new yellow watchman goby already dead, questions...

NoobieNemo · 12/15/2010, 12:28 AM

I've been in the hobby for over 7 years and I have a great track record...

I found my YWG half way alive in my RBTA this morning... is it normal for a RBTA to eat a YWG?

The YWG had been chillin' with his tiger pistol shrimp partner for a few days before he died/was killed this morning

I only had the pair (YWG & Pistol) for a few days...

think he accidentally swam into the RBTA?

thanks

a sad-

NoobieNemo :-(

Flippers4pups · 12/15/2010, 12:38 AM

Sorry for your loss, RBTA's, as you may all ready know have long sweeper tentacles, that come out when hungry and can entrap small fish such as your watchman. How long have you had your Rose tip and how often do you spot feed it?

NoobieNemo · 12/15/2010, 12:50 AM

I actually don't really feed him... (besides what flakes or mysis shrimp he catches, which is prolly slim)

he's huge though... real big healthy, good red BTA...

I guess I should start feeding him a lil piece of shrimp.... arghhh

or a frozen cube...

thanks,

Noob

Sk8r · 12/15/2010, 08:14 AM

2 suspects in the demise: the nem, and the pistol.
The unadvertised feature of the pistols is fatalities among shrimp gobies and dartfish.

nanojg · 12/15/2010, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

2 suspects in the demise: the nem, and the pistol.
The unadvertised feature of the pistols is fatalities among shrimp gobies and dartfish.

On purpose? Or just popping around and accidently slicing the goby?

Sk8r · 12/15/2010, 09:04 AM

Definitely on purpose. Killing their roommate isn't unknown. I lost a YWG that had been living with one after 2 years---and that confounded shrimp took out 2 firefish and another goby besides. You'd see a mysterious red spot---the impact point---and the fish would die a day or so later.
They may get frustrated, get a mental ? wire crossed, whatever, but they're dangerous little items. I took mine back to the lfs.

nanojg · 12/15/2010, 09:13 AM

Wow, my YWG/Pistol combo in my nano is probably my favorite thing to watch in my aquarium. So you dont keep pistols with your goby's anymore?

Hope mine never goes serial killer...I can see them getting frustrated though, my YWG doesnt really let the shrimp go too far from home (any time the shrimp tries to stray the goby kinda whips its tail at it and tells it to go back home).

Sk8r · 12/15/2010, 09:22 AM

I know what you mean. I've totally given up on pistols, however. The species in this case was tiger pistol. Just---if you have a fish show with a red spot, there's your culprit.

Korrine · 12/15/2010, 09:41 AM

guys a safer pistol, imo, is the candy can pistol. Don't get near as big as tiger's either.

nanojg · 12/15/2010, 09:42 AM

Thats what I have (randal's pistol or candy cane). I have had him for two years and he is only about 1 1/2" long tops

Korrine · 12/15/2010, 09:45 AM

One more thing. These pistol's are pretty much blind and rely on their goby for safety. Notice sometimes when the goby gets a bit far from the den it will shoot back quickly once in while. This is b/c it tries to keep in touch with the gobies fins, which alerts it when there's danger. Then they both dart in the burrow in a split second. The goby will also occasionally bring food in for the pistol. Sometimes the pistol will run out and grab it if it's only a couple inches from the burrow also. Fantastic creatures to watch. I 'm thinking about having 2 pair in my 75g.

Sk8r · 12/15/2010, 09:46 AM

Much safer. If you can keep him in the tank. I lost two into the overflow. I don't know what's become of them: my fuge is a jungle, but I've never seen them again.

Korrine · 12/15/2010, 09:53 AM

You lost 2 candy cane pistol's in the overflow? When they were just added?

NoobieNemo · 12/15/2010, 10:54 AM

I added the YWG and the tiger pistol and literally within 5 minutes they had found a home and they were both in the hole together and the shrimp was already digging away ...

I wish I would have checked the body over to look for a mark, didn't think of it, I just thought since he was half alive he was being stung by the RBTA... My RBTA is huge, I thought he'd split by now... I guess I'll start feeding him and see if he'll get smaller? I dunno

Sk8r · 12/15/2010, 12:41 PM

I lost the candycanes nearly as soon as they hit bottom---they each deserted a goby and ran for the outbound current.

The shrimp pairing is fascinating, but my tiger pistol was getting very large, and that may have had something to do with it. I was so mad after he killed my favorite fish, I thought of a miniature lobster dish---but I won't do that to a creature I've owned. I took my rockwork apart to catch him and sold him back to the lfs.

SuperNemo · 12/15/2010, 02:03 PM

i got a candycane pistol for my watchman also after asking which is the safest partner for a watchman. i have not seen the pistol since i got him, hopefully he's still around.

i would remove the tiger and try to get pair of candycane and watchman.

Dwerbs · 12/15/2010, 04:32 PM

sorry to hear that.

12/15/2010, 12:28 AM	#1
NoobieNemo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SC/NC Posts: 926	new yellow watchman goby already dead, questions... I've been in the hobby for over 7 years and I have a great track record... I found my YWG half way alive in my RBTA this morning... is it normal for a RBTA to eat a YWG? The YWG had been chillin' with his tiger pistol shrimp partner for a few days before he died/was killed this morning I only had the pair (YWG & Pistol) for a few days... think he accidentally swam into the RBTA? thanks a sad- NoobieNemo :-(

12/15/2010, 12:38 AM	#2
Flippers4pups Home made abyss Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lake Saint Louis, MO Posts: 2,047	Sorry for your loss, RBTA's, as you may all ready know have long sweeper tentacles, that come out when hungry and can entrap small fish such as your watchman. How long have you had your Rose tip and how often do you spot feed it? __________________ Don Reefing since 1993 Current Tank info: 125 gallon DT , 125 gallon basement sump. Rw 15 & Rw 8. Panworld 150ps return. Reef Octopus 150 skimmer, 3 165w mars aqua led.

