Engineer goby compulsive buy..HELP!

[mort]

There is so much confusion about this fish in terms of how big they grow. I'm not sure if it's because they have the potential to get enormous but most don't but I've seen anywhere from 6-36" listed.
I knew someone who had two in a 9ft reef and when we caught them to move them to an upgrade they were well over 2ft long and as thick as your arm. They were gentle giants and never hurt anything but the tank was massively over fed. The tank had a rock wall along the whole back and they built a network of tunnels along the whole length, pulling in all the sand from the front, so engineers is a good name.

 

[ThePurple12]

I wouldnt worry about it eating your fish. Mine shares its burrow with my two 1 1/2 watchman gobies.

 

[DSC reef]

I will add that the engineer gobies did not eat the other fish but killed them. Two of the kills I witnessed myself. Very cool fish but there are always risks.

 

[jd371]

The first time I saw one was at one of the lfs in their big display tank. I asked them what kind of eel is this and was surprised when they told me it was an Engineer goby. I knew they got big and was expecting around 12" max, this one was near 24".

 

[Dragon52]

The one I had killed himself by digging up to much sand under some rocks & one of them fell on top of him over night. CUC finished it off. Never again!

 

[Saltfishonly]

Those guys are beautiful! Who knew?! I have never seen them.

I know right!!!! Now that I think about it Petco did have a full grown one but I could of swear he was a eel!! But after reading the replies from everyone my mind is at ease...they are really cool ! I will be calling my duo “the twins” lol cause they are burrowed together right now and was eating next to each other picking their heads out

 

[fredk]

I'll echo what others have written. I kept one in a 65g for two years until I had to tear it down. It was about 10" at teardown.

Over that time it built a tunnel network throughout the entire tank. I never really saw it outside its burrow so I figured it used the tunnels to get around.

Make sure your rock is fully supported down to the bottom of the tank. I put all my rocks on acrylic 'legs', so it was no issue to me.

Their natural food source is unknown from what I have read. I've seen claims they will eat small fish, but have never in 20 years read of a first hand account of this.

Mine was very cryptic and never bothered any fish.

 

[najer]

As above, stable rockwork, mine eats anything and doesn't bother anything, gorgeous fish.

 

[Saltfishonly]

As above, stable rockwork, mine eats anything and doesn't bother anything, gorgeous fish.

Very happy to hear positive things..will these little guys ever come out ? Sometimes I worry when I feed so I direct feed them..I’m slowly weaning off though Cause I was y to see them get a little more confident when food comes..also I don’t want them to starve

 

[najer]

Very happy to hear positive things..will these little guys ever come out ? Sometimes I worry when I feed so I direct feed them..I’m slowly weaning off though Cause I was y to see them get a little more confident when food comes..also I don’t want them to starve

They will get more confident, mine got confident enough to come fully out at feed time with everyone else.
Got as in I still have it but it got evicted by my cave gobies so now lives in my cryptic end!

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I have a good amount of sand due to my wrasse and diamond goby I’ve seen they are peaceful but also I read in adult hood they will turn and eat what ever can fit in their mouth so this makes me concerned one some of the smaller fish I have like

my hawk
Diamond goby
Midus blenny
Sand hopper
And my clown fish

And plus there is 2 of them
so should I be worried???

whay was your growth rate of experience in 2 years please share to ease my mind

They are super cool, peaceful fish. I have had mine 4+ years now and he has never bothered anyone. They stick to their burrows but will move a ton of sand around so as previously suggested make sure your rock work is bullet proof.

Don't worry about how fast they grow, think it took a year to reach about a foot. I would not say he is HUGE, lol he is long but not giant. But really. You will love them. I wish both of mine had lived. I would love to have a pair!