Diamond gobies for no flow pockets? Corals?

[NancyFish]

Originally skipped diamond gobies because I like covering the sand in coral. But my rock towers create really difficult flow pockets and honestly I hate cleaning the sand because the nooks are hard to get. I also have 24” high tank, so even blowing the sand, a lot resettles.

Would a diamond goby help with all these nooks and crannies of dead pocket flow between towers in the tank? Should raising LPs 2-3” off the sand be enough?

are they healthier for the tank long term in a situation like this? Or if I don’t mind the dirty sand look it doesn’t make much difference?

 

[steveschuerger]

I had a diamond goby . Wasn’t worth it to me as like you said, have coral on the sand. Yes the sand will pristine. But it’ll also look like the dunes of the Sahara and your precious coral buried.

 

[NancyFish]

I had a diamond goby . Wasn’t worth it to me as like you said, have coral on the sand. Yes the sand will pristine. But it’ll also look like the dunes of the Sahara and your precious coral buried.

Dunes of sahara lol. Yeah that was my trade up. Do I want pristine sand and need drag racks or leave them and skip him.

Just lately I’m wondering if it’s healthier for the tank. If you didn’t have one would you stress about dead flow zones, my tube the vacuum barely gets around my rocks to try and clean without knocking stuff down.

 

[Jamie9]

Have you tried Nassarius snails? That could possibly work for you as well.

 

[NancyFish]

Have you tried Nassarius snails? That could possibly work for you as well.

We have a bunch of snails and a Diana conch, sand bed isn’t even that large. Smaller footprint than a 40 and then topped with platform rock taking up a good bit — but it creates a lot of hard to reach/flow spots

 

[Cthulukelele]

Definitely don't get a diamond goby in a 40 gallon tank. It will absolutely starve. It may take months-a year, but it will starve.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Do you have very fine sand? If so a much smaller sand sifter or non obligate sand sifter might work, but they probably won't do exactly what you want which is completely strip and turn over all your sand all the time

 

[X-37B]

Definitely don't get a diamond goby in a 40 gallon tank. It will absolutely starve. It may take months-a year, but it will starve.

Why will it starve if fed?

 

[Cthulukelele]

Why will it starve if fed?

Definitely is overstating it, but more often than not they don't reliably take prepared foods, and a 40 gallon tank is never going to sustain them if they aren't taking prepared foods. I agree with you that "definitely" is overstating it as I said though. I should have gone with "more often than not"

 

[X-37B]

I have 3 gobies in different systems and have had diamond gobies before.
Yellow headed sleeper in my 35 keeps the sand clean and moves it from under rocks to the glass where it builds up. I use a rod to move it back every couple of weeks.
The only issue is the amount of sand they distributes across the system. It will be everywhere.
Mine is in a nem tank with 4 nems and a large hammer. I use a turkey basket to blow off the sand and coral.

I have a dragon goby in my 50. It does the same thing.

I have a Transparent Cave goby in my 15. It does not mouth the sand but moves it around with its tail.

Cave goby

 

[zwalter38]

It depends on your tank size but a footprint less then a 40 is probably flirting with the line of too small. I’ve seen recommendations of 2’x2’, but I have had great luck with sand sifting stars. Keep the sand clean and don’t bother the corals on the sand, they just move around them. I have two in a 135 and they are awesome. I would get input from others on if your tank is suitable for one.

 

[NancyFish]

Definitely don't get a diamond goby in a 40 gallon tank. It will absolutely starve. It may take months-a year, but it will starve

It’s a 65, but tall, so that’s what I meant by a footprint. Not sure if that makes a difference in your opinion

 

[NancyFish]

I have 3 gobies in different systems and have had diamond gobies before.
Yellow headed sleeper in my 35 keeps the sand clean and moves it from under rocks to the glass where it builds up. I use a rod to move it back every couple of weeks.
The only issue is the amount of sand they distributes across the system. It will be everywhere.
Mine is in a nem tank with 4 nems and a large hammer. I use a turkey basket to blow off the sand and coral.

I have a dragon goby in my 50. It does the same thing.

I have a Transparent Cave goby in my 15. It does not mouth the sand but moves it around with its tail.

Cave goby

How high up do corals need to be to avoid sand being tossed on them?

 

[X-37B]

It’s a 65, but tall, so that’s what I meant by a footprint. Not sure if that makes a difference in your opinion

Tank size is fine. Just make sure it's eating at the lfs and your fine.

 

[NancyFish]

It depends on your tank size but a footprint less then a 40 is probably flirting with the line of too small. I’ve seen recommendations of 2’x2’, but I have had great luck with sand sifting stars. Keep the sand clean and don’t bother the corals on the sand, they just move around them. I have two in a 135 and they are awesome. I would get input from others on if your tank is suitable for one.

I haven’t really looked into them but will. Originally I wasn’t looking into the goby, but I was thinking it would be healthier for the whole tank since so much gunk builds up in random spots.

 

[Cthulukelele]

It’s a 65, but tall, so that’s what I meant by a footprint. Not sure if that makes a difference in your opinion

they will only use the footprint of the tank, so to the diamond goby they're the same size. That said, you CAN have success. It's just pretty uncommon long term--especially with diamond gobies. If you have pretty fine grain sand bullet gobies tend to take prepared food better and will still sift sand as long as your sand grain is fine. Also not who you asked, but my bullet goby will oftentimes take a mouthful of sand and walk up a random rock dumping it all the way up. So it's basically just a gradient with them to the top of the tank. Higher = less sand, but sand gets dispersed everywhere for me and I have to manually spray it down lower periodically

 

[X-37B]

How high up do corals need to be to avoid sand being tossed on them?

Well that's subjective since all fish habits are different.
They can grab a mouthfull of sand go to the surface spewing sand as they go.
In my 50 I have to blow the frags daily to keep it off.

 

[NancyFish]

they will only use the footprint of the tank, so to the diamond goby they're the same size. That said, you CAN have success. It's just pretty uncommon long term--especially with diamond gobies. If you have pretty fine grain sand bullet gobies tend to take prepared food better and will still sift sand as long as your sand grain is fine. Also not who you asked, but my bullet goby will oftentimes take a mouthful of sand and walk up a random rock dumping it all the way up. So it's basically just a gradient with them to the top of the tank. Higher = less sand, but sand gets dispersed everywhere for me and I have to manually spray it down lower periodically

I heard Bella gobies do the same, just swim up and toss out there. I’d be too paranoid about all the euyphyllia getting stressed.

Do you think skipping them all, is it bad to leave a lot of detritus or build up in the crevices - or it’s mainly aesthetic?

 

[X-37B]

I heard Bella gobies do the same, just swim up and toss out there. I’d be too paranoid about all the euyphyllia getting stressed.

Do you think skipping them all, is it bad to leave a lot of detritus or build up in the crevices - or it’s mainly aesthetic?

Get a Transparent Cave goby. They stay close to the sand and would be a good fit.
My 15 and I never have an issue since it does not mouth the sand.

 

[Jamie9]

How are your powerheads set up? Maybe post a tank photo here? It's possible you could get at this a different way if adjusting your flow wouldn't cause problems with whatever coral you've already got in there. For example, I've also got a deep cube tank. I have a gap between my rocks and the back wall, and a powerhead mounted low that sweeps across the back...it introduces a bit of an eddy that sort of sucks the detritus out from the arch at the base of my rock and keeps the back clear, then I have a powerhead up high on the other side that seems to keep the front pretty clear (and its easier for me to use the turkey baster in the front if I notice something piling up.)