What is this fish?

[Zeal0201]

Bought this little guy with a pistol shrimp today, put then both in the tank togther and they went their seperate ways. They were together at the LFS any tips or tricks to get them to pair again? They're both smol:(

 

But what kind of fish is this? I forgot the name

[Lauraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Looks like a high fin red banded goby.

[Donny41]

+1

My pistol and watchmen seperated for a while when they first were introduced but quickly found each other. Hope yours do soon! 

 

[MainelyReefer]

Black Ray Shrimp Goby.  I have one paired with a candy cane pistol shrimp in my reef bowl.  If your pistol makes a burrow somewhere beneath the rockwork the goby will find him in time.  Doing nothing is my reccomendation on how to get them to pair.

[Squared]

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/181/hi-fin-red-banded-goby?pcatid=181&c=15+31+181

 

Very hardy fish but it will jump. Be sure you have a lid. The shrimp and fish will find each other eventually. How big is your tank?

[Zeal0201]

Thanks for all the replies I'll keep an eye out:)

30 minutes ago, Squared said:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/181/hi-fin-red-banded-goby?pcatid=181&c=15+31+181

 

Very hardy fish but it will jump. Be sure you have a lid. The shrimp and fish will find each other eventually. How big is your tank?

Has a mesh lid, 40g Nuvo. 

[Zeal0201]

Update! They found eachother! But in the back of the tank:( I can still see them digging but sadly can't get a photo. Have to flash a light in the tunnel to see them

 

Where they are it's kinda hard to get food down there so I turn off the pumps and squeeze some mysis shrimp in their little area.

 

Today was the first time the goby ventured out of the tunnel to get food but quickly retreated when he saw the wrasse.

 

Also the goby gets very defensive when the wrasse swims near their tunnel.

[Donny41]

Good stuff! They'll most likely move around some, mine seem to have a new entrance to there burrow every couple of hours

[Zeal0201]

Theyre cute, but poor pistol shrimp seems to be working 24/7 lol

[Donny41]

Yeah it's kind of tragic, poor guys never seem to be satisfied

[mndfreeze]

The pistol shrimp are the workaholics with OCD of the pair.  My tiger pistol literally NEVER stops digging.  It's all he does, all day, errrreeeyydayyyy.  The nice thing about it is he definitely helps keep my sand in nice looking shape, the corals get fed micro stuff out of the sandstorms he generates, I get non-stop entertainment from seeing him do silly shiz like try to move frag plugs that are waaaaaay to big for him to move, and he always has new holes popping up so the pair are always seen somewhere visible.

 

My yellow watchman actually killed a candy cane pistol while acllimating.  They were not paired and the store bagged them together. idiots.  I picked up a tiger pistol from a different store and they paired up that same day after dropping him in.

 

[Zeal0201]

21 hours ago, mndfreeze said:

The pistol shrimp are the workaholics with OCD of the pair.  My tiger pistol literally NEVER stops digging.  It's all he does, all day, errrreeeyydayyyy.  The nice thing about it is he definitely helps keep my sand in nice looking shape, the corals get fed micro stuff out of the sandstorms he generates, I get non-stop entertainment from seeing him do silly shiz like try to move frag plugs that are waaaaaay to big for him to move, and he always has new holes popping up so the pair are always seen somewhere visible.

 

My yellow watchman actually killed a candy cane pistol while acllimating.  They were not paired and the store bagged them together. idiots.  I picked up a tiger pistol from a different store and they paired up that same day after dropping him in.

 

What should I feed this little guy? The area theyre in is kinda hard to get food in there. Theyre in some cave/tunnel

[mndfreeze]

You only need to feed the fish really, the shrimp will scavenge stuff out of the sand as he digs, eat the fish poop and eat stray food that drifts down.  If you are REALLY worried you can drop sinking pellets by their hole with a turkey baster.   

 

The pistol will keep digging and digging and digging and eventually they will have entrances/holes all over your tank coming out in different places.  Some species of pistol dig more then other but they alllllllll will make lots of holes.  After a few weeks they will feel properly 'safe' in your tank and you will see them more most likely.

 

My first fish was a hi-fin goby with candy cane pistol back when I set up my first reef tank in 2010.  They are amazing little animals.  

 

Be careful not to over feed your tank.  Only feed enough food that the goby will eat in a few minutes.  Mine would always eat almost anything I fed the fish that came by his hole.   

[Zeal0201]

34 minutes ago, mndfreeze said:

You only need to feed the fish really, the shrimp will scavenge stuff out of the sand as he digs, eat the fish poop and eat stray food that drifts down.  If you are REALLY worried you can drop sinking pellets by their hole with a turkey baster.   

 

The pistol will keep digging and digging and digging and eventually they will have entrances/holes all over your tank coming out in different places.  Some species of pistol dig more then other but they alllllllll will make lots of holes.  After a few weeks they will feel properly 'safe' in your tank and you will see them more most likely.

 

My first fish was a hi-fin goby with candy cane pistol back when I set up my first reef tank in 2010.  They are amazing little animals.  

 

Be careful not to over feed your tank.  Only feed enough food that the goby will eat in a few minutes.  Mine would always eat almost anything I fed the fish that came by his hole.   

Really hard to get food in there. Ill keep trying to get some mysis shrimp in there 

[mndfreeze]

I wouldn't worry about it to much.  Just use a turkey baster and shoot food towards the entrance and the goby should dart out and grab bits as it flies by.  Or you can leave a little bit of flow on and let bits blow by and he should go after it.   

 

They WILL make new entrances that are closer to where you feed, trust me.  The smaller pistols like candy strip/cane ones just tend to be a little slower on the digging is all.  If your goby is eating then he won't let himself starve just to stay in his hole.  Eventually when he is comfortable enough with the tank he will come out of it to get food if thats required, but more likely is the shrimp will have made newer burrow entrances that line up better with feeding and where current blows by that could be carrying food.

 

I don't even turn my flow off to feed anymore. I just turn off my return pump but leave my in tank korellia blowing, and let the food fly around for a bit.  When my goby is hungry he will cross the entire tank to chase mysis n flake n stuff.  

 

What other fish do you have in the system?  That does play a role on how comfortable your goby is and will be in the future.  

[KNelson]

Get some long pipettes like this: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ILQTZ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MAxcBb727WK0F

 

Make them into what you need like this: 

 

I used a heat gun to gently bend the tip to the angle I wanted then quenched in cold water.  I also cut the tips for different purposes like feeding, basting rocks, etc.

[Zeal0201]

23 minutes ago, KNelson said:

Get some long pipettes like this: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ILQTZ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MAxcBb727WK0F

 

Make them into what you need like this: 

 

I used a heat gun to gently bend the tip to the angle I wanted then quenched in cold water.  I also cut the tips for different purposes like feeding, basting rocks, etc.

Hmm smart, like the curved one.

[Zeal0201]

9 hours ago, mndfreeze said:

I wouldn't worry about it to much.  Just use a turkey baster and shoot food towards the entrance and the goby should dart out and grab bits as it flies by.  Or you can leave a little bit of flow on and let bits blow by and he should go after it.   

 

They WILL make new entrances that are closer to where you feed, trust me.  The smaller pistols like candy strip/cane ones just tend to be a little slower on the digging is all.  If your goby is eating then he won't let himself starve just to stay in his hole.  Eventually when he is comfortable enough with the tank he will come out of it to get food if thats required, but more likely is the shrimp will have made newer burrow entrances that line up better with feeding and where current blows by that could be carrying food.

 

I don't even turn my flow off to feed anymore. I just turn off my return pump but leave my in tank korellia blowing, and let the food fly around for a bit.  When my goby is hungry he will cross the entire tank to chase mysis n flake n stuff.  

 

What other fish do you have in the system?  That does play a role on how comfortable your goby is and will be in the future.  

JUst fed em, he came out and i saw him picking at stuff on the floor, I blew some in his area.

 

I have 2 chromies, 2 clowns and a six line wrasse and cleaner shrimp. Everyone gets along really well

[KNelson]

3 hours ago, Zeal0201 said:

Hmm smart, like the curved one.

Thanks!  I got the idea from watching the hubs play with stuff and hardline tubing vids  - researching changing my water cooling in my comp to that. 

[Jesterrace]

On 5/18/2018 at 4:23 PM, hydrogalaxy said:

Looks like a high fin red banded goby.

Agreed.  Unless it's a Dracula Goby (highly unlikely unless it cost him a mint).