anybody have a sand sifting goby story?

[sgwill122]

I am contemplating a sand sifting goby(orange spot or diamond goby) for my 180. I like watching them work and like the resulting turned sand. I was wondering if anyone had kept one for over a year. I have read they are likely to starve to death within the first 6 months provided they do not jump out of the tank before then.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I kept a yellow headed sky-gazer goby for close to 3 years in my old under-filtered 90 gallon planted fish/ softy tank.

 

[sgwill122]

Is that similar to a Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby?

 

[Holygral]

I have had a Orange spotted in my 75 for about 1.5 years, it is an open top setup, he is a hard worker.

 

[leebca]

Be cautious about your choice. Some Sand Sifting Gobies pick up a load of substrate and then swim up, spraying the substrate over live rock and other sessile marine life. Do not get one of those if you have sessile invertebrates, would be my recommendation. Other Gobies will sift the substrate and remain on the bottom while they do this.

The Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby is one of those that 'sprays' the substrate around.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Is that similar to a Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby?

Yeah, thats the one. Was a great fish and a lot of fun to watch. There was nothing in there that stray sand could bother. In the wild, storms churn up a lot of sand too. Mine dumped the sand near where he dug it, but I can believe Lee's concern too.

 

[MarineDreamer]

Be cautious about your choice. Some Sand Sifting Gobies pick up a load of substrate and then swim up, spraying the substrate over live rock and other sessile marine life. Do not get one of those if you have sessile invertebrates, would be my recommendation. Other Gobies will sift the substrate and remain on the bottom while they do this.

The Yellowheaded Sleeper Goby is one of those that 'sprays' the substrate around.

That's exactly what my Bullet Goby (amblygobius phalaena) does. It picks up a mouthfull of sand and then hoovers over a T. crocea, dropping the sand on the clam. I have even relocated the clam just to have the goby follow it. But thus far it doesn't seem to be bothering the clam to much.

 

[Penny]

I had a clown goby that starved to death in about a month.

 

[sgwill122]

Thanks for the feedback. Lee what Goby would you recommend?

 

[leebca]

Trying to 'catch me' making a recommendation?

IF you have concerns about spraying, just pick one that doesn't. One such Goby that sifts substrate and remains on the bottom while sifting is the Diamond Watchman Goby (Valencienna puellaris). There are many others and the choice is up to what appeals to you. Look up your choice; just be sure you can provide what the fish needs.

 

[sgwill122]

I appreciate the information.

 

[pitmam01]

I have had and lost so many sand sifters that I have a "frequent diamond goby" card with my fish store. I like the dragon gobies but they're like mini crop dusters, hovering over everything and spreading sand all over the corals. As soon as my sand looks a little dirty on top, it makes me crazy!!! Wish I could find a decent sand cleaner!!!

:|

 

[mss]

I have a bicolor goat in my tank....and he does a really nice job cleaning sand. Plus he does not spray the sand everywhere like my yellowheaded goby did. I used to have a yellow goat fish, and he did not do anything for the sand but had a terrific appetite for everything else. I closed out my feeder tank and I threw the guppies into the tank, and that goat had 5-6 of those things in his mouth swimming around. It was so funny to watch as he had a bunch of tails sticking out. He was a big fish..unfortunatly I think he bit off more then he could chew that night, as he died a couple days later . Hard to say for certain if that killed him, as I had just had a fire under my tank and caused a cycle. But goats are one of my favorite fish.... plus I read that all but the yellow ones are excellent sand sifters

 

[krisfal]

I really like the mural goby's that Barrier reef usually has. Although I have not kept them long term. I had two of them together and it was cool how they hung around together cleaning the sand. Sadly they both disappeared on the same day and since I did not find them behind the tank when I moved them I suspect they were victims of a not well protected closed loop intake. They stayed near the bottom when sifting the sand so did not spray it on the corals.

I have a yellow head in my softy tank and have had him for almost 3 years now. About a year after I got him he began to get real skinny and I was afraid I was going to loose him. However, at that time I started using a auto feeder to feed a few pellets mid day and he fattened right up. He knows exactly when the auto feeder is going to cycle and hangs out under it and grabs a large mouthful of pellets as they drop. He does spray sand over my toadstool and I had to move my open brain as the sand being dropped on it bothered it. I just moved it up higher in the tank and the goby does not carry the sand up that high.

I plan on getting another pair of the mural gobies once everything is settled into my new set-up.

 

[Snowboarda42]

I've heard and seen good results with a Sleeper Byno Goby
(Amblygobius bynoensis). They don't usually swim up top and spray it everywhere.

 

[pitmam01]

Finally found a picture of the other kind of goby I have, he's an Engineer Goby. When I got him, he was maybe an inch long ad mostly black. He's now about 5 inches long and is blackish with yellow spots everywhere. He looks like an eel but with a sweet face. He tunnels everywhere and makes huge mounds of sand everywhere. Too bad I can't teach him how to use a rake!!!

:badgrin: