Mr Goby's wild ride...

[Greatwhite]

While fiddling with my new skimmer, I knocked a little rubber cap into my sump.  I got down on my hands & knees and looked for it, and was shocked to see my Yellow Clown Goby down there...  He managed to get into the overflow and down the drain and right through my Aqueon Proflex sump (through the mass of chaeto!) to the return chamber that houses my skimmer, return pump and an MJ 400.

Miraculously, he was unharmed through the whole trip down.

SO I had to pull my skimmer out to get a net in there to scoop him out.  Unfortunately, he managed to escape the net and hide in a baffle area.

I got a stick and chased him out.  He swam to the front of the sump, and then toward the back -- and SHHHHWOOOP!!! got sucked into the return pump.  Why didn't I turn that off??  Never had to chase a fish in there before - wasn't thinking...

I didn't see any fish bits come out the other end, so got to looking inside the pump and around behind it (in case he somehow got past).. Nothing.  Then I notice him in the flare nozzle at the end of my return.  There was a little yellow up there.

I popped the nozzle off, and gave it a shake.  I had to push a little to back him out of his jammed spot, but he swam out!!  He was a little woozy, of course.  There are some gashes on his side, but he appears mostly intact.  He is now sitting on a rock, breathing "as well as can be expected".  I think he may have lost a layer of skin or mucous or something, because he has little "very thin wings"...

I am not overly optimistic that he'll make it, but it looks like he may!  All I can do is watch, and hope that he didn't get too hurt!!

[Greatwhite]

Surprisingly, the little guy is sitting "normally" on the rocks. His right fin looked like it wasn't working initially, but he is moving it now and I actually watched him swim a little. Hoping to see him eat something soon.