Yellow Watchman behavior

octopussy · 05/20/2006, 07:31 AM

I've had my yellow watchman for about six weeks now and his behavior hasnt changed in that time. He sits at the front glass all day barely moving and only takes food when it passes right by his face. Otherwise he doesnt move to get any. Is this behavior normal for this species?
He looks perfectly healthy in all other aspects. Good colour, good fins, no spots or blotches. He is just acting so depressed. Anyone got any ideas?

annoyingmirek · 05/20/2006, 07:34 AM

i had a pink watchman, and thats all he did. mine loved freeze dried shrimp. only came out for food.

Saltz Creep · 05/20/2006, 07:39 AM

It' very common behaviour. They will not pursue food if it's too far from them. I think it's because they are either near-sighted or they don't want to go far from their burrow.

octopussy · 05/20/2006, 09:04 AM

ok. cool. Mine doesnt have a burrow though. He just sits at the front glass.

xtrstangx · 05/20/2006, 09:05 AM

My YWG never leaves his cave except during feeding time. During feeding time, he'll go like 2" out of his cave, never more.

slojmn · 05/20/2006, 09:15 AM

I've had my yellow watchman for close to 5 years. He is a big dog now

. He stays hidden most of the day and only ventures out for food. He really does not go far for the food. He will go after it but only about 2-3 inches out of the rockwork and into the water column on the bottom of the tank. They are rock dwelling fish with a definate shy factor. My guy will ocassionally perch out where I can see him but will dart back into the rock work when there is movement around the tank, even after 5 years, lol.

nc87 · 05/20/2006, 09:34 AM

I just bought a YWG and i'm pretty happy with him so far. He mainly stays underneath my toadstool leather but he also like to swim around the tank every once in a while.

octopussy · 05/20/2006, 09:55 AM

Thanks everyone for replies.

welshnumber8 · 05/20/2006, 10:22 AM

I have a yellow watch man, mine does stay hiden in day but when the food is out he comes alive. I would recommend you getting a pistol shrimp together they are amazing.

jpslickorocks · 05/20/2006, 10:30 AM

I agree with welshnumber8 about getting a pistol shrimp to go with him. Talk about a cool fun combo

octopussy · 05/21/2006, 08:20 AM

I have a pistol shrimp. He was in there before the goby but i dont think the two have ever met because the goby is always at the glass and the shrimp is always in his burrow. Guess i'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Saltz Creep · 05/21/2006, 08:31 AM

It took 2 weeks for my YWG and pistol to find each other in a 75 gal.

IPowderBlueTang · 05/21/2006, 09:44 AM

Depends on the type of pistol shrimp you have not all pistols will form abond with the YWG. I purchase a Tiger Pistol shrimp and they found each other in 10 minutes, all reefers that I know all have tiger pistol shrimp with their YWG. Once they bond the YWG will be more active. When I first got my YWG, it just sat in a corner for weeks not moving and catching food.

octopussy · 05/21/2006, 11:33 AM

I think i have Alpheus bisincisus (Japanese pistol shrimp). It paired up with my hi-fin goby in about ten minutes but that goby recently died and the YWG was his replecment. Maybe they dont go together.

21Reefman · 05/21/2006, 11:42 AM

Your goby is normal. They do that so much it's their middle name, Watchman! They hover 1-4 inches above the ground scanning for danger and looking for food, a vigilant century.

Sk8r · 05/21/2006, 11:53 AM

Mine will rise up about 3 inches to snatch small sinking pellets of Formula One. Or he will chase cyclopeeze. Mostly he sand-sifts. And sits. He comes to the glass at night to stare at me.

They can be very shy if there's a big fish around. Mine is in with a silly chromis, two firefish and a rainford goby, so he's hot stuff.

05/20/2006, 07:31 AM	#1
octopussy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: England Posts: 335	Yellow Watchman behavior I've had my yellow watchman for about six weeks now and his behavior hasnt changed in that time. He sits at the front glass all day barely moving and only takes food when it passes right by his face. Otherwise he doesnt move to get any. Is this behavior normal for this species? He looks perfectly healthy in all other aspects. Good colour, good fins, no spots or blotches. He is just acting so depressed. Anyone got any ideas?

