My wimpy goby

[dedfish]

Here is a picture of my wimpy goby. This guy refuses to explore the tank and spends all his time hiding in his cave. If he would be a bit braver he may just find his shrimp buddy and live a happily ever after in his shrimp hole.....but no, not this goby...he just sits there while his shrimp buddy goes unprotected. Bah! I really hope they find each other some day.
http://www.sunrift.net/pics/20long/goby.jpg

[NateHanson]

Have faith. It'll happen. I put a candy cane shrimp and a Yashi Haze in my tank a few months ago (they were previously unintroduced). They took up caves in opposite ends of the tank, and barely appeared for days. Then one morning after I'd given up on them ever finding shrimp-goby love I woke up to find the goby proudly hovering in front of the shrimp's cave! The shrimp came out and rested comfortably under the goby's pec fin just like old buddies. The next day they apparently had a spat, because the goby went back to his old cave for another two nights, but then they made ammends, and they haven't left eachother for a minute in the last few months. Both are also much more visible now that they're paired up.

How long have yours been in the tank? Were they previously paired?

[dedfish]

They were previously paired...at least they were sold to me that way. They were in the same tank at the store. They have been in the tank for about a week. I know, I know...I'm being impatient, but I can't help it I'm an impatient person sometimes. When I first put them in the tank they were together. They both moved to where the goby is hiding out now and I could see signs of digging by this hiding spot. Since then the shrimp found a better spot, right in the middle of the tank, which would be perfect if the goby would move over there.

I wish I were a fish I'd chase him over to the new shrimp hotel.

[NateHanson]

Good luck.