# 1 of 2 dragon gobies is gone



## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

as title says.

When i got them, they burrowed for 1 day, in a day they borrowed again but only one kept coming up for 2 weeks. no one jumped out, i did check, water is brackish and cycled, 1.019 sg, 8.0 ph, sand substrate. Today i decided to move the sand and find the 2nd goby, failed. what could happen? i have no other pets, it couldn't jump out, i don't have any fish big enough to swallow it or even eat it. could it be still alive?


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## fishestate (Jul 7, 2015)

How sure are you that it can't jump out? I had a hooded, closed top and someone one got out of it and somehow got under the couch. I never found it until we moved.


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

pretty sure it did not jump out, i checked under the cauch, under the shelf. behind the tank, pretty much in radius of 20 feet around the tank. on top of that, if it did jump out, it would die and after 3 days i bet it should start stinking.


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## fishestate (Jul 7, 2015)

I play this game with nessarius snails in my 8 gal nano. It's probably in there. I was *convinced* that one of them was dead for over a year, because only one ever came out for feedings. When I moved that tank and pulled all the rocks and sand- what do you know- both were down there.


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

that's what i think, i saw 2nd one come out only once and it disappeared for 3 days now. yesterday i took out the rocks, all empty. first goby was in tank. Than i took a gentle rubber stick and tried to wiggle the sand hoping for goby to appear, i did not go deep or rough into the sand, about an inch or two and i have 6 inches of substrate. i'm afraid if it got too deep and couldn't come out. at the end i never found her, only that one goby that i could always see.

this 2nd that still exists also digs it self into the sand, but comes out every night for snack


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

i guess i will make another attempt to wiggle the sand. if it's dead, i don't really want it decomposing in the tank. would have to put aside pectuses, a little afraid that they will get too close and poison my hands.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

First, I don't believe pictus cats are actually venomous; it's just the risk of being stabbed with a slimy, unsanitary spine when handling them. It can get infected, which can be painful, but certainly not deadly.
Second, they are not going to go out of their way to "stab" you, so if they are swimming free in the aquarium the chances of catching a spine are virtually nonexistent. More likely they will stay as far away as possible from your hand.

Not sure why you have a substrate that's so deep, but I can assure you that, if the goby is in there, he can go much deeper than a couple of inches. Your biggest danger in stirring such a deep substrate is that you will release gasses from anaerobic pockets.


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

i guess i wont do deep sand wiggle, than, just wait till he gets hungry and swims up. i have substrate so deep because i didn't want fish dig hole and expose bare floor of the tank. on top of it i want to add some plants.


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

found missing DG, indeed jumped out, was in the pile of dust so i did not notice until i started my general cleaning. Now worried even more, the one that was in the tank, did not came out to eat last night, kept on "hiding", worried that it jumped out as well.


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

found 2nd one, is alive and well, swimming as should of been, no deceases.


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## fishestate (Jul 7, 2015)

Are they good in pairs, or could it have been scared out of the tank by its partner?


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## klimarov (May 12, 2015)

2nd one is alive. probably got scared by another fish. 2nd one almost jumped out yesterday, i saw how it happened, so had to make a quick lid for the tank. Yep they do freak out when other fish rubs them. especially if they are sort of asleep.


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## koby (Jun 30, 2016)

klimarov said:


> found 2nd one, is alive and well, swimming as should of been, no deceases.


good to hear that :thumb:


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