Watchman Goby and snails

[HJ99]

We have a pink spot watchman goby. Doesn't do much except sit in or around a hole he made. I thought they were sand sifters but don't see much of that. I have seen it carrying small snails and dropping them. Now I notice a few empty shells right outside his lair. Are they known to eat snails ?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Do you have a pistol shrimp with it? They are the sandsifter of the pair.
Diamond gobies are the ones that do the digging.
As for the snails, I do not believe that they eat snails. It likely is finding dead shells and using those.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

they are not known sand sifters and they are not known snail eaters. They are perchers/watchers, hence the name lol. They build their cave under a rock and sit there and watch all day. The shells were likely empty already, its always possible it might have eaten the snail, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[SauceyReef]

A lot of watchmans do eat / sift sand but not very often or anything like a Diamond goby. The watchman definitely is not eating the snails

 

[Tired]

They don't eat snails, but they and the pistol shrimp may try to use live snails to build with, and will definitely take empty shells to build with.

Watchman gobies will occasionally pick up and sift a mouthful of sand, but it's not a main part of their diet. That's a good thing, though. Fish that feed mostly or entirely by sifting need a huge, established sandbed to stay healthy, and will strip the beneficial microfauna from the sand as they do.

 

[James_O]

Diamond gobies are the ones that do the digging.

Except for mine. He does nothing but sit around all day. ;Hilarious

 

[HJ99]

Thanks for the replies. The descriptions definitely fit this guy. Food has to practically fall in front of him. Does have the shells sort of stacked like a wall in front of his hole. Come to think of it, they are probably the 5 that I got from saltwaterfish that looked DOA.

 

[Tired]

Give him more shell bits and pebbles, and you'll see him build with them. They're clever architects, for fish.

 

[James_O]

Thanks for the replies. The descriptions definitely fit this guy. Food has to practically fall in front of him. Does have the shells sort of stacked like a wall in front of his hole. Come to think of it, they are probably the 5 that I got from saltwaterfish that looked DOA.

He might be trying to make a cave/den, which is totally normal.

 

[Gup]

I bought my first Yellow Watchman goby, a baby. And it's just the neatest thing. I put him in the dark tank tonight, when right to the nearest shelf & stretched out his fins

 

[KozyTRMNDS]

My YWG and Pistol shrimp have a craving for snails. Witnessed both attacking snails. My shrimp is quick at ripping them out and my watchman seems to have gotten a taste for them due to my shrimp sharing food with him.

 

[Tired]

Are they getting enough food?