Problem with recent outbreak of Syconoid and need help with my puffer, Please  1/10/08
Hi and thank you for being there! I spent Sunday afternoon reading your site as I have done many, many times over the past years but couldn't really find an answer... There is so much info for new folks but where do we with the established aquarium go? I need some serious help!
<I do wish... that the world itself, or at least the tiny bit that is WWM could be/was more "intuitive"... have tried to think of ways to improve accessibility, arrangement... but the indices, Google search tool thus far are the best I/we have... Would you/others rather some sort of Boolean tool with exclusion/inclusionary possibilities with terms like "established, marine, aquarium"... bringing up whatever included such chronologically mostly I guess?>
In brief: My aquarium is a 150 gallon FOWLR and is six+ years old. The inhabitants are my original 6 year old dog- face puffer, original 6 year Foxface ( I truly love this gentle fish), a 3 year old hippo tang and a 3 year old Picasso trigger. I have the original Euro-reef protein skimmer ( model ES8-2). A small sump that holds maybe 15 -18 gallons of water. I have bio balls , 1/2 removed several years ago. I use Boyd's Chemi-pure ( 1/4 the recommended amount and rinse it 2 x week , change it monthly.
My puffer and Picasso trigger share ( well kinda share) one mussel every am and 2-3 dime size algae wafers in pm. My fox face and hippo eat formula 2 (about a quarters worth) 2 times a day. Everyone is always starving!
My ph hovers around 8.0 sometimes 7.8 ( my puffer always looks stressed when ph drops to 7.8 so I do my best to keep at least 8.0. My nitrates are sky high at about 80. They have been for years , I've tried nitrate sponges , more live rock, less food , more water changes etc over the years and finally decided after a month of daily water changes and readings still in 40's that if I were to cont' with this huge investment and love, I would just have to accept the readings and possible illnesses/ deaths that might result.( My sump is too small to add light and plants as EuroReef takes up all available room.)
<Well stated, and done>
About 2 years ago when my puffer was 4 , I really realized this was going to be one big fish! I was dealing with huge amounts of puffer detritus. (puffer poop). I mean he left gooey puddles in his favorite corner . Also his space for swimming (which he loved to do) was limited. I know this is incorrect but I removed about 1/3 of the sand bed on the side where he sleeps and always poops.( leaving bare glass). I took out lots of the live rock ( like 50%) so he could happily swim side to side and up and down. I left the middle third of the aquarium with about 1/2 inch of sand, and large pile of live rock, the last 1/3 with 2 inches of sandbed because he loves to blow through and root for food and sea creatures. The ph held at 8.0 with 5 gallon water changes every other day. I chose 5 gallons because I can do them in about 10 minutes without turning off the pump system ( other than the skimmer). I buy my salt water from a LFS several miles away as my townhouse doesn't allow for R/O, water wastage etc.
Any way, 2 questions. My puffer has always swam with a blue neon goby. They live about 2 years , clean his surface skin frequently. I have read that puffers have sensitive skin and you should not let cleaner fish do this to them , but I have to tell you, it has always been amazing to watch. My last one even went completely inside Puffers gill. Puffer" taught " him to be gentle. It has been an amazing thing for me to watch. My neon died 6 months ago. I found him lying in sand. No one tried to eat him, and I was amazed by that. Anyway, I have no longer been able to buy these gobies. Do you know why they are no longer available? ( I live near San Francisco). I even tried Marine Depot.
<Are a bit of a seasonal item (Gobiosoma, Elacatinus spp.)... the captive-produced ones had some real trouble with supply... with the largest producers basically getting blown off the planet by the hurricane series a few years back...>
My puffers health seems to be declining. Quarter size pieces of his film float off occasionally. Each piece will have one little salt grain size of ich on it.
Can you suggest a cleaner fish that will not be too aggressive for my puffer?
<Really only the little gobies... but I do have another suggestion. See below>
I am not really afraid of anyone eating small fish, there seems to be fish Language spoke in this aquarium, I swear!
<Yes... this "arrangement" has been remarked on many times in the literature... Purposeful cleaners... even from disparate geographies... being "recognized" by otherwise predatory fishes... calming them, doing them a great deal of good... Sort of like Androcles and the Lion (man, I am dating myself)>
My other concern , I started adding Kent's Zoecon to their food about 3 months ago. I admit I was not careful and let 3-4 drops fall on food frequently instead of the recommended 1drop.
<Mmm, no worries>
After several months I seem to have a proliferation of Sponges all over my live rock. I have seen my puffer and trigger try to eat the ones they can access but they are everywhere. I even see them growing in the water intake lines. I am afraid they will get massive and clog my system.( Actually they already are huge ) I read on your site my high organics , mussel juices, etc are causing this plaque.( a little Omega 3 and they were off!)
<Ahh!>
I also have never seen such large bristle worms till I started this lipid. (have always been very small - like 1/10th of any inch. The other day I had 2 an inch long! I have tried to clean puffers poop but it won't vacuum and sticks to net. Ugh..
<I have the same suggestion...>
I have stopped Zoecon, Are there nitrate sponges that work?
<Mmm, not worthwhile IMO... better to employ other means... Please read here re options: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm
scroll down to the yellow line/tray>
Why can't I find Neons?
<Keep looking... should be around... Maybe the Marine Center (.com), Dr.s Foster and Smith (.com)>
How can I eradicate sponges in the drain system?
<Depriving them of food is best>
I understand you may not want to answer this as it is so long
<Heeeee! No my friend... not a factor>
but any help would truly be appreciated. I feel I have always taken care of my pals and until recently they have flourished. My personal goal is to get my puffer to 10 years.
Thanks again
Leslie
<A worthy goal. To reduce waste presence, boost your puffers health in toto, I strongly suggest your going to using Spectrum pelleted food... this will indeed "do it"... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/foodsppt1.htm
For a ppt presentation of the main ideas here. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Cleaner gobies
I was considering the addition of Gobiosoma oceanops, cleaner gobies to my 125 gallon tank. Since the tank has a panther grouper and a black durgeon trigger, I am a worried that the cleaner gobies will be eaten. Will they be safe? Also, should I get a group and how large should it be? >>
Two or more would be better, and the size doesn't matter much...they're all small to start with... And do float them for a couple of days in an all plastic (or glass and plastic) container so your two potential predators can see that what they are, and not immediately mistake them for food additions... The Panther Grouper may make an error but the Melichthys niger (a circumtropical species) will most likely queue up for a cleaning!
Bob Fenner

