Do you need sand in QT for diamond watchman goby?

[Dodgersfan]

I’m about to get a diamond goby this weekend and am going to do TTM, do I need to put a container of sand in with him? That’s a lot of sand to burn through, with 4 transfers then observation. Which has me wondering if the sand is necessary inQt.

 

[deedubz]

I'm sure he/she would appreciate it.
That said, I had prazipro resistant flukes and a velvet outbreak from some inverts I didn't qt. I ended up doing hyposalinity and ttm because I initially thought it was ich. I then had to do copper. Diamond goby went 4 weeks without sand and seemed just fine...Until he found a hole in my top (which I still can't find) and ended up on the floor. He had been hanging out in/around a PVC pipe and eating anything.

 

[Big G]

It will be fine without the sand. Could substitute a couple of pieces of PVC pipe fittings in there to give it some cover. My Pink Spot went through just fine a couple of months ago.

 

[Huff747]

I recently had one in QT and I had a small container of sand in with him and never saw him in or around it. But just like dwwataz mine found a hole in the top of a covered 10 gallon and I found him on the floor...

 

[Dodgersfan]

Well sounds like I need to double check the fit of my lid first and foremost... I will be putting several pieces of PVC in the qt.

I’m still not super excited about taking a bunch of sand out of my DT, is well rinsed play sand from home depot an option for quarantine? That’s cheap enough to just throw away every 3 days...

 

[deedubz]

Well sounds like I need to double check the fit of my lid first and foremost... I will be putting several pieces of PVC in the qt.

I’m still not super excited about taking a bunch of sand out of my DT, is well rinsed play sand from home depot an option for quarantine? That’s cheap enough to just throw away every 3 days...

I'm 99% that's what @Humblefish does. Definitely make sure that lid is locked down like Fort Knox.. I still have no idea how he did it

 

[eatbreakfast]

If he is eating readily then he will be fine without sand. If he is not eating readily then sand may be needed to elicit a response.

 

[Jesterrace]

I’m about to get a diamond goby this weekend and am going to do TTM, do I need to put a container of sand in with him? That’s a lot of sand to burn through, with 4 transfers then observation. Which has me wondering if the sand is necessary inQt.

They would be fine short term (ie QT) without, just make sure it is well fed since it isn't getting any organisms from filter feeding through sand.

 

[citymouse]

They would be fine short term (ie QT) without, just make sure it is well fed since it isn't getting any organisms from filter feeding through sand.

I'm planning on getting a goby once my QT is ready. I never thought of any of these things! What should the Goby be fed in a QT?

Also, didn't think about the escape artists that they are...I had one big one who managed to jump into the return and get sucked down into the sump, unfortunately onto a sponge where I found him dead there is less than an inch of space for him to have squeezed through.
My QT has gaps, the top doesn't fit perfectly, any suggestions on what to use to close those gaps? I just have a hang on the back filter, so there is a gap there that would be too big.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

My diamond Goby just came out of QT, and was fine with no sand. He took up residency under a piece of Pukani Rock that i use for my QT, and would come out to eat everytime I fed the tank so i knew he was OK.

 

[Steve_Skullsplitter0]

Well sounds like I need to double check the fit of my lid first and foremost... I will be putting several pieces of PVC in the qt.

I’m still not super excited about taking a bunch of sand out of my DT, is well rinsed play sand from home depot an option for quarantine? That’s cheap enough to just throw away every 3 days...

I don't think I would use sand from home depot... its pulverized rock from some quarry and not argonite or crush coral ...who knows what could be in it. IMO

 

[Big G]

What should the Goby be fed in a QT?

Mix up a fish smoothie: use several different frozen fish cubes like seaweed, mysis, cyclops, chopped clams, etc. Place into a tupperware container in the fridge allowing it to "slump" (thaw). Pour off the excess water. This will cut down on water changes. Mix and add some Selcon, Zoecon, etc. The mix will stay good in your fridge for a few days. The fish will love it.

 

[citymouse]

Mix up a fish smoothie: use several different frozen fish cubes like seaweed, mysis, cyclops, chopped clams, etc. Place into a tupperware container in the fridge allowing it to "slump" (thaw). Pour off the excess water. This will cut down on water changes. Mix and add some Selcon, Zoecon, etc. The mix will stay good in your fridge for a few days. The fish will love it.

Thanks! Sounds like I'd be putting more effort into the fishes meals than my own, lol. My dogs and cats already eat better than I do, why not the fish too?
Can you refreeze this to last longer? I'm only getting 2 Gobies, I'm not sure how many fish I can quarantine at once...I'm trying to tame myself...
But my plan is to get 2 gobies actual, not sure if they can be together though? they are going into 2 different tanks, a diamond back for my big tank and some kind of smaller one for a biocube where I also want a fire shrimp.
2 Tangs, one yellow and one yellow eyed kole.
snails and hermits
After this more fish for my 215, currently there are 2 clown fish in there who think they live in a mansion, 2 snail an about 10 hermit crabs.
My biocube has 2 clowns.

I'm guessing I should go slow, get the 2 tangs first, and wait until they move to the DT and then go from there...but I'm a little impatient.

 

[Idoc]

I had 2 jump in quarantine with no sand. Added sand for the 3rd one and he seemed happier focusing on moving the sand around all day while hiding in a small 1" pvc tube. I think the sand helped him feel secure and not jump. But, i also had the lid locked down on the 3rd once with no home cover than 1/8", lol.

 

[Big G]

Thanks! Sounds like I'd be putting more effort into the fishes meals than my own, lol. My dogs and cats already eat better than I do, why not the fish too?
Can you refreeze this to last longer? I'm only getting 2 Gobies, I'm not sure how many fish I can quarantine at once...I'm trying to tame myself...
But my plan is to get 2 gobies actual, not sure if they can be together though? they are going into 2 different tanks, a diamond back for my big tank and some kind of smaller one for a biocube where I also want a fire shrimp.
2 Tangs, one yellow and one yellow eyed kole.
snails and hermits
After this more fish for my 215, currently there are 2 clown fish in there who think they live in a mansion, 2 snail an about 10 hermit crabs.
My biocube has 2 clowns.

I'm guessing I should go slow, get the 2 tangs first, and wait until they move to the DT and then go from there...but I'm a little impatient.

Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

 

[citymouse]

I had 