Diamond goby...did I make a mistake?

[Scottrshoe]

I was always more concerned about my diamond goby undermining my rocks and everything come tumbling down

I can see that as an issue! I did place my rocks on the bottom glass before adding the sand, so I am not too worried about the structural integrity of the scape.

 

[Scottrshoe]

Diamonds are the best for not covering corals provided you do not have them on the sand bed. If you had a blue line or yellow headed goby, they take a gulp of sand and swim 6 inches up and dump it....Diamonds do a great service provided you can keep them from jumping out, they give morays and octopus a run for their money, true escape artists. The cloudy part will subside with time as your filter gets rid of the fine particulate. I had the same thing happening when I added bahamas oolite sand. Diamond gobies rarely swim up in the water column especially if they have a mouthful of sand, they usually dump it right back on the sand bed.

It has noticeably improved already. He has rooted the dotty back out of its cave and taken up residence there. Cloudiness is better, but I rarely see him now… lol

BTW… Dotty back was not very pleased to have a house guest that never leaves

 

[JohnD4g]

I've had a Diamond Goby in my tank for 3 years. With my sugar fine sand he would keep the water cloudy at first, but now its only occasionally. I feed my fish heavily so he always finds uneaten food in the sand to keep himself full. I did get him a symbiotic snapping shrimp to share his burrow. They are best friends and can frequently be found together at the openning to their burrow. BTW... make sure you have a lid on your tank as gobies are good jumpers.

 

[oceancowboy]

I have always loved them. Kept them in my big tank with angels, tangs and triggers. Give it a bit.....

 

[Jesterrace]

SO my lfs recommended this diamond goby for my tank. Seems like a nice little guy, but now I have a constant cloud of sand blowing around my tank...Is this going to be an ongoing issue? Probably stuck with him, because I seriously doubt that I can catch him now...suggestions?

It definitely will be a recurrent issue. It's actually the biggest reason I switched over to Conch Snails. A shame too as DWGs are fun personality fish, but Conch snails can be fun as well (ie watching 2 fighting conches go at it).

 

[LeannaBanana]

I personally LOVE my diamond goby. Yes, he makes mountains in the sand, and occasionally that part gets annoying, but for the most part, watching his day-to-day activity and personality is worth it to me. I tend to re-arrange the sand with my feeding baster or tongs when mountains get TOO high, but leave his two burrows (because why pick just one?!) alone. No huge issues with cloudy sand kick up, but my grain is a little bigger and not super fine. (Carib Sea Arag Alive)

 

[Scottrshoe]

I personally LOVE my diamond goby. Yes, he makes mountains in the sand, and occasionally that part gets annoying, but for the most part, watching his day-to-day activity and personality is worth it to me. I tend to re-arrange the sand with my feeding baster or tongs when mountains get TOO high, but leave his two burrows (because why pick just one?!) alone. No huge issues with cloudy sand kick up, but my grain is a little bigger and not super fine. (Carib Sea Arag Alive)

He is funny to watch, that's for sure!

I am concerned about meeting his nutritional needs in such a new tank, as he does not seem to be interested in anything I feed the tank, and I doubt he is getting much from my sand bed.

 

[LeannaBanana]

He is funny to watch, that's for sure!

I am concerned about meeting his nutritional needs in such a new tank, as he does not seem to be interested in anything I feed the tank.

Mine took super well to frozen Mysis shrimp -- the keep in your freezer frozen not freeze dried (although to be fair mine will eat both now). I target feed my BTA and Duncan, and the goby has learned that if he sits patiently, he'll get any leftovers in the baster target fed his way, too. I'll try to catch a video of him sitting by the baster picking at it for the shrimp to come out.

He's also constantly sifting, so I slightly overfeed as a precaution and keep tisbe pods well stocked just for peace of mind.

 

[Scottrshoe]

I feed LRS Reef Frenzy, but have some frozen Mysis on the way. Hopefully he will accept these as he grows more accustomed to the environment. He is definitely not shy about coming out now...bottom of my tank looks like a war zone...full of craters.

 

[Dierks]

He seems to have burrowed under one of the rock in the tank....perhaps the problem will lessen once he is settled into his new home?

You got it! It will certainly settle! But he will always be a sifter, most folks have a love hate relationship with these fish. They are power scoppers, they are always sifting sand. Best Valenciennea worker out there.... Now with that being said, because of that they spit sand everyplace. They will grab a mouth full, find flow and let it run out of their gills. So this of course gets coral ticked off...

So you will have to ask yourself tis question. Do I mind large mounds of sand and bare spots in my tank. (Or have to go really deep bed) Do I mind having no control over the sand on coral? Is this going to be mostly focused on fish or coral?

Hope this helps! Also, if this is nt a good fit there are many more Valenciennea gobies to choose from.

 

[Dierks]

I feed LRS Reef Frenzy, but have some frozen Mysis on the way. Hopefully he will accept these as he grows more accustomed to the environment. He is definitely not shy about coming out now...bottom of my tank looks like a war zone...full of craters.

They eat any, and everything once settled in.

 

[Scottrshoe]

You got it! It will certainly settle! But he will always be a sifter, most folks have a love hate relationship with these fish. They are power scoppers, they are always sifting sand. Best Valenciennea worker out there.... Now with that being said, because of that they spit sand everyplace. They will grab a mouth full, find flow and let it run out of their gills. So this of course gets coral ticked off...

So you will have to ask yourself tis question. Do I mind large mounds of sand and bare spots in my tank. (Or have to go really deep bed) Do I mind having no control over the sand on coral? Is this going to be mostly focused on fish or coral?

Hope this helps! Also, if this is nt a good fit there are many more Valenciennea gobies to choose from.

I actually have more sand in my tank than I intended, but just figured I would syphon some of it out once the tank was more mature. Now, I may just leave it in there, to keep him happy. I do not plan to have corals on the sand bed, and the corals lower on the rocks will just have to be blown off more frequently, I suppose.

Who knows, I am learning as I go, and enjoying the process...if/when I start to get more expensive corals, then I may have to reconsider my stocking choices...or get another tank

 

[Jeffcb]

He seems to have burrowed under one of the rock in the tank....perhaps the problem will lessen once he is settled into his new home?

It will probably settle down. Unfortunately I have never been able to keep one long. I kind of gave up on them.
Good Luck

 

[Dierks]

I actually have more sand in my tank than I intended, but just figured I would syphon some of it out once the tank was more mature. Now, I may just leave it in there, to keep him happy. I do not plan to have corals on the sand bed, and the corals lower on the rocks will just have to be blown off more frequently, I suppose.

Who knows, I am learning as I go, and enjoying the process...if/when I start to get more expensive corals, then I may have to reconsider my stocking choices...or get another tank

Oh also, they are jumpers... So if you ever leave your top off he may not be in there in the morning.

 

[Scottrshoe]

Oh also, they are jumpers... So if you ever leave your top off he may not be in there in the morning.

Tank came with a mesh cover, which I always leave on, unless I am working in the tank.

 

[Dierks]

Tank came with a mesh cover, which I always leave on, unless I am working in the tank.

Most fish seem to instinctively dive when they are in trouble, this family of goby and wrasse seem to do the opposite and go straight up. So when you are working in the tank keep your eye on him.