05/20/2006, 07:34 AM	#2
annoyingmirek Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 99	i had a pink watchman, and thats all he did. mine loved freeze dried shrimp. only came out for food. __________________ Mirek -sometimes you're the pigeon, sometimes you're the statue- Current Tank Info: Lionfish, Yellow and Blue Tang, Clownfish, Cleaner shrimp

05/20/2006, 09:15 AM	#6
slojmn Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Napa, CA. Posts: 4,625	I've had my yellow watchman for close to 5 years. He is a big dog now . He stays hidden most of the day and only ventures out for food. He really does not go far for the food. He will go after it but only about 2-3 inches out of the rockwork and into the water column on the bottom of the tank. They are rock dwelling fish with a definate shy factor. My guy will ocassionally perch out where I can see him but will dart back into the rock work when there is movement around the tank, even after 5 years, lol. __________________ Play hard and respect all living beings. Current Tank Info: 120g Starphire Cube, 30g nanoreef

05/20/2006, 10:22 AM	#9
welshnumber8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wales Posts: 214	I have a yellow watch man, mine does stay hiden in day but when the food is out he comes alive. I would recommend you getting a pistol shrimp together they are amazing. __________________ Thanks Leighton Edwards

05/20/2006, 10:30 AM	#10
jpslickorocks Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Scottsdale, Az. Posts: 2,164	I agree with welshnumber8 about getting a pistol shrimp to go with him. Talk about a cool fun combo __________________ We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet: and, amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog, has made an alliance with us. Current Tank Info: I do at least five water changes a day

05/20/2006, 07:39 AM	#3
Saltz Creep Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hickville, FL Posts: 3,728	It' very common behaviour. They will not pursue food if it's too far from them. I think it's because they are either near-sighted or they don't want to go far from their burrow.

05/20/2006, 09:04 AM	#4
octopussy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: England Posts: 335	ok. cool. Mine doesnt have a burrow though. He just sits at the front glass.

05/20/2006, 09:05 AM	#5
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	My YWG never leaves his cave except during feeding time. During feeding time, he'll go like 2" out of his cave, never more.

05/20/2006, 09:34 AM	#7
nc87 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 23	I just bought a YWG and i'm pretty happy with him so far. He mainly stays underneath my toadstool leather but he also like to swim around the tank every once in a while.

05/20/2006, 09:55 AM	#8
octopussy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: England Posts: 335	Thanks everyone for replies.

05/21/2006, 08:20 AM	#11
octopussy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: England Posts: 335	I have a pistol shrimp. He was in there before the goby but i dont think the two have ever met because the goby is always at the glass and the shrimp is always in his burrow. Guess i'll just have to wait and see what happens.

05/21/2006, 08:31 AM	#12
Saltz Creep Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hickville, FL Posts: 3,728	It took 2 weeks for my YWG and pistol to find each other in a 75 gal. __________________ veni, vidi, vici piscis merda

05/21/2006, 09:44 AM	#13
IPowderBlueTang Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Kalamazoo, Canada Posts: 769	Depends on the type of pistol shrimp you have not all pistols will form abond with the YWG. I purchase a Tiger Pistol shrimp and they found each other in 10 minutes, all reefers that I know all have tiger pistol shrimp with their YWG. Once they bond the YWG will be more active. When I first got my YWG, it just sat in a corner for weeks not moving and catching food.

05/21/2006, 11:33 AM	#14
octopussy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: England Posts: 335	I think i have Alpheus bisincisus (Japanese pistol shrimp). It paired up with my hi-fin goby in about ten minutes but that goby recently died and the YWG was his replecment. Maybe they dont go together.

05/21/2006, 11:42 AM	#15
21Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chicago/NW IN Posts: 403	Your goby is normal. They do that so much it's their middle name, Watchman! They hover 1-4 inches above the ground scanning for danger and looking for food, a vigilant century. __________________ "The significant problems that we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein

05/21/2006, 11:53 AM	#16
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Mine will rise up about 3 inches to snatch small sinking pellets of Formula One. Or he will chase cyclopeeze. Mostly he sand-sifts. And sits. He comes to the glass at night to stare at me. They can be very shy if there's a big fish around. Mine is in with a silly chromis, two firefish and a rainford goby, so he's hot stuff. __________________ 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%.