Goby keeps rubbing...no spots

[mooner]

I am in week three of this sissortail goby rubbing his sides on the substrate. No rapid gill action, no spots, no film, no velvet, no nothing that I can see. His eyes are bright and shiney. I know all fish will do this from time to time just because because but this guy is doing it all the time since I got him. Other fish in the tank almost never do this kind of thing.

I have cleaner wrasse that the goby will come up to and flare his gills and fins for the wrasse to clean him and the wrasse does peck at him but I have never seen him really get anything. I have a cleaner shrimp too but I have never seen him venture out much in daylight.

All the fish eat just fine including the goby (matter of fact he is a pig) and this is the only symptom I see. Is this common for a fish to enjoy such behavior or do I have a possible parasite? Could these fish go three weeks with no treatment and live this long and show no symptoms of film or spots?

Params are the ususal: Ph 8.2, Am 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0 SG 1.023, Temp 79.

Thanks.

 

[wade1]

Two things spring to mind... both are long shots.

1) internal gill infection or skin infection that just doesn't manifest itself well enough to see by eyes alone.
2) stray voltage into the tank from powerhead or other device... do you have a grounding probe?

Wade

 

[mooner]

Wade,

No grounding probe...what is that? If it is a gill invection of some sort how can I find out and what can be done?

Appreciate your response.

 

[wade1]

Grounding probe is a titanium piece of metal grounded out to the ground in a nearby outlet or equivalent that allows any stray voltage to be removed from the tank. For example:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... CatId=3946

As for infection, I would not do anything. Keep up a high level of feeding of quality food, keep water pristine, and let the cleaners do their thing. Natural immunity is likely the best approach. Typically, anything we do to try to "help" our fish out medically are actually more stressful than the initial stress warrants.

Wade

 

[mooner]

I will look into the probe. It just makes sense and that is a good price for some insurance against shocking the reef. Thanks.

I noticed tonight for the first time I have a WAY healthy supply of copepods in my refugium and there is a good amount in my reef as well but fewer. My wrasse eats at them I am sure.

I wonder if this might be what's bugging the sissortail? Just a thought but I heard that some pods might "tickle" some fish or get in their gills and be a general pest. Thing is tho this guy has done this since I got him and the pods are fairly new.

Still searching....

 

[wade1]

I don't think pods are a bother, if anything they are a food source for the fish... just keep an eye on it and make sure its behavior doesn't change drastically. Maybe it just likes self massage?

Wade