Sand-Sifiting Gobies

[lil0618]

Hello everyone!

 

I have had very poor (0%) success rates with sand-sifting gobies, because for what ever reason they all decide to go carpet surfing

 

I miss the crystal clear white sand that was there when I had them, and I've tried it the water change/sand vaccuum way and it just makes my tank murky, and then goes back to dirty sand in like a week.

 

I am filling the holes in the back of the tank, and am wondering what sand sifting gobies that can be kept in a 20 are less prone to jump.

Thanks!

[1.0reef]

Only a few rarely imported species would do well in an established 30, I would stay away from them as most get 5-7 inches as adults and sometimes make sandstorms or not accept prepared food.

[natalia_la_loca]

Hectors gobies sift sand and seem to top off at about 2.5 inches. My 37g tank has an open top and I've had my goby for almost a year and a half.

[gulfsurfer101]

I don't know how they fair in a 20L but my diamond goby has moved about ten pounds of sand to create his little hideaway cavern system on the right side of my tank. I was amazed at how much sand this guy moved. Piled the sand at least 5"tall in dime places. He and the yellow headed goby both share these caves he created.

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[1.0reef]

Hectors gobies sift sand and seem to top off at about 2.5 inches. My 37g tank has an open top and I've had my goby for almost a year and a half.

True, I believe Rainford's gobies do too, however they often are hard to keep alive.

[natalia_la_loca]

True, I believe Rainford's gobies do too, however they often are hard to keep alive.

I could see how that would be the case. Mine doesn't take prepared food other than stealing some of my mandys nutramar ova now and then. I think it helps having seahorses and a high bio load...lots of stuff to sift. He's very fat.

[Tamberav]

I could see how that would be the case. Mine doesn't take prepared food other than stealing some of my mandys nutramar ova now and then. I think it helps having seahorses and a high bio load...lots of stuff to sift. He's very fat.

 

I may have to try one of these little guys in my mandy tank. That tank is so full of life from the absurd amount of food.

[hypostatic]

I had a diamond goby for like a year and a half in my 15G. He was doing fine off of pellets and growing well. Until something spooked him one day and we found him on the carpet. He found a tiny opening in the lid.

[tviquez10]

I added this cutie to my established 20g long and the neon dottyback I have, decided it was going to be a butt and nip the crap out of him. The neon has had fish added after and never bullied but it definitely had it out for the goby. As a last resort, I moved him to my 40g cube that's pretty new. He has already come out and sifted the sand with diatoms but won't accept any other food. Has anyone had any luck with getting copepods from this company and them surviving to be food for the goby? If I can get him to eat, I'll keep buying until I figure out how to set up a refugium for the pods to reproduce. I'm desperate for him to survive!

[DevilDuck]

Holy necro thread! I have a nearly full size diamond goby in a 3 foot tank with 2.5 inches of sand. Every day he shifts through every inch of surface sand. I think this size tank may be minimum for one of these fish. I’ve read that their primary food must come from the organisms they are shifting from the sand bed. Just eating prepared food may not be enough in a smaller newer tank. Not sure if this is completely true.

 

Mine has learned to eat from my target feeder and does accept sinking pellets.

[tviquez10]

@DevilDuckI have always wanted a goby so this will definitely be the only one I will have. I'm praying I can get him to survive. The LFS I got him from said he was accepting frozen so I'll try again tonight. I'm going to look through the threads here for refugiums for AIO tanks, if there even is one. If not, I may have to get a HOB kind and put it on the side.