Which Goby?

[reefracer]

I had a Yellow Headed Goby once that I did not like because he would take the sand up and release in the water column resulting in everything in the tank getting covered with sand. I like the little creatures and would like to have one, is there one of the many type who will clean the sand and not drop out over corals and rock?

 

[Toolman]

I can watch my diamondback for hours he is the hardest worker in the tank well worth the sand that gets repositioned use a turkey baster to blow off the sand when you do your weekley changes. Look at all the bad stuff he sturs up that gets filtered out :mrgreen:

 

[baddfish]

They really are worth the trouble IMO...at first it annoyed me how much sand mine spread around, and he digs out a basement under all the rocks sitting on the sand. But when I realized how much crap he eats and keeps suspended in the water column, the sprayed sand, dunes and valleys in the sand (which I like) aren't as annoying. He's very good at seeking out little pockets of detrius and eating/spewing it into the water...which I'm pretty sure is a good thing.

 

[reefracer]

Come on there's lots of gobies other than diamonds and yellow heads, I have been told that some just pick up sand sift it and drop it without swimming up and dropping out to drift back down all over. Does anyone have experience with that kind, I'd had to think I have to rely on the LFS for the truth :) lol

 

[AmberSunrise]

I also have a diamond watchman and he doesnt spit sand all over the place. He moves it around and keeps it aerated though which I think is fantastic I never have muck just sitting around.
My LFS has about 4 different kinds of sandsifters I really wanted to get a Twin spot one he was really awesome looking but was worried they would just fight.

 

[reefracer]

I think Diamonds are cool, thanks for the info. how about any others?

 

[Dana42078]

I love my yellow watchamn goby. He's a fattie and pearches up on corals and stares at me. Ive always wanted a Dracula goby but could never afford it...a buddy of mine had an engineer goby that made mountains with his substate lol...theres alot to choose from out there.

 

[Ace5high]

Ive got a few, and all have very different personalities. I love my Gold Head goby but the dropping of sand all over my corals does get old pretty quick...

Check out the pink spotted goby's, their pretty neat. I also have a lawnmower , and yellow watchmen and everybody gets along great. Actually all of them share a large burrow together except the lawnmower.

 

[ErinCahir]

The lawnmower is actually a blenny, not a goby.
But I also suggest a yellow watchman goby.

 

[reefracer]

Thanks to all for sharing about your experiences this is the kind of feedback that all who are interested can benifit from. I would like for others who keep Gobies to share their successes and failures. I had a orange spot one time but unfortunately he went carpet surfing, now I have a screen over the tank so that is no longer an issue. There are different types of Gobies I am learning, some stay low on the bottom and sift, others rise up the water column and drop out the sand but I forget what the term for that type is. How about longevity? I have read lots of fish starve after cleaning the sand. How about some more?

 

[Ace5high]

How about longevity? I have read lots of fish starve after cleaning the sand. How about some more?

Well, if they are being properly cared for they should live many years like most fish would Id think. The only way a fish could starve is if the owner is unknowledgeable about fish they are buying and dont feed enough or the correct foods... These people should find another hobby. Im not at all suggesting your one of them :Cheers: Im just saying this does happen pretty often in this hobby...

For example, I know I cant keep a Mandarin dragonet right now because my tank is new and not well enough established to provide the proper food/nutrition for one, so I wait for a year :-)

 

[Waddi]

I'd say Yellow Watchmen, Love em! :D

 

[reefracer]

I understand and agree to what you're saying about being knowledgeable about your fish, that's why I'm doing this research. I have read in various posts and on some online fish sites about certain species may starve in tanks even while taking prepared food. That's all, just asking who has had which fish with success long term, thanks for your reply.:)

 

[Ace5high]

Interesting that you read that, I personally haven't heard of that before but would be curious to hear from other who have had them for a while.

Here is something I pulled off a webpage regarding gold headed, and pink spotted gobies and a few others.

"They will feed off the bottom sifting through the sand. The diet should consist of a variety of live and frozen brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, live black worms, and prepared foods for carnivores. It should be fed frequently."

Many of them are carnivores so if they are not being fed meaty foods often they could starve I suppose. I dont even feed mine "That" often but I may increase their meaty intake after what Ive been reading, lol

 

[baddfish]

My yellow head sleeper eats half of the greens I try to feed to my new foxface. I don't see how that dude could starve...he's probably the fattest guy in my tank!

 

[reefracer]

Thanks Badfish I'm glad you are having success with the yellow head sleeper. Question about him, does he sift and stay low or rise up in the water column to drop the sand? That is something else I am trying to find out about the different sifters, thanks.

 

[baddfish]

From what I read before I got him, I assumed he would stay around the bottom sifting sand, but that isn't the case...
He constantly has a plume of sand behind him, and he can't stand to see a patch of detrius in the tank. He's a very friendly free-swimmer, and uses the whole bottom 3/4 of the tank to swim around in...he's very entertaining and hardworking.

That said, I would probably have a problem with him if I had a lot of corals in the bottom third of the tank. He does spew sand over a lot of the tank, and can be a little obsessed with taking all the sand out from underneath the rocks. Sometimes he'll get a big mouthful of sand and cruise over the rocks like a crop duster, which can be a little annoying. At first I had the turkey baster out a lot, but I stopped fighting it.
IMO though, he's a great addition to my tank.

 

[ErinCahir]

I have one of these
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Orangemarked Goby

He stays at the bottom almost constantly. If he does come up, it is always for feeding time.

 

[sweetobsolete]

I have a pink spotted goby. I think he's wonderful. I don't have sand, I have like crushed coral at the bottom, and he's always digging little ditches in it and tunnels under the rocks for himself. He is still pretty shy but when he does come out I see him eating up stuff in the sand, stirring it around, then going back and forth from his favorite burrowing spot. He mostly stays in that spot (on the bottom), but comes out to say hi sometimes.

 

[reefracer]

I thank everyone for contributing to this post and I hope others will give up some comments about their gobies :) I am still not for sure which one or pair I'll be getting but I enjoy hearing about your experiences and I'm sure others do as well. Again thanks for posting.