Twin Spot Goby

[mmittlesteadt]

It's been two days without a sighting of the little guy. Maybe he's changed his schedule and I didn't get the memo. I'm concerned because that is not typical behavior for him.

I'll just have to keep an eye out.

[Dkuhlmann]

Saying a prayer he pops up soon. IS there anything else in your tank that could or would show aggression towards him?

[mmittlesteadt]

Originally Posted by Dkuhlmann

Saying a prayer he pops up soon. IS there anything else in your tank that could or would show aggression towards him?

Nothing at all. My firefish keeps to himself. Two clownfish always hang out up top (in one top corner or the other). I have three tiny (and I mean really tiny) hermit crabs that are never around him anyway as they are almost always up on the rocks. Nothing else in the tank but some Astrea snails and corals. I did see one hermit crab right next to him once, both peacefully eating the sinking pellets together, side by side. Neither concerned with the other.

He couldn't be in a more peaceful and stress free environment. But...hard to say if he was starving (or for how long) before I even got him, you know? THAT is my biggest concern. They typically exhibit normal behaviors even while they are starving and wasting away.

He's always been out during feedings...both morning and evening. I've seen him at least two times a day, and now it's two days with no sighting at all. There are at least 4 caves in the sand (under formerly buried rock ledges) that he hangs out in. Firefish also likes his own cave, but I've never seen the Twin Spot in that cave. By the way, the rockwork is sitting directly on the glass (and was cut flat on the bottom) so as the caves were dug out of the sand, the rocks absolutely will not shift at all. I made sure of that when I designed the rockwork/aquascaping knowing I would have creatures that like to dig in the sand.

There were ledges far down the rockwork, that were covered by sand, so when dug out there would be natural rock overhangs for these caves and they were by design. He could just be hiding out in one of them and just is coming out when I'm not home.

We're it not for my concern about the problems associated with keeping this species, I wouldn't even be worried, because I know some fish and creatures that hide out can be missing for days only to show up later.

[mmittlesteadt]

After three days my Twin Spot finally made an appearance and seems to be doing fine.

I am so relieved!

[mmittlesteadt]

A little over two weeks and my Twin Spot Goby is doing well. Filling out a little, very active (when I see him that is). He has a network of caves in the sand all around my rockwork. He was actually swimming over lower parts of my rockwork this evening. First time I've seen him swimming in over 6 weeks of observation (at the LFS and in my own tank). He usually just kind of "hops" around on the sand. Perhaps he is going after pods that are in my display tank (and also in my refugium)?

He is definitely doing very well from what I can tell. He isn't losing weight or even staying the same. He looks to be a little fatter if anything, so that is a good sign. Time will tell, but he's doing well thus far.

Very hard to get a pic of him because he likes to hang at the back of the tank mostly when he is out and I can't get a good angle in good light. I got my camera out and had it set to video and wouldn't you know it...my batteries died! By the time I got fresh batteries he was already in back again.

[mmittlesteadt]

I got a video of him out again. This time I captured the weirdest thing. He got attacked by a small hermit crab! No, not really attacked...the hermit crab just walked over him and he shook him off and kept on going about his business. Stupid Hermit Crab.

Twin Spot Goby Part 2

[mmittlesteadt]

Isn't the Twin Spot Goby well camouflaged? I mean one could look right at him and never see him...



And speaking of my Twin Spot, I originally wanted a Diamond Watchman Goby as part of my intent was to have creatures fulfilling specific roles in my reef beyond something to look at. Yup, you wanna be in my reef you better be willing to work for your food! LOL.

I wanted a fish that worked the sandbed to help maintain it naturally. I have a few snails that will go over it, and a few hermits, but I wanted a fish to maintain it. Well, by now everyone knows my saga with the Twin Spot but he only dug caves around my rockwork (which did work the sand in those areas).

But since I added the Chalk Bass, my Twin Spot has been VERY active and he is actually going over the entire sandbed now. You can see in the pic below that although he is still sticking to areas along edges of things, he is actually going all out and working for his food. LOL. I've had a bit of an algae breakout again but I'm not one to panic over such trivial things so as usual I just let it run its course and the Twin Spot is really doing so great now. I think he might just make it in my tank after all.

He is taking to some pellet food and he is getting his reef chili by target feeding the sandbed (although the whole tank gets it).

[mmittlesteadt]

A little update on my Twin Spot Goby.

He is doing very well. He's very active being all over the tank's sandbed and no longer hiding out in caves. He's out more than any of the other fish (aside from my little clowns which prefer the upper front corners of the tank for some odd reason). He even swims up, over and around the rockwork on the left side of the tank (the only place he's ever up off the sandbed). He also seems to love seeing his reflection on the side glass as he will swim up and down facing it.

For now I could not be happier that I got him (for his sake). He is, by far, my favorite tank inhabitant. I'm certainly not indicating success given the short time I've had him, but he's eating and doing more than he ever has, including his time at the LFS.

[mmittlesteadt]

Originally Posted by cvnvhj

I don't have any experience with them, but did read that they are a little difficult to keep. Good Luck, beautiful fish, always wanted one!!

Actually they are A LOT difficult from everything I've read on them and I do not recommend them to anyone. A Diamond Watchman Goby is a much better choice and much easier to keep that will exhibit the same type behaviors. Time will tell with mine.

[mmittlesteadt]

This hobby is so fascinating. I went from worrying about my Twin Spot to watching him be one of the most active fish in my tank...well, almost the most. My Chalk bass went from hiding out to being my Twin Spot's escort. They swim everywhere together. Wherever my Twin Spot is, my Chalk Bass is right there with him.

This goes beyond the Chalk Bass being just a dither fish. They were the only fish together at the LFS in a frag tank. I bought the Twin Spot a while ago and just recently added the Chalk Bass. Ever since I brought the Chalk Bass home my Twin Spot has been out and everywhere in the tank and he's even taken to swimming up onto rocks and out in open water, all with the Chalk Bass by his side.

VERY interesting behavior. Here they are swimming together (yes, the Twin Spot is swimming out in open water...as evidenced by his shadow on the sand below)...

[mmittlesteadt]

Twin Spot is still doing great...fabulous in fact. I think he is also eating pods...I have tons of them in my refugium and in my main tank and he's up on the rocks a lot now too...

Got a pic of my Twin Spot, Blenny and my biggest Hermit in the same shot...hanging out at the Algae Diner...

[heathlindner25]

It's hard to tell in the picture, but is his stomach still pinched a little? or is he doing better?

[mmittlesteadt]

Originally Posted by heathlindner25

It's hard to tell in the picture, but is his stomach still pinched a little? or is he doing better?

You know for the longest time I kept thinking he was so thin...but after looking at literally hundreds of photos, they all just have a very odd body shape. It's like they are all head and the body thins out dramatically behind the pectoral fins. I have yet to see a pic of one that is "fat" for reference.

He eats all the time, is active all the time and appears to not only eat some of the sinking pellet foo and the target food of Reef Chili, but also seems to be eating pods (of which I have tons of both in my refugium and display).

[heathlindner25]

Very nice he's on pellets.

[mmittlesteadt]

Just an update. Nothing new to report really. He is doing great.

[mmittlesteadt]

Also, just an update on my Twin Spot Goby. It is doing really well and it has grown since I got it.