Diamond goby thoughts

[Luan B.]

Hello,

I was looking to get a diamond goby but need a second opinion on this since I could only find mixed opinions online.

The only reason I want one is his sand shifting capability but I wonder if would be able to “clean” 2-3mm sand grain size.
Also I have a strombus conch and wonder if could starve because of it.

My tank is a Red Sea 425xl with 1” 1/2 - 2” thick sand bed - still a bit new for a decent microbiome but I would be feeding direct in the sand

 

[Privateye]

I love diamond gobies. They do a great job, and they stay put while sifting sand. Some other gobies swim around with a mouthful of sand, cropdusting your rock and coral.

As for the sand grains, 3mm is kind of large for a small goby, but diamond gobies can get over 6". A large one should have no trouble. So it may depend on the size of the individual. They prefer finer stuff though. They let fine grains sift through their gills, and they spit out larger ones.

Not sure about the conch though.

 

[Zodiac]

Definitely get a large diamond goby or any of the Valenciennea genus. If you get them at a LFS, watch and see if he's working (sifting).

425 x 1-2" of sand is a lot of real estate to cover for one goby, unless you dont have enough livestock in your tank they (goby + conch) should have their hands full.

 

[Gundy]

I have a fairly large diamond goby in my 380 and he is very fun to watch and is constantly sand sifting. Great fish.