Who Gives A Fish Forums

I picked up a Wheeler's Watchman on Saturday and I'm really loving this little guy - he's only about an inch long though. Since he's so small, my sixline wrasse has been bullying him, so now he hides during the day. But as soon as the lights go out, he's swimming around and seems fine, which is a relief. My main concern is that he's not eating.

He doesn't come out when I feed the others, so I tried target feeding him at night when he's active. That didn't go well - I ended up scaring him off instead. I dropped a few small sinking pellets in his area, but I'm not even sure if he ate them. Most of the time he just sits still, so it's hard to tell.

I'm open to any suggestions you guys might have. Also, I was wondering if his small size means he could be finding small bits of food on his own? I've seen him pick at things, and I'm assuming he's eating them. Can Wheeler's Watchman gobies scavenge for food like that?

Thanks for the help - he's such a cute little fish! Here's a pic of him.

I've had similar experiences with my shrimp goby, it's quite the competitor. Mine darts out to grab food from my trigger and damsel, they're quite the trio when it comes to mealtime. You might want to give target feeding another shot, maybe try a different approach or food type to see if that works better for your little Wheeler's Watchman.

The little goby's probably just settling in and feeling stressed. Give it some time, don't stress about it, and definitely don't scare it. If your tank's got good circulation, food should pass by its hole. For a tiny guy like that, try mixing up some small mysis, enriched baby brine, and Cyclopeeze - it's a good spread. It's also a good reminder that the most aggressive fish, like your sixline, should always go in last. I never saw my watchman much until my sixline passed on, now he's out all the time. If the sixline keeps harassing the goby, keep an eye on its health - one of them might have to go if things don't improve.