Diamond Head Goby pecking zoas!

[Strawberry]

My Diamond Head Goby is adorable and I love him, but he is pecking at my zoas! They usually just close up for a few minutes and reopen, but I’ve seen him do this several times. As his mouth gets larger and larger, I worry he could potentially bite a zoa head off! He bit one that was reaching for light and broke the stem. I know these guys are supposed to be “reef safe,” but I’ve caught him in the act! Has anyone else experienced this? What should I do?

 

[Daddy-o]

Get a pistol Shrimp to keep him company and move the zoas up a little?
Cheers! Mark

 

[Strawberry]

Get a pistol Shrimp to keep him company and move the zoas up a little?
Cheers! Mark

I will look into getting a shrimp for him. Maybe he is jealous of the love shared by the clowns! Lol he is feeling like a third wheel.

 

[CindyKz]

Diamond gobies (Valencienna puellaris) don't pair with shrimp.

 

[CuzzA]

I had a yellow tang eat a maxima clam. There are never any guarantees. Though I hate to break it to you, I guarantee that diamond goby will starve to death in that size tank. Perhaps it explains why it is resorting to trying to eat zoanthids.

They grow to 6" and have a voracious appetite, as evident from their constant foraging. I would recommend selling the fish to someone with a large sand bed foot print and refugium or at least trading it back to the fish store.

 

[Strawberry]

Thank you both for your input! After doing my own research, I agree with both of you. I do not think he was trying to eat the zoanthids, though. I feed him 3 times a day with frozen brine and crab cuisine high protein sinking pellets, as well as dosing pods and phyto. I think he was pecking the corals because he’s learned to gulp down their mucus and reef roids after I feed them! Such a smart fish. I guess I will be looking around at local fish stores for another sand sifter, as much as I hate to see him go. Any recommendations for a tank my size? 29g biocube (that seems smaller and smaller each day)

 

[CuzzA]

Thank you both for your input! After doing my own research, I agree with both of you. I do not think he was trying to eat the zoanthids, though. I feed him 3 times a day with frozen brine and crab cuisine high protein sinking pellets, as well as dosing pods and phyto. I think he was pecking the corals because he’s learned to gulp down their mucus and reef roids after I feed them! Such a smart fish. I guess I will be looking around at local fish stores for another sand sifter, as much as I hate to see him go. Any recommendations for a tank my size? 29g biocube (that seems smaller and smaller each day)

I don't know of a sand sifting species that would survive long term in a 29g. They sift because they are always eating. A sand sifting species that might do well is a court jester goby. They grow to a maximum of 3". And since they are captive bred you may have a better chance of getting it to eat frozen foods. They will also pick at little strips of nori you can attach to some rock on the sand. Live Aquaria sells Biota captive bred Court Jester gobies. Going Captive Bred can relieve your conscience a little if it doesn't last long term. Aquaculture Nursery Farms or Algae Barn sell Tisbe pods and if you haven't done so already I would seed the tank and perhaps add more every few months. You can also pick up this Brine Shrimp hatchery which is the best design I've seen yet. Feeding live brine will go a long way to the health of your fish and coral. The beauty of this hatchery is it's dirt simple to use. No air bubbler needed and no worry about eggs and shrimp mixed together.
You could make a little brine shrimp feeder like Paul B uses to get the brine down to the bottom of the tank. I think between all of those techniques that fish could do well long term in your tank.

Of course you could also consider a goby/pistol shrimp combo and the shrimp will keep your sand turned over pretty good. This would eliminate the challenge with sand sifting fish.

 

[Strawberry]

I don't know of a sand sifting species that would survive long term in a 29g. They sift because they are always eating. A sand sifting species that might do well is a court jester goby. They grow to a maximum of 3". And since they are captive bred you may have a better chance of getting it to eat frozen foods. They will also pick at little strips of nori you can attach to some rock on the sand. Live Aquaria sells Biota captive bred Court Jester gobies. Going Captive Bred can relieve your conscience a little if it doesn't last long term. Aquaculture Nursery Farms or Algae Barn sell Tisbe pods and if you haven't done so already I would seed the tank and perhaps add more every few months. You can also pick up this Brine Shrimp hatchery which is the best design I've seen yet. Feeding live brine will go a long way to the health of your fish and coral. The beauty of this hatchery is it's dirt simple to use. No air bubbler needed and no worry about eggs and shrimp mixed together.
You could make a little brine shrimp feeder like Paul B uses to get the brine down to the bottom of the tank. I think between all of those techniques that fish could do well long term in your tank.

Of course you could also consider a goby/pistol shrimp combo and the shrimp will keep your sand turned over pretty good. This would eliminate the challenge with sand sifting fish.

What pair would you recommend as far as a Goby and pistol shrimp pair? I think that would be best for my tank. I plan to add some sand as well, so that they can enjoy a deeper sand bed. And do you have a recommended vendor? My LFS probably doesn’t have those available. I am definitely going to purchase that brine shrimp feeder because it has great reviews and a reasonable price! Where do you purchase the eggs and hatch packs? I saw some for sale on Marine Depot’s page.

 

[CuzzA]

I don't have a vendor recommendation. I have a pair of yasha gobies with a randalli pistol and really enjoy them. I think they may do well in your system as they don't get too big and will come out and swim near the shrimp's burrow.

Also, keep in mind at some point your clown pair is going to dominate that tank and could become quite aggressive to other fish. I see a bigger tank in your future. ;Happy

 

[45ZoaGarden]

I agree that the diamond goby is not the right fish for a tank that small. As far as him nipping at the zoas, he probably saw pods crawling on them and saw it as an easy meal. I’ve seen my diamond goby hitting rocks that were close to the sand before. A Yellow watchman might be a good choice

 

[Strawberry]

Thanks to both of you. I do plan to get a larger tank as soon as possible. This tank was just a toe in the water and I’m already planning my next build! Hahaha. I do not plan on adding any other fish besides the goby and shrimp pair and I know the clowns will dominate the tank.

 

[CindyKz]

THis is totally another direction, but I have a 32 gal biocube. Along with a yellow head sleeper goby (a messy sand sifter, I don't really recommend) is a pink streaked wrasse. They are cool little fish and do great in a smaller tank.