Conditions Safe for Sand-Sifting Goby?

[Kizreef]

My yellow watchman goby jumped out of the tank last night I do have a temporary cover, but it has 1/2 in holes, so he probably got through. I am making the DIY Reefer Tank Cover this weekend which should solve that issue. However, I want to get a replacement and I am unsure if I want another yellow watchman (I had one for several years that I adored, but this new guy didn't have the same personality), or if I should go for a sand-sifting goby. My concern is that I have 3 rock flowers, one of which stubbornly refuses to be put on a rock and lives in the sand on the floor of my tank near a couple of rocks. It is about 3 inches wide, and I am unsure if a sand sifting goby would be safe. I also have two areas of sand in my tank - 1/3 of it is fine sand, and the other 2/3 are courser sand. Would a sand sifting goby be a good choice in this situation? (Reefer 250 - newer tank).

Thanks,
Anne

 

[Vamsi]

I would think to have a sand sifting goby would irritate your rock flowers and may end up getting killed. I have a yellow watchman goby and a pistol shrimp. The pistol shrimp keeps changing its burrow and the next time it makes another one, ends up moving sand on to my mushrooms and such. I did end up losing a beautiful mushroom and some other sps corals. This is just my experience. If i had the knowledge I have today when I was starting my reef I would have done things a bit differently.

 

[Chewbacca]

Try a sifting star or clams. My gobbies burry everything constantly have to squirt coral clean from gravel and sand. That or tiny gobbies in size. IMO

 

[mta_morrow]

A sand sifter will be fine. I just added a diamond spot goby and I have long tentacle anemone on the sand bed.

Those and rfa’s get buried in the ocean. They just pop back out.

I see no issues other than tank maturity as sand sifters feed on the microfauna more than anything else

 

[Kizreef]

Thank you all for the input. I am leaning towards another watchman (or bi-color blenny). I worry that my newer tank may not provide enough food, and I have lots of mushrooms near the bottom and I don't want them covered.