new goby looks depressed

[Tykhe]

Hi,

I recently picked up a new two spot goby about 1 day ago and today he is looking very depressed. I got him from Tropical Showcase in hicksville and he was eating/playing around - looking very healthy - at the store. This morning he just sat in the corner and didn't move even when some mysis shrimp blew past his nose. Tonight, he did perk up a little bit and took a couple of bites of mysis shrimp but then went back to sulking. No signs of rapid breathing. He just looks sad.

I have another two spot goby living in the tank for about 2 months now. He never went through a period of depression when I added him to a tank. I wonder if it's because he came from the pet store next door (flushing aquarium) and the owner gave me a whole bunch of gobies because he had to clean out his goby tank. That two spot came with a bunch of other gobies including another shrimp goby with whom he currently shares a burrow.

Sooo...I'm wondering if I went back and purchased another goby from the new goby's tank at Tropical Showcase, if that will help the new goby feel better. Am I being irrational?

 

[noobzy]

My YWG always looks depressed... or angry... one of the two. If he's eating and behaving "normally", isn't that indication of good health?

 

[Tykhe]

Well he's sitting in a corner and sulking. At the store he was moving about the tank and shifting sand as two spots usually do. I'm worried about him sitting around in a corner and not moving. He is eating a bit in tiny bites but at the store he was taking huge gulps of mysis shrimp.

I was hoping to mate the two two spot gobies but so far my goby hasn't taken any notice of the new two spot. Oh well. It's a 75 gallon so I guess they may need some more time to find each other.

 

[waynotcars]

I think all he/she needs is a week or so to get used to the new surroundings. You'd probably be a little sad too if you were suddenly uprooted to a new place.

 

[Tykhe]

I guess you are right...I just wish there was something I could do to make him feel more at home.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Are you talking about Signigobius Biocellatus? They often arrive in bad shape and getting them to eat can be hard and it can be almost impossible if they come in in really bad shape from starvation. The "depression" could be him getting used to his new surroundings or he's in bad shape. You can try target feeding him live brine but the best thing to do is find something he will eat and power feed him a few times a day until he gets back up to weight.

 

[Tykhe]

The staff at Tropical Showcase told me that he had been at the pet store for over a month and they showed me him eating mysis shrimp. He practically jumped out of the tank to get the mysis shrimp. I drove him home right after they put him into the bag. They did net him out of the tank which kind of miffed me because I was worried they would injure his slime coat.

I hope that isn't it...meh...for the price they charged - 41 dollars for a 12-15 dollar fish - they should have at least transported him into the bag safely.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

does his stomach look pinched?

 

[Tykhe]

it does look a bit concave....

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Either they weren't feeding him enough or he wasn't there a for a month munching on mysis. If he is eating in your tank just try and get more to him a few times a day for now.

 

[Tykhe]

Ok thanks, I'll do that!

 

[Tykhe]

Thanks for the help everyone. He is much better now although he and my goby are at opposite sides of the tank. I guess they're just not that into each other romance wise.