Do all Gobies swim at the top of tank for a few days?

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 07:35 AM

I had a question, I have had two YW gobies(one passed on after a few days a couple weeks ago) The one I have now is a few days old but like the other one tries his/her darndest to jump out of my tank, or get somewhere that does not include water. He is always swimming at the top, breaking the surface. All other fish are fine, I believe it is not an oxygen problem.

I have read this is somewhat common of gobies when first put into a tank is that true? Is there anything I can do to help him settle better? He has lots of hiding place, A couple of pistol shrimp, its a passive tank, and is bugging me to see him being suicidal. Could it be too much flow that is upsetting him?

Any ideas ?

Thanks,
Ser

Tswifty · 10/27/2008, 08:17 AM

My Yasha gobies never swim out in the open. They're pretty much bottom dwellers, and hide in their burrows all day. Although, I did find one in my sump one time, but since then they've stuck to their burrows for the past 4 or 5 months.

corbett_n · 10/27/2008, 08:17 AM

How long has the tank been setup?

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 08:25 AM

5-6 months.

All other fish are fine.

L98-Z · 10/27/2008, 08:32 AM

Mine went crazy for the first 2 days, now he's always on the bottom and perfectly sane.

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 10:05 AM

I wonder what makes them do that?

thanks for the input.

Sk8r · 10/27/2008, 10:09 AM

Definitely not normal behavior. Something's wrong. Usually when a fish is at the top, especially a bottom fish, he's got gill trouble. Could be ich in the gills. Hard to say.

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 10:21 AM

Thanks.

I know its not normal for this fish, but from my searching the web it seems a lot of them do this for the first few days. Really just wonder what prompts it, other then being ripped from your home suddenly and put into a new one, and how to calm him down.

I should clarify he will be fine for a few hours, then for 20 minutes start the crazy swimming at the top. rinse and repeat.

Playa-1 · 10/27/2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sk8r
Definitely not normal behavior. Something's wrong. Usually when a fish is at the top, especially a bottom fish, he's got gill trouble. Could be ich in the gills. Hard to say.

I agree with Sk8r. It sounds like your getting sick fish.

L98-Z · 10/27/2008, 10:32 AM

Then why do they calm down after a day or two? Would the ich continue to bother them?

Sk8r · 10/27/2008, 10:39 AM

No. If they calm down and settle, it wasn't ich.

Early on with a potential jumper is dicey: they NEED to burrow or claim a hole, and once they do, they are far less likely to jump, because their little mental switch is set for 'dive' in event of threat rather than 'climb'. They will go to their hole if threatened. The YWG is a burrower/sandsifter, and if too shallow a sandbed or no sandbed may get confused; also, the presence of other fishes he considers a threat may bother him. I have noted a tendency to react to fishes with yellow on them, particularly yellow tails, for some reason. If there is such a roommate, he may be reluctant to settle.

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 11:00 AM

Thank you for the info.

I don't believe I have anything with yellow on the tail, orange and red on the clowns and Firefish respectively.

If he does not calm down and find a home I will QT him and give him some meds in the hope of correcting something that is wrong with him.

I just saw him for the first time today, and he was at the bottom doing what gobies do. He ate when I had feeding time. Fat little bugger. Lets hope it continues and he finds a home and or a pistol.

Thanks,
Ser

singold · 10/27/2008, 01:53 PM

Get it a pistol shrimp to pair with & it will stay by its burrow. My YWG swam around top of tank for a whilebefore I got Pistol Shrimp. Now it stays by burrow with pistol protecting it.

ser_renely · 10/27/2008, 02:01 PM

yeah, I have a Caribbean pistol, so I may have to get a pacific if they don't pair.

Ronaldus · 12/28/2020, 06:40 AM

Some breeds of gobies like to sit outside of the water on rocks, especially at low tide at night. If your gobie is constantly trying to swim to the top, he wants a perch that is above the water level. I use a magnetic glass cleaner. Just ensure that it is in a position that makes it impossible for him to jump out of the aquarium.

