My new "shrimp" goby is a dud

[tebstan]

I've been looking for a shrimp goby for a few months. There haven't been many in stores lately other than yellow watchman's that were too tiny. Finally, I saw a bigun - a pink spot watchman goby. It wouldn't have been my first pick, but the guy is a bruiser and I've been waiting a while.

Live Aquaria calls this species a shrimp goby three times over. (Singapore Shrimp, Leptocephalus Prawn, or Pinkspotted Shrimp Goby) Mine is a "hide in the back like a big baby" goby.

He's huge, and no one picks on him. All he does is sit on the back glass. He's been there for a week, never moves. He eats when food passes by, but he doesn't leave. His coloring is normal, no sign of illness.

I hear my tiger pistol shrimp clicking away as usual, but the goby doesn't seem to care.

I lost the original goby to an aqauscape incident a few months ago. Now I never see the shrimp, but I hear him. He doesn't have any tunnel entrances visible at the front of the tank anymore, or I'd shove the goby in there.

Can I do anything to encourage pairing, or do I have a dud?

[CoryDude]

I've read that pinkspots aren't the best of the commensal pairs. They're better for sand stirring.

The only ones I've had luck with were tiger pistol shrimps and yellow watchmen gobies. It took them about a day or see to notice each other and then pair up.

[tebstan]

I tried a yellow watchman... I felt terrible for risking that tiny little fish in my tank of mean nasty punks. He didn't make it to the sand before they converged in on him. He didn't survive the night. :( That's why I tried for the bigger goby, but he doesn't seem to be working out either.

[tebstan]

He must've heard me talking about him... he moved! About three inches.

Maybe in a few months he'll make it to the sand bed.



The owner of the LFS said he thought this was a sand sifter, but I specifically remembered it being listed as a shrimp goby. So...

Should I try to net him now before he wanders, and trade him back? Or is there any chance a sand sifter will be compatible with a shrimp/goby pair in a 90g?


My problem is that I need a big goby, 4" or so. Anything introduced in the 2" range won't fair well. I've got a sixline, a pair of maroons, a pair of damsels, and a pair of bangais. (The bagais are mean!)

All of these pairs were formed around the time I started looking for a new goby. I figured that would be the time to introduce a new fish, before they got too territorial. Unfortunately stores haven't had anything but tiny yellow watchmans.