Cleaner Goby Use
Bob:
Sorry to write again on this subject, but I thought it prudent. 
It seems that the squirrelfish has an "on again/off again" problem with the clear bubble over only his right eye. What I mean by this is that the bubble
will appear, go away in about a week, then reappear in perhaps three weeks, go away in a week, reappear, etc...
In your prior response on this topic, you stated that the squirrel likely bumped his eye on something, and that it would take some time to heal. I am
just wondering if this consistent reappearance/disappearance is indicative of something else. He eats fine, and looks great.
My thought is that when I feed krill to the porcupine puffer, the squirrel gets very excited and tries to snatch some krill from the puffer's mouth.
Perhaps in his zeal to get some krill, the squirrel gets too close to the puffer's quills, and this is the cause of the exophthalmia.
<It's possible... as are a few other causes... but would not let this bother you... as it obviously doesn't bother the Squirrelfish>
Also, would you recommend the presence of neon gobies in any marine aquarium, whether or not any parasites are present? If so, how many should I
keep in my 95-gallon tank?
<Generally yes... just one or two in such a system... often, even though these are small animals only one or two will persist anyway... >
As always, I look forward to your words of wisdom.
Thanks, Mitch 
>>
Always glad to render my scant opinions.
Bob Fenner, who's bushed from diving today, arriving from the States to the Maldives.

