Regretting our decision

[Teaman89]

My Wife and I wanted to get a Sand Sifting Diamond Goby for our nano 24 gal. So we did. The next day we couldn’t find him so we figured he was just being shy. That following Saturday I did a water change. As I was cleaning my sponge filter in the back Lo and behold there’s the goby chilling in the back. So I got him out and put him in the main display. Awesome right... WRONG I am regretting my decision on even buying one. He is really nice but man he is making a MESS of our tank. Guess he is doing what he is supposed to do but I didn’t think to this extent. He has burrowed under all my rock. The tank has been cloudy “dirty” looking even since. My wife wants me to give him a week before I take him out to see if he will mellow out a little. For his sake I hope he does.

 

[James M]

That’s just what they do. They create sandstorms and leave pile of sand everywhere

 

[Doglips56]

At least he’s stayed in. Our first one we couldn’t find the very next morning and it had jumped out a small space in the back of the tank. About 6 weeks later we got another one. Put him in the QT with an eggcrate screen plus a fitted solid lid and it also managed to get out a tiny cord opening so I’ve given up on them but they are really cool fish.

 

[F i s h y]

Over time the dust will filter out and the cloudiness will disipate. But he will never stop doing what he does....

 

[Rjmul]

Honestly he might starve in a 24 gallon. I bought one too and immediately regretted it. He wouldn't eat frozen anything for three days. Fourth morning I found him on the floor

 

[Teaman89]

Honestly he might starve in a 24 gallon. I bought one too and immediately regretted it. He wouldn't eat frozen anything for three days. Fourth morning I found him on the floor

When I was feeding my other fish Mysis he went to town on it. Lawnmower blennys aren’t this bad. Shoulda held out. Lol live and learn.

 

[jsvand5]

When I was feeding my other fish Mysis he went to town on it. Lawnmower blennys aren’t this bad. Shoulda held out. Lol live and learn.

I had one in my 210. Ate great along with my other fish but still only made it about 6 months. Just not a great aquarium fish IMO.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi, sorry for the trouble.

I would try to re-home or trade him at a LFS. If you are not super happy, better to get a fish you are happy with. Also we don’t want him getting hurt. They can get big and are active as you have seen.

I have had mine a few years in my 180. This is one of those fish you buy for a joband go in ready for their habits. I love mine. I saw him today making a new cave. A crab walked in, next thing in see is him swimming out with the crab in his mouth and he dumps the crab in the corner of the tank. I laughed.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Keep that little devil, fun to watch being such an active sandsifting fish. I love my guy, the dust will chill out after he makes a few hide a holes. I have two species of this bugger

 

[Teaman89]

Thanks for the the feed back. I will see how it goes in a week. Worst case I will trade him in at a saltwater pet store.

 

[Jefdav84]

I didn't have a chance to even enjoy mine. I brought one home yesterday from my LFS. I drip acclimate, put him in the tank. I go back a few hours later to check on him, and nowhere in sight. I thought oh maybe he is just scared and hiding. I just happen to look down at the floor and there he was just laying there.

 

[naterealbig]

Sand is mad clean tho

 

[canadianeh]

Yeah I got one in the past and since I am a bit of a perfectionist I didn’t enjoy it when he built sand dune everywhere. I will not get one for my current build.

 

[james30ct]

They get pretty big also.

 

[New&no clue]

I have one in my 75. I call him demon goby... he buries corals, knocks things over, moves sand from one side to the other. However, my sand is always clean. I moved the majority of the corals that we’re on the sand off, and once he FINALLY found a burrow he seems like he calmed down... some.

 

[Rjmul]

When I was feeding my other fish Mysis he went to town on it. Lawnmower blennys aren’t this bad. Shoulda held out. Lol live and learn.

If he's eating, that's good. You're wayyy ahead Of the ball. If that's the case I'd probably just let him be. Like someone else said, eventually he'll get settled into a hole or two and might start to cloud the tank up less. I have an engineer goby who is getting pretty big. He only really clouds the tank up about once a week. Other then that, he's pretty settled in.

 

[OrionN]

@Teaman89
You can use some research before you buy the animals for sure. Live and learn.
You will also need to return that Sailfin tang in your 24 gal tank soon too. Either that or get a huge tank 250+
We all make mistake when we are new. I remember put a Sailfin tang in my 90 gal way back when. He outgrew that tank in a hurry.
24 gal tank should not have any tang in it, or you risk getting arrest by the Tang Police.

 

[snowhite]

We had a bella goby that would constantly spray sand 5 to 6" up on Live Rock covering everything in that area. Zoa's, Mushrooms, a Trachy Brain... everything. It eventually was sent to my wife's 75 gallon Fowler tank where there was less for it to ruin.

 

[PilotOfSubmarines]

good luck. Mine hasn't settled down yet. He's been in for 2 months now. He is constantly moving apartments in the tank too. He burrows under my corals, uses half clam shells for his building purposes, etc. Little particles of sand are forever floating around. He is the spitting image of the devil himself. He is fun to watch and I love him.....love to hate him that is.

I would never get rid of him, but I wouldn't buy another one either.

The only thing that he hasn't done, yet, is put sand in his mouth and fly around the tank dropping it...He does however love to spit sand all over my zoas. If I didn't have a cover he would have jumped out 15 times already too.

 

[snowhite]

The only thing that he hasn't done, yet, is put sand in his mouth and fly around the tank dropping it...He does however love to spit sand all over my zoas. If I didn't have a cover he would have jumped out 15 times already too.

Ours was constantly doing the flying around barnstorming sand onto everything. Hung out in the top 1/3 of tank with Damsel's... it really thought it was something. Ended up meeting it's end due to some unknown means. All was fine in that tank. No one else died. a large piece of Live Rock might have fell on him and trapped him. Honestly we never found him from wife telling me "oh, I haven't seen the Bella Goby in a week or so"... Couldn't have jumped as that tank is jumpproof due to wife's obsessions with Wrasses.