Whats wrong with my Dragon Goby?

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kdanna

Feeder Fish
May 7, 2010
4
0
0
Western PA
My Dragon Goby, Gollum is sick... We have a 55 long, freshwater tank. Although we do add some aquarium salt for freshwater fish since we have a Dragon in the tank. Our tank has been set up for about six months, and we've had Gollum for about three. I'd say hes between 4 and 5 inches long now. He eats once a day (brine/bloodworms/shrimp pellets), and untill now has seemed very healthy and happy. When I got home from work I noticed his stomach is BULGING. Then on closer examination I saw his anus appears red and swollen. I've been concerned because he hasnt been eating as much as usual the last few days. Now he wants nothing to do with his caves, and just sits out in the open.

Tested the water and its fine... no ammonia... no nitrites... Plenty of filters on the tank and all the other fish are acting/looking normal. Other fish in the tank all acounted for, plus none of them are small enough for him to swallow. THey are mollies, dwarf gouramis, female swordtails, angelfish, pictus catfish, a pleco, and two corys. We have a heater and power head in the tank, as well as an airstone.

I have not tried to treat Gollum at all because I'm worried about stressing him out or treating him for the wrong thing. (I say "him" but I'm not sure of the sex).

Could this be a female swollen with eggs? Constipation? Bloat? Could he have swollowed gravel? Has anyone seen these symptoms in a Goby before?

I always read that it's fine to keep them in only slightly brackish water, but I'm worried he needs higher salinity or something. Also worry that his diet isnt varied enough... Any suggestions? All input is appreciated, we never had a goby before.
 
they can survive in fw but it really depends on their genetics like individualwise. for the most part though they prefer brackish and will take marine over fw
 
I vote move him to brackish. In all honesty adding aquarium salt does hardly anything to help fish that are supposed to be brackish, except to add more dissolved solids to the water. He really needs to be in a higher specific gravity. It has a devastating effect on his osmoregulation to not be in the environment he needs.
It is true that they can handle fresh for a time, but they need to go brackish or salt. A friend of mine had one in salt water for three or more years until another aquarium inhabitant killed it. I did have some people, when I worked at a pet store, claim that they had them for years in FW.
What are you feeding him, btw?
 
I seriously doubt it is eggs, seeing as a full sized dragon goby can be a few feet long.
I agree on getting him in real brakish.
 
Thanks, I moved him to a hospital tank and will gradually raise the salinity. I also put sand down instead of gravel... Hopefully the better water quality will help him recover
 
Has the bump gone down any? Any pics? I personally don't think that being in fw caused this bump. I would look for other things. I have had one of my DGs for close to 2 1/2 years and hes about 12 inches, and when we got him he was about 5-6. The younger one we got at the beginning of the year, at about 4-5 inches and it's around 8 inches. Both are kept in fw. In the wild these guys swim to freshwater to spawn, then retreat back to salty waters. More than likely yours was never in brackish/salt to begin with. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't convert yours, since everyone else says to . Both of mine will randomly lay out in the sand, or swim around the tank, usually they are in their tube. Flake, bloodworm, pellet, shredded shrimp, shredded tilapia, and mysis are their diets. What kind of shrimp pellets? It could be constipated if it has too much filler in it. I have seen both of mine have a redder anus before, but it goes away. The sand should help, he could have irritated his anus on the rock too, and may hurt to poo.. not sure.

Heres my two
IMG_1536.jpg

snakeman.jpg

snakeman-1.jpg
 
Very cool, do they always hang out together like that? I'm going to need to get some more fish for the brackish tank, would you recommed having two of them?

And yes, it has gone down! I was really worried it was swollowed gravel, but now I suspect it was a mild bloat or some severe constipation. Obviously being moved into brackish water helped. But he still doesnt want anything to do with food... And his anus is still red but not so swollen now, probably irritation like you said.

Heres Gollum kickin it in his new home

<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j8/kdannahower/fish/?action=view&current=P5080508.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j8/kdannahower/fish/P5080508.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
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