Quarantine Tank
Bob,
Thanks for the reassurance. I'd lowered my salinity in my reef tank to 1.019 from my normal 1.026, and raised the temp to 80. The Tang still has some
spots and powdery splotches, and my Flame Angel has a couple of spots on his tail. I have 4 Lysmata Cleaner shrimp in this tank. I had bought 2 of them
for the quarantine tank at the same time I first spotted (pardon the pun) the ich. I tried to get some Neon Gobies but no one has them (including
FFE). Now my Colt Corals are melting. I've brought my salinity back up to 1.023 on the advice of my LFS. They said better to loose a Tang than a reef.
They are recommending CoralVite to help with the ich. What do you think?
Your student, Marty Wigder
>>
Hmm, hopefully time/rest will cure your Tang... and don't think the CoralVite will do any harm... Hang in there. Those Gobiosoma gobies should be available year round... they're tank-bred and raised in the Caribbean, Fla and the UK!
Bob Fenner

Where Art  Thou Gobiosoma?
Hello Robert
So sorry to bother you again today. In my previous email I forgot to ask you about a Goby. In one of your e mail replies you stated that there is a certain Goby (Gobiosoma) that would be a nice addition to a reef system to rid the tank of parasites.
<There are actually several in this genus... Which is detailed on... www.WetWebMedia.com>
Can you tell me the names of these( this) Goby? I would really like to add one to my reef tank. Sorry for bothering you again.
Does FFEXPRESS have them?
Take care and thank you
<All outlets regularly stock at least the most common species... they are tank-bred in good numbers in Florida, Puerto Rico, the UK, places in the Far East... I saw a hybrid species (purposeful) that had been cultured just yesterday at a LFS in San Diego. Bob Fenner>

2 quick questions (microdesmids, Gobiosoma)
Hi Mr. Fenner,
Two quick questions tonight.
First, will the Firefish Nemateleotris magnifica sometimes, or ever launch themselves out of the tank, or is it more the Dartfishes?
<Both... launches itself out of the tank all the time, and IS a member of the family Microdesmidae>
Second, does the neon goby Gobiosoma Evelynae always stay bluish with a yellow head, or can they become like the Gobiosoma randalli, and turn
only with the yellow markings?
<Not as far as I'm aware...>
I ask this because I think one of the local LFS is selling G. Randalli as a sharknose goby, and is charging $20.00 more then the G. Oceanops that they also have. Should the sharknose be more expensive?
Greg N.
<Where's my Gobiosoma specialists when I need them!? Have seen (and yes, identified), G. randalli as G. evelynae (sigh) myself... Think I've finally had them sorted out on the WWM site. The non-oceanops gobies often sell for quite a bit more, not being widely cultured (that is, instead being wild-collected. Bob Fenner>

Cleaner/Neon Gobies
Oh Bob, one more thing. I bought 3 gold stripe neon cleaner gobies. They clean my emperor. WAY better than my cleaner wrasse ever did. I'm very happy for your website. Because if it wasn't for your sight. I would of never known about the neon cleaner gobies. Oh I made sure that the 3 I bought were wild caught, and not captive breed. Because I heard that the captive breed ones are no good, they don't tend to clean the fish. Anyhow thanks'
<Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner>
Linstun Lee

Neon Goby
Mr. Fenner,
I had a heater malfunction on my 30 gal FOWLR SW tank, and now I am restocking. My stepmother has her eye on some neon gobies, but our LFS says they are schooling and that we should get at least a couple. I am nervous about adding a bunch of fish at once (and money is an issue), so would one be okay by itself with a couple of clowns and a lawnmower blenny for a month or so until we can get another one?
<One would be/is fine in such a system as yours. In point of fact, most Gobiosoma sold are cultured (i.e. not wild-collected), and not really schooling fish/es (there are several species) at all. I would just have/use one in a thirty gallon system. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Laura Rushing

Substitutes for a Gobiosoma - No Live Rock to be had in Hawaii (?)
JasonC,
I am actually interested in live rock. Believe me if I can get it then I would definitely use it but according to state law it is illegal to take live rock and coral from the ocean and to import/export it. <<ahh, Aloha to you then... didn't realize import was illegal too>> So I'm stuck with using fish. My LFS said that they get neon gobies depending on the season. They don't have any now but they have Catalina gobies. Will the gobies mix well with the fish I intend to get later on (snowflake, marine Betta, dragon wrasse)? <<Yes>> How many gobies should I get to cycle the 55 gal. tank? <<one>> Thanks
<<You are quite welcome. Cheers, J -- >>

Gobiosoma Species
Dear Bob, Anthony, Steve, Jason, and Crew...
Following the excellent advice of the WWM crew in reacting to a recent outbreak of ich in my 150 gal FOWLR cum reef system, my fish are in a
hospital tank and are responding excellently to copper sulphate. Meanwhile, the main system has been fallow for two weeks now (I'm letting it go for
about a month and a half). I will now institute full one month quarantine on EVERY fish added to my system now and forever!!
<You're coming through loud and clear! Congrats on your and your fishes therapy>
Anyways, after much research and re-reading WWM FAQS and the CMA, I am thinking of adding a several Neon gobies to the system when it's ready to re-populate again to serve as a "supplemental" line of defense against potential new parasitic outbreaks.
<Mmm, how big a tank? Likely one (tank-raised is better) individual "will do">
My question is this: Since I still have about a month to go before re-populating the main system, is it advisable to quarantine the new gobies
with the existing fish population in the "hospital tank" I have set up?
<One to a tank is likely best here... unless they are quite small (an inch max.)... as there can be "fights" amongst the members, species of this genus>
Or would I be better served setting up another quarantine system for them? 
<Put one in with the present fishes... separate them (even in just perforated plastic containers to keep them separated) if more... or in the other quarantine tank/s>
I have, of course, been running copper in the hospital tank, and I have heard that these gobies might not react so well to copper. Is this correct? 
<Smaller fishes in general are less tolerant to copper, more susceptible to copper poisoning>
And further, would I be exposing my newly-recovered fish to potential new infections from the gobies even in a tank with therapeutic copper dosage?
<Not much likelihood of this. Most Gobiosoma are clean, from culture facilities. Even wild-caught ones are generally "good to go">
Thanks once again for being such a great resource. Anthony- I fully credit you with helping me save my treasured fish population from my own mistakes!
You are all doing a wonderful service to the hobby and the animals we love so much!
<Will send along to Antoine... am sure he has the same sense, using the Net here to aid others. Bob Fenner>
Regards,
Scott F.

Cleaner Gobies Needed?
Thank you!
I already have 6 Lysmata shrimp in the tank. Two peppermints, two skunk cleaners and two fire shrimp. The shrimp are about the same size as the fish
and the fish don't allow themselves to be cleaned!!! Would they allow a cleaner goby to approach them? << I think they would.  It often takes a few days, but eventually they do.  Plus the captive raised gobies are just so much healthier and do so well. >>
I can't thank all you guys enough!
Narayan
<<  Blundell  >>

Goby availability, invert. and algae books?
Hi!  First let me start with again saying thank you ever so much for all your help & advice.  You have helped me immensely in the past and I'm hoping you
can help me again.  My first question is: I have the Scott Michael book and wanted a fish that I saw in there, he calls it a Sharknose Goby, I looked it up
on Fishbase.org and they too call it that, however, my LFS has never seen one or heard of it, also I have been looking online and haven't found any place
that carries them.  Is there another name for them, the only other thing I can find is Cleaner Goby but I've had the same results using that name.  
<There are quite a few species of Gobiosoma, and this one is every now and then imported, and has been aquacultured... but it is rarely offered in our interest, and when so is often simply labeled as "Neon" or "Cleaner" goby...>
       My second question is this: Is there a book of references like the Marine Fishes book that just gives a picture and name, feeding advice, stuff like
that on inverts & types of algae?
<There is a new companion book to the Pocket Guide by Ron Shimek (Microcosm) that is due out any day... am sure it will be excellent. And Anthony Calfo and I have a title from last year (Reef Invertebrates) in the Natural Marine Aquarium series which has considerable practical husbandry information on invert.s and macroalgae of use in aquaria. You can find info. on both these books on the Net.>
  I have Bob's CMA book and it is wonderful but I wanted a pocket guide type thing.  Thanks so much in advance for any help you can give me!
Amy
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner>

Looking for Neon Gobies
Aloha,
<Hello from the mainland>
Thanks for the great site.  I was wondering if you or any of your many readers are able to tell me how to get a neon goby.  I've been to the local stores and looked on the internet and have had no luck. Apparently no one wants to send them across the ocean.  Seems like a tough ticket to get over here on the rock.  Appreciate your time,
Rich
<Mmm, shouldn't be that tough to get... the genus Gobiosoma (Neon Gobies) has a few species that are regularly aquacultured, and are a popular group due to their size, hardiness, beauty and utility as facultative cleaners... Have you asked your retailer/s to order them? From your greeting, it sounds like you may be in Hawaii... On O'ahu contact Randy Fernley (Coral Fish Hawai'i) in Aiea... on the Big Island Bill Stockley (of Stockley Aquarium in Kailua/Kona), otherwise, a bit more expensive, they can be ordered through etailers like DrsFosterSmith.com, MarineCenter (.com), MarineDepot... Bob Fenner>

Neon Gobies 8/18/05
Hi,
    I have a 55gal. saltwater tank. I would like to  know if I can add a neon goby with the following tank mates.
1- 3" Yellow Tang
1- 1" Hippo Tang
1- 4" Blue Headed Wrasse
1- 3" Coral Beauty Angelfish
1- 2.5" Falco Hawkfish
1- 1"  Tomato Clown
1- 1"  Fiji Blue Devil
1- 1.3" Green Chromis we would like to get a few more green Chromis
We have about 25 lbs. of live rock.
<... well, your system is already way over-stocked... but adding one or two Neon Gobies will actually very likely be of benefit here... in reducing stress... Do be looking (and soon) for a system of at least twice this volume. Bob Fenner>

Greenbanded goby  - 02/27/06
Hi Bob.
I have been looking into getting a greenbanded goby (Elacatinus multifasciatus) formerly know as (Gobiosoma multifasciatum). I have not been able to get that much information on these little guys.
<Unfortunately, not often offered in the trade>
I am hoping you might be able answer a couple of questions I have about them. While reading up on them I have been finding very different information/advice. Are they a cleaner type goby or not?
<To a smaller extent than others of the genus, yes>
My tank is 72x18x20 and I would like to get a group of 5.  Do they do well in groups or should they be housed one per tank?
<Groups are how they're found in the wild>
(unless a matted pair of course). I did find out this fish is tank bred. Which makes me wonder why they are so rare.
<Less demand than oceanops mainly. The "flounder" effect">
I would also like to know if they will get along with a banded sleeper goby (Amblygobius phalaena). I think it will but, since i am not totally sure about the information I have, could you enlighten me.
<I would not mix these goby species>
Any other information/advice you have on the care of them please let me know. i know others have asked about this guy but did not have the correct scientific name. I am hoping this might help them out as well. thanks for all your help with this and for all the help you have given me in the past. thanks for everything, with your guidance I have avoided some common issues and am calling upon your expertise once again to avoid possible future complications, Gary.
<Do relate your experiences here. Bob Fenner>