10/27/2008, 07:35 AM	#1
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	Do all Gobies swim at the top of tank for a few days? I had a question, I have had two YW gobies(one passed on after a few days a couple weeks ago) The one I have now is a few days old but like the other one tries his/her darndest to jump out of my tank, or get somewhere that does not include water. He is always swimming at the top, breaking the surface. All other fish are fine, I believe it is not an oxygen problem. I have read this is somewhat common of gobies when first put into a tank is that true? Is there anything I can do to help him settle better? He has lots of hiding place, A couple of pistol shrimp, its a passive tank, and is bugging me to see him being suicidal. Could it be too much flow that is upsetting him? Any ideas ? Thanks, Ser Last edited by ser_renely; 10/27/2008 at 08:29 AM.

10/27/2008, 08:17 AM	#2
Tswifty Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 14,022	My Yasha gobies never swim out in the open. They're pretty much bottom dwellers, and hide in their burrows all day. Although, I did find one in my sump one time, but since then they've stuck to their burrows for the past 4 or 5 months. __________________ "Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover

10/27/2008, 08:25 AM	#4
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	5-6 months. All other fish are fine. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/27/2008, 10:05 AM	#6
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	I wonder what makes them do that? thanks for the input. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/27/2008, 10:09 AM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Definitely not normal behavior. Something's wrong. Usually when a fish is at the top, especially a bottom fish, he's got gill trouble. Could be ich in the gills. Hard to say. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/27/2008, 08:17 AM	#3
corbett_n Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SC Posts: 1,271	How long has the tank been setup?

10/27/2008, 08:32 AM	#5
L98-Z Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Warner Robins, Georgia Posts: 1,230	Mine went crazy for the first 2 days, now he's always on the bottom and perfectly sane.

10/27/2008, 10:21 AM	#8
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	Thanks. I know its not normal for this fish, but from my searching the web it seems a lot of them do this for the first few days. Really just wonder what prompts it, other then being ripped from your home suddenly and put into a new one, and how to calm him down. I should clarify he will be fine for a few hours, then for 20 minutes start the crazy swimming at the top. rinse and repeat. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/27/2008, 10:32 AM	#10
L98-Z Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Warner Robins, Georgia Posts: 1,230	Then why do they calm down after a day or two? Would the ich continue to bother them?

10/27/2008, 10:39 AM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	No. If they calm down and settle, it wasn't ich. Early on with a potential jumper is dicey: they NEED to burrow or claim a hole, and once they do, they are far less likely to jump, because their little mental switch is set for 'dive' in event of threat rather than 'climb'. They will go to their hole if threatened. The YWG is a burrower/sandsifter, and if too shallow a sandbed or no sandbed may get confused; also, the presence of other fishes he considers a threat may bother him. I have noted a tendency to react to fishes with yellow on them, particularly yellow tails, for some reason. If there is such a roommate, he may be reluctant to settle. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/27/2008, 11:00 AM	#12
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	Thank you for the info. I don't believe I have anything with yellow on the tail, orange and red on the clowns and Firefish respectively. If he does not calm down and find a home I will QT him and give him some meds in the hope of correcting something that is wrong with him. I just saw him for the first time today, and he was at the bottom doing what gobies do. He ate when I had feeding time. Fat little bugger. Lets hope it continues and he finds a home and or a pistol. Thanks, Ser __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

10/27/2008, 01:53 PM	#13
singold Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Lake Saint Louis, Missouri Posts: 1,827	Get it a pistol shrimp to pair with & it will stay by its burrow. My YWG swam around top of tank for a whilebefore I got Pistol Shrimp. Now it stays by burrow with pistol protecting it. __________________ "If there is no wind.....row." Current Tank Info: 75gal Reef w/29gal Refugium

10/27/2008, 02:01 PM	#14
ser_renely Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,820	yeah, I have a Caribbean pistol, so I may have to get a pacific if they don't pair. __________________ RIP: Osc. Clown - Ammonia, YW GobY - overflow, YW Goby - Pistol shrimp, Firefish - acclimation. 5 Fire fish - pistol shrimp, Mandarin - Pistol shrimp!!!!! Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 15g sump/fuge,Tunze 9010 skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon 16" - 2 Osc. Clowns,2 Lyretail Anthias, Blue Chromis, mp20, mp10....another DAMN pistol shrimp!

12/28/2020, 06:40 AM	#15
Ronaldus Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 1	Actual Answer - Skip the speculative comments Some breeds of gobies like to sit outside of the water on rocks, especially at low tide at night. If your gobie is constantly trying to swim to the top, he wants a perch that is above the water level. I use a magnetic glass cleaner. Just ensure that it is in a position that makes it impossible for him to jump out of the aquarium.