12/15/2010, 08:14 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	2 suspects in the demise: the nem, and the pistol. The unadvertised feature of the pistols is fatalities among shrimp gobies and dartfish. __________________ 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%.

12/15/2010, 09:04 AM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Definitely on purpose. Killing their roommate isn't unknown. I lost a YWG that had been living with one after 2 years---and that confounded shrimp took out 2 firefish and another goby besides. You'd see a mysterious red spot---the impact point---and the fish would die a day or so later. They may get frustrated, get a mental ? wire crossed, whatever, but they're dangerous little items. I took mine back to the lfs. __________________ 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%.

12/15/2010, 09:22 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I know what you mean. I've totally given up on pistols, however. The species in this case was tiger pistol. Just---if you have a fish show with a red spot, there's your culprit. __________________ 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%.

12/15/2010, 12:50 AM	#3
NoobieNemo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SC/NC Posts: 926	I actually don't really feed him... (besides what flakes or mysis shrimp he catches, which is prolly slim) he's huge though... real big healthy, good red BTA... I guess I should start feeding him a lil piece of shrimp.... arghhh or a frozen cube... thanks, Noob

12/15/2010, 09:13 AM	#7
nanojg Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 2,174	Wow, my YWG/Pistol combo in my nano is probably my favorite thing to watch in my aquarium. So you dont keep pistols with your goby's anymore? Hope mine never goes serial killer...I can see them getting frustrated though, my YWG doesnt really let the shrimp go too far from home (any time the shrimp tries to stray the goby kinda whips its tail at it and tells it to go back home).

12/15/2010, 09:41 AM	#9
Korrine You could get a ticket!! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 4,288 Blog Entries: 1	guys a safer pistol, imo, is the candy can pistol. Don't get near as big as tiger's either. __________________ Try to keep in mind that we are all human...mistakes do happen! Be kinder than necessary because every one you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Current Tank Info: 40 breeder - started 9/2011 - platinum perc and sanjay's black photon clownfishes; sps and lps, and soft corals; 250w MH, 20 long sump w Bubble Magus Nac 3.5 skimmer 12g nano cube -serpent star, mini carpet anemones, w 6 sexy shrimp, 150w MH, maxi je

12/15/2010, 09:42 AM	#10
nanojg Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 2,174	Thats what I have (randal's pistol or candy cane). I have had him for two years and he is only about 1 1/2" long tops

12/15/2010, 09:45 AM	#11
Korrine You could get a ticket!! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 4,288 Blog Entries: 1	One more thing. These pistol's are pretty much blind and rely on their goby for safety. Notice sometimes when the goby gets a bit far from the den it will shoot back quickly once in while. This is b/c it tries to keep in touch with the gobies fins, which alerts it when there's danger. Then they both dart in the burrow in a split second. The goby will also occasionally bring food in for the pistol. Sometimes the pistol will run out and grab it if it's only a couple inches from the burrow also. Fantastic creatures to watch. I 'm thinking about having 2 pair in my 75g. __________________ Try to keep in mind that we are all human...mistakes do happen! Be kinder than necessary because every one you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Current Tank Info: 40 breeder - started 9/2011 - platinum perc and sanjay's black photon clownfishes; sps and lps, and soft corals; 250w MH, 20 long sump w Bubble Magus Nac 3.5 skimmer 12g nano cube -serpent star, mini carpet anemones, w 6 sexy shrimp, 150w MH, maxi je

12/15/2010, 09:46 AM	#12
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Much safer. If you can keep him in the tank. I lost two into the overflow. I don't know what's become of them: my fuge is a jungle, but I've never seen them again. __________________ 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%.

12/15/2010, 09:53 AM	#13
Korrine You could get a ticket!! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 4,288 Blog Entries: 1	You lost 2 candy cane pistol's in the overflow? When they were just added? __________________ Try to keep in mind that we are all human...mistakes do happen! Be kinder than necessary because every one you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Current Tank Info: 40 breeder - started 9/2011 - platinum perc and sanjay's black photon clownfishes; sps and lps, and soft corals; 250w MH, 20 long sump w Bubble Magus Nac 3.5 skimmer 12g nano cube -serpent star, mini carpet anemones, w 6 sexy shrimp, 150w MH, maxi je

12/15/2010, 10:54 AM	#14
NoobieNemo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SC/NC Posts: 926	I added the YWG and the tiger pistol and literally within 5 minutes they had found a home and they were both in the hole together and the shrimp was already digging away ... I wish I would have checked the body over to look for a mark, didn't think of it, I just thought since he was half alive he was being stung by the RBTA... My RBTA is huge, I thought he'd split by now... I guess I'll start feeding him and see if he'll get smaller? I dunno

12/15/2010, 12:41 PM	#15
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I lost the candycanes nearly as soon as they hit bottom---they each deserted a goby and ran for the outbound current. The shrimp pairing is fascinating, but my tiger pistol was getting very large, and that may have had something to do with it. I was so mad after he killed my favorite fish, I thought of a miniature lobster dish---but I won't do that to a creature I've owned. I took my rockwork apart to catch him and sold him back to the lfs. __________________ 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%.

12/15/2010, 02:03 PM	#16
SuperNemo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 524	i got a candycane pistol for my watchman also after asking which is the safest partner for a watchman. i have not seen the pistol since i got him, hopefully he's still around. i would remove the tiger and try to get pair of candycane and watchman.

12/15/2010, 04:32 PM	#17
Dwerbs Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 141	sorry to hear that.

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