Diamond goby good or bad

[johnsamm7]

anyone have any thoughts on a diamond watchman goby tanks a 30 gal long Caribsea ocean direct live sand live rock . I hear back and fourth things about them my main concern is it not completely depleting the sand of the bacteria that actually makes the sand live a well as not terribly cloudy water pros/cons anyone with experience with them also I am setting up a small refugium in the back chamber of my tank with chaeto and pods will this help any

 

[eatbreakfast]

A full grown diamond goby will outgrow a 30g, they can get surprisingly large. Most sifting fish will not completely deplete the microfauna of the sand, because they stay with the top layer of sand. They do bury low lying corals.

 

[Branespikin]

I liked the way they look love their personality but i could not take my tank always like a sandstorm. He was sifting all the time spitting sand up constantly. Any frag or coral on the sa d bed by the end of the day was buried or covered with sand. He had to go. Getting him out well i had to breakdown the entire tank that was no fun.

 

[johnsamm7]

Geez that sounds insane I put one in last night the tank was cloudy twice so far he dug a tunnel under some rock so far and comes out of the hole occasionally

 

[WetWhistle]

They do get quite large at 6 inches. 30 gallon is a little small in my opinion but some fish sites do say 30 gallon minimum. I would recommend something that is around 4 inches. Like a Pink Spotted Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus leptocephalus)I have had one for years and he is fantastic.

 

[Branespikin]

They do get big and make sure your rock work is secured because he will dig tunnels under every rock. He was the cause of a few landslides in my tank because my rock work was not glued.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

My sleeper goby puts sand everywhere, but the water is no longer cloudy as most of the available fines have been depleted. I just keep a turkey baster handy to remove the sand from corals lower in the water column.

 

[WetWhistle]

When setting up my tanks I allow for fish like this. I place my rock work on the bottom glass and when the base of it is done I add my substrate. They are good fish to have in a tank and go a long way in keeping the substrate clean.

 

[johnsamm7]

Awesome thanks yea I'm just hoping the sandstorms aren't to bad don't really dig the cloudy water lol he is a super cool fish though . And as well as it not affecting my nitrates from eating all the good bacteria in the sand .

 

[Alex23]

Will the diamond goby be good in a 28g tank with 2 clownfish and some corals?

 

[ahiggins]

I love to watch them at the lfs but I have too many coral that are lower in the tank and I dont want to deal with shifting weight of rocks on the sand bed.

 

[alton]

If your rock work does not sit on the glass with sand filled in and around pass on the goby. They are a fun fish and pair very easily

 

[eatbreakfast]

Will the diamond goby be good in a 28g tank with 2 clownfish and some corals?

Eventually it will outgrow this size tank. They get to over 6".

 

[eliramos]

I will say mine has been a model citizen!
He does a heck of a job sifting that's for sure, but he never covers my corals and the first few days I had him my tank was a little cloudy as to be expected but it cleared in a few days and now the sand is always white.
What I really love about him though is that he doesn't sift and swim like other gobies do.
My yellow head sleeper would pick up sand and go over the rocks it would drive me crazy!
I will say I have a 90 gallon, so I would definitely say make sure yours is eating when you bring it home so you can supplement him with frozen food cuz he will clear a 30 gallon sand bed quickly.

But I love my digglet he's a keeper for sure!

 

[cnseekatz]

I love them.

They stir up sand like monsters. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It keeps the sand pretty, but expect cloudy water for a while. If you keep anything on the sand (like plate corals, etc.) expect them to be buried immediately. They're reef-friendly (from my experience) and I've never experienced any problems with them "stripping" the life out of the sand. I don't think they could do that even if they wanted to.

One warning. THEY JUMP! They jump like crazy little jerks. I would not suggest buying one unless you have a tight fitting lid, and it's always on the tank.

 

[Micro-Reefs Aquarium]

Many on this thread state they outgrow a 30 gallon agreed, but how long does it take for them to reach this length?

My LFS has one that is small 2 inches at most. I want to get him I have 30 lbs live rock, 40 lbs live sand.

I wish my LFS had the pink sifter since they only reach 5 inches.

Anyone with the diamond what size was he when he arrived and how big today?

Thanks