Question: I've just purchased a Watchman Goby but I haven't seen him eat lately. I've had him about a 1.5 weeks. I built a little "cave" out of PVC that is stuck down in the substrate, and he seems to stay holed up in there all the time. I have a damsel that snatches up any food I drop in the tank, so I'm not sure the goby is even aware of the food since he stays in the cave all the time.
I *have* seen the goby eat, but not in the past few days. I know he has taken flake foods and shrimp pellets, but not lately. I've been told the damsel can go for up to a week with no food & be fine, so I have thought about holding off on feeding until they are both so hungry they have no choice but to come out of hiding. I am new to a marine tank, so any advice would be appreciated.
Bob's Answer: Hey James, yeah a few ideas. Do resume feeding and try something a little meatier, like Mysid or caprellid shrimp. And, add some live rock and live sand if possible.

Stonogobiops nematodes
Hi,
First I wanted to thank you for your help earlier with the info on my Anthias...which is a purple queen he's just taking his time coloring up) he's fat and healthy and rules the tank with an iron fin....until the angel comes out.
<Like this description>
My new question is on the threadfin goby. I traded some fresh water fish and plants for a pair of these fish just a week ago. They started eating just a day after I got them despite the movements of other fish and children in and around the tank. They seem timid though and I worry about them.
<They are timid>
I will be setting up a 20 gal tank as a kind of refugium and their new home, which they will hopefully share with a mandarin. But until then I would like to know any extra info that I can find. Most people that I talk to have never seen much less kept this type of fish. The store that I got them from had them almost a month before I came in and noticed them. This was a fish that I researched but didn't think that I would ever see) They didn't even know the name, just simply that it was a goby. I was recommended to feed them crushed flake dropping it on or near their head. 
<Hmm, really? Good luck living on this>
Of course there was little rock and no sand in their tank, so this was easy for them...but in my tank there's a lot of both. I have been using my eye dropper and squirting an assortment of foods into the area they have taken over, mostly brine shrimp, flake food, and Spirulina, as well as small amounts of formula 2. They don't appreciate the disturbance though and disappear...then the scooter blenny who doesn't care what I do in the tank comes over and cleans up....until they get brave and kick him out. So I guess what I want to know is if there is anything else I should be adding to their diet.
<Some other small, cut up bits of meaty food items... materials resembling zooplankters. And good that you have the Scooter... likely helps not just with clean-up, but inspiring these real gobies to feed>
Also these fish are said to live with pistol shrimp. 
<Yes, almost always found in association with Alpheus randalli>
All pictures that I have seen are with two gobies and a shrimp...in a hole. My gobies have not dug any holes yet,
<The shrimp does the digging>
they simply hide it the rock formation that I had set up special for them...away from the main reef and the other fish. But I have heard that these shrimp shatter tanks is some way or another this was never explained to me)...
<Not likely... but do have a powerful punching main claw>
the last thing I want is to wake up and find my fish dried out on the floor and my tank broken. (Do acrylic tanks shatter?)
<Never seen this happen... no>
Thank you for all your help and your wonderful web site
Kim
<You're welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>

Gobies refuse to eat
Hi,
<Hello>
I got 2 gobies, a Randall's Prawn Goby and a Yellow Prawn Goby, that don't eat. I have both of them for almost a month. I tried to feed them but they are not eating and they are getting skinnier as the days go by.
I try to feed them with minced shrimps, minced fish, Mysis shrimps, flakes, and small pellets but they just not eat (or I don’t see they eat), even if I place the food in front of them.
The Yellow Prawn Goby always hides in an inaccessible cave. How can I lure him out at feed time?
<Add a Prawn...>
Is there anything that I can give them so that they would eat? I really hate to see them slowly waste away by starvation.
<I would try some live food, soaked in an appetite enhancer, vitamin mix (e.g. Selcon) pronto>
By the way, do those fishes feed at night, when the lights are out?
<Whenever their symbiotic Alpheids are out. Bob Fenner>
Thanks for you help!
Regards,
Minh

Shrimp goby and pistol shrimp  - 02/27/06
My apologies if this is a repeat message - Outlook was acting up and I'm not sure if it sent it. <Understand>
I wanted to add that my tank is great water-wise... ammonia < 0.1, nitrItes
0, nitrAtes 4.
Thanks,
Heather
>I have a 55G SW tank, which has been running since December 3rd, 2005. I have three blue damsels, a chocolate chip starfish, about 25 small hermit crabs, two peppermint shrimp, a cleaner shrimp and about 15 snails of various sizes (mostly turbo snails).
> I was at the LFS today and they have tiger pistol shrimp and shrimp gobies. I couldn't spot the shrimp in the tank, but the gobies were absolutely adorable - striped with one long black antenna/fin on the top.
> I am trying to find out more about the gobies in particular but not having much luck on WWM. Basically, I want to know:
do shrimp gobies have to have a pistol shrimp with them? <No>
will pistol shrimp eat my crabs and other shrimp? <If they are much smaller than the pistol shrimp.> My reading suggests
> that they will eat them, but it's not totally clear.
> - what do shrimp gobies eat? <Whatever floats their way.>
my QT has no substrate; how do I QT a sand-burrowing creature like a
> goby? <Several pieces of PVC pipe will do during QT. Will provide adequate retreats.>
> Thanks very much - I read your FAQs every day and am learning a great deal. I'm especially proud of myself for not just buying the goby today
> because "he is cute". :) <That is good to hear and, the subject IS easily found on the WWW.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/shrimpgobies.htm>
> Thanks, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
> Heather