Sand Sifters

[Yuki Rihwa]

My previous diamond goby compete with other fishes for frozen food like mysis shrimp, brine shrimp in open water column at feeding time and return to the sand bed for its normal duty after that and its actually first one came up near water surface when I'm near the tank.

 

[cracker]

Cool, I'm hearing good things about Diamond goby's. it's a larger fish will eat a wide variety of stuff.
Thanks for letting me tag my query with yours iempartacus !

 

[iemsparticus]

Cool, I'm hearing good things about Diamond goby's. it's a larger fish will eat a wide variety of stuff.
Thanks for letting me tag my query with yours iempartacus !

Of course!

 

[George Lopez]

Ok so not sure if this is better in the fish forum or the inverts forum, because it involves both.

I’m looking to get some better sand sifting going in than what I’ve got. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef, with 6 or so Nassarius Snails and 5 or 6 hermit crabs... and 6 or so Ceriths (that I am aware occasionally will sift through some sand).

I’m not sure if I would be looking at sand sifting gobies, more snails/crabs, starfish, etc... my sand bed is 2.5-3” deep.

Ideas?

Sand sifting gobies work great... but can also be a pain because of that, they like to cover things up if its on the sand and move things around

 

[madweazl]

Would he hurt anything with corals on the sand bed? I have mostly lps and they're growing out directly on the bottom. I had to get rid of my sleeper goby because he tried to kill every coral I have.

Anything is possible; if the corals are laying on top of the sand and not anchored to a rock below it (or another solid surface), the diamond goby will grab sand from underneath it at some point and possibly knock it over or leave it half buried in the sand. They typically grab a mouthful of sand and sift it in place so the danger is the corals being moved.

 

[iemsparticus]

Well, I went ahead and picked up a pair of Orange Spotted Gobies with a Red Banded Pistol Shrimp from DD... I’ll also be getting some additional Snails sooner rather than later... we’ll see how this goes.

 

[madweazl]

I couldnt have a tank without a goby/pistol pair, they're just awesome to watch. Be sure all of your main rock structures are on the glass vice on the sand though; they will go under every piece of rock in your tank eventually (usually far sooner than later).

 

[S.O.MLemos]

I had a diamond goby for quite awhile and he did an amazing job at cleaning all the sand but unfortunately he was just a little to active and constantly made small mountains of sand while building his caves, and he was never happy with just one cave and it was only a 37 gallon. So I gave him to a friend. I wasn’t able to have corals down low because of him but in a 120 gallon you probably won’t have those issues. My buddies gold headed sleeper goby does a good job too and is pretty. Sand sifting starfish and nassarius snails do just fine for me in my 55 and no caves and mountains. Kinda want an orange spot goby because they are slightly smaller but still afraid of a mess. Wish I had room for a 120 gallon, you have a lot more options and room.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Diamond gobies and orange spotted gobies are two different species. Diamond gobies are sand sifters will sift sand and not pr with a pistol shrimp, orange spotted gobies are watchman gobies so will probably with shrimp, but not sift sand.

 

[Renelope]

Ahhh a diamond goby would fit the bill However I just read they feed off the fauna that live in the sand. I'd be concerned about supplying a proper diet.

My watchman also ate pellet food that sank to the bottom, so it wasn’t a problem for me. He and my blenny fought each other to the death though, so I’m looking to get another one...

 

[Renelope]

any suggestions for a large growing sand goby in a big FO tank?

My diamond watchman was about 4-5” long

 

[S.O.MLemos]

Diamond gobies and orange spotted gobies are two different species. Diamond gobies are sand sifters will sift sand and not pr with a pistol shrimp, orange spotted gobies are watchman gobies so will probably with shrimp, but not sift sand.

Well that’s good to know but every time I see an orange spotted at the LFS they seem to be sifting? Maybe they are just moving the sand I guess. Also aren’t they called diamond watchman gobies? I still consider myself a beginner so I always love the knowledge from you pros. I love all gobies and blennies because of their personalities. I just bought a rainford and they say they are small sand sifters but I haven’t seen it although I was happy to see him nipping at my GHA . (Sorry to interrupt your thread btw)

 

[Zack K]

He likes to move it to where he wants it. Enough Said:

 

[iemsparticus]

Diamond gobies and orange spotted gobies are two different species. Diamond gobies are sand sifters will sift sand and not pr with a pistol shrimp, orange spotted gobies are watchman gobies so will probably with shrimp, but not sift sand.

I’ve got a Diamond Goby coming as well.

 

[kinetic]

Any suggestions for a 24”x20” tank footprint with about 1.5” of sand? I think a diamond goby would be too much?

 

[Signalhead]

I have one horse shoe crab and it works well..

 

[eatbreakfast]

Well that’s good to know but every time I see an orange spotted at the LFS they seem to be sifting? Maybe they are just moving the sand I guess. Also aren’t they called diamond watchman gobies? I still consider myself a beginner so I always love the knowledge from you pros. I love all gobies and blennies because of their personalities. I just bought a rainford and they say they are small sand sifters but I haven’t seen it although I was happy to see him nipping at my GHA . (Sorry to interrupt your thread btw)

That can be one of the problems with common names vs their Latin name. Some species can be called a few different common names, or a LFS calls a fish one thing because somebody misidentified a fish.

Diamond goby, Valencienna puellaris, a sand sifter, will not pr with pistil shrimp.

Orange spotted goby, Amblyeleotris guttatus, a watchman goby that prs with a pistol shrimp, but not a sand sifter.

 

[VP616]

Babylonia snails do a pretty good job of burrowing and sifting through sand, especially around feeding times, without the sand mound effects of a goby. Exercise caution if you have clams, though. Had both goby and Babylonia snails before and the sandbed was always clean.

 

[rocsec1]

My diamond made a habit of burying every coral on the sand bad. In my new tank I am not going to have one. I would really like to, but I like the corals on the sand bed better.

 

[jpcrash1]

Love my diamond goby.Keeps sand clean and fun to watch.