A mysterious case: my goby has vanished

[florix9]

lovely gobies, always vanishing into thin air on me!!!

so i picked up a blue cheek goby a month ago, and a couple days later, poof, gone. i scoured the tank, under the sand, rocks, everywhere outside the tank, and not a sign. i figured maybe it was just a one-time thing, so i got another one, an orange spotted goby this time, thinking it'd be more laid-back on the sand. it was all good for a bit, even eating my frozen food, but then yesterday, it vanished too. i checked all the usual spots again, under the sand, rocks, filter, outside the tank, even the kitchen, and still nothing.

at first, i suspected my snowflake moray might've snatched the blue cheek goby, but after the orange spotted one went missing, i ruled that out since my moray's pretty small, about pencil-thick, and couldn't have swallowed the goby whole.

so, what's going on here? any ideas? similar experiences?

my tank's a 30 us gal with some lr, a cleaner wrasse, bicolour blenny, snowflake moray eel, and some softies like xenias, mushrooms, zoas, and a kenya tree – i highly doubt they're behind the goby disappearances

[aflux]

I had a similar experience with my blue cheek goby in a 90-gallon tank. It was eating fine, but I'm wondering if it might have died from starvation due to stomach parasites - I mean, it's possible, right?

There's nothing in my tank that could've eaten it, so I'm stumped. My only theory is that it might've jumped out of the tank at the back and I just didn't see it lying on the floor - I know it sounds crazy, but I've checked everywhere else and can't find any sign of it.

[coral8]

I've had my fair share of struggles with sleeper gobies, particularly the blue cheek ones - they're tough, but also a handful. I love 'em, but honestly, I think they're one of those fish that shouldn't be sold, given all the problems they come with. I've lost count of how many have jumped out of my tank (one miraculously survived, though), and that same survivor even managed to squeeze into my overflow - so, trust me, check every nook and cranny. I've also had one that ate like crazy, yet never seemed to put on weight; it wasn't severely underweight, but it just never seemed to get as plump as I'd like. In the end, it probably died from an intestinal issue, which is super common in these guys. At my local fish store, it's like 60% of the time they're not eating at all, or they need to be coaxed out to eat because they're just so timid.

[zeno9]

A lid or canopy is a must for me, I've learned the hard way. It's not just about preventing fish from jumping out, although that's a big one - I've had my fair share of gobies going missing and I'm starting to think that's what's happening to them. It's also about keeping airborne contaminants out of the tank, which is especially important for me since I live on a busy street and have my windows open all the time. The amount of dirt and dust that accumulates on my window ledge is crazy.

I know it's good for oxygen exchange and cooling during the summer, but you can still get air into the tank with a lid. For me, it's a no-brainer - a lid is a worthwhile investment, especially if you've got fish like gobies that are prone to jumping.

[florix9]

A lid or canopy is a must for me, I've learned the hard way. It's not just about preventing fish from jumping out, although that's a big one - I've had my fair share of gobies going missing and I'm starting to think that's what's happening to them. It's also about keeping airborne contaminants out of the tank, which is especially important for me since I live on a busy street and have my windows open all the time. The amount of dirt and dust that accumulates on my window ledge is crazy.

I know it's good for oxygen exchange and cooling during the summer, but you can still get air into the tank with a lid. For me, it's a no-brainer - a lid is a worthwhile investment, especially if you've got fish like gobies that are prone to jumping.

I've got a glass cover, so jumping out isn't really an option unless it managed to squeeze through the wire holes or where the aquaclear filter is. Still, I've had no luck finding any remains, so I've kind of given up on that front. No pets in the house, so I know nothing would've eaten it if it did make a break for it. And if it had, the smell would've tipped me off by now - two gobies decomposing would be pretty hard to ignore.

I only really like gobies for their sand-sifting abilities, to be honest. They're a bit too high-maintenance otherwise. Anyone got suggestions for good sand cleaners? I know some people swear by nass. snails, but they don't seem to turn over the sand on the same scale as gobies do.

[zeno9]

lovely gobies, always vanishing into thin air on me!!!

so i picked up a blue cheek goby a month ago, and a couple days later, poof, gone. i scoured the tank, under the sand, rocks, everywhere outside the tank, and not a sign. i figured maybe it was just a one-time thing, so i got another one, an orange spotted goby this time, thinking it'd be more laid-back on the sand. it was all good for a bit, even eating my frozen food, but then yesterday, it vanished too. i checked all the usual spots again, under the sand, rocks, filter, outside the tank, even the kitchen, and still nothing.

at first, i suspected my snowflake moray might've snatched the blue cheek goby, but after the orange spotted one went missing, i ruled that out since my moray's pretty small, about pencil-thick, and couldn't have swallowed the goby whole.

so, what's going on here? any ideas? similar experiences?

my tank's a 30 us gal with some lr, a cleaner wrasse, bicolour blenny, snowflake moray eel, and some softies like xenias, mushrooms, zoas, and a kenya tree – i highly doubt they're behind the goby disappearances

It's really weird that they vanished like that. I mean, the glass cover should be enough to prevent them from jumping out, right? The only possible exit points are where the wires come out and the aquaclear filter, but I still can't find any sign of them. No pets in the house, so it's not like they got eaten or anything. And by now, the smell would've been unbearable if they had jumped out and started decomposing.

To be honest, I only like gobies because they're great at sifting the sand and keeping it clean. Otherwise, they're just too much of a hassle. Does anyone have any suggestions for good sand cleaners/sifters? I know some people swear by nass snails, but they don't seem to do the job on a large scale like gobies do.

[florix9]

I've got a snowflake moray eel in the tank, but it's pretty small - about 5 inches long and only a bit thicker than a pencil. Still, it's super aggressive when food's around and always looks like it's ready to pounce on my hand when I put it in the tank.

I'm guessing the moray either freaked the goby out so much that it jumped out or it managed to rip the goby apart and eat it in pieces, since it's way too small to swallow something whole without me noticing a huge lump. I'll check out the conch, but I've had pretty bad luck with snails and the like - my hermit crabs are little terrors that have killed off loads of snails and even some of their own kind. I started with around 6 hermits and 10 snails over a year ago, but now I'm down to just 2 hermits and 4 snails.

[creebo]

I'm starting to think my snowflake moray eel might've had a hand in the gobies' disappearance. It's pretty aggressive when it comes to food, and whenever I put my hand in the tank, it looks like it's ready to pounce on me. I know it's only about 5 inches long, but I'm guessing it might've scared the gobies so much they jumped out or it ate them by tearing them apart - it couldn't swallow them whole without me noticing a huge lump.

I'll look into conchs for sand sifting, but I've had mixed luck with snails and the like. My hermit crabs are little terrors - they've eaten or killed loads of snails and even taken out some of their own kind. I started with 6 hermits and 10 snails over a year ago, and now I'm down to 2 hermits and 4 snails.

[coral8]

I'm pretty sure the eel's the culprit. It's aggressive when it comes to food, and I can imagine it scaring the goby into hiding or worse. Given its size, I think it's more likely the eel ripped the goby apart rather than swallowing it whole.