store for nearly two years - I managed to keep him healthy for another two years before he passed.

[TerraNova]

I'm still reeling from the loss, to be honest. The trauma of watching him struggle to eat, the drama of trying to find a solution, it's all just too much for me right now. I keep thinking about how he ate that pellet food at the pet store before I brought him home - I should've just bought the same food, but no, I had to try and get him to eat something else. He wouldn't touch my Hikari pellets, or the mysis shrimp, or even the cyclopeze.

It's no wonder many places don't even carry clown gobies, they're just so delicate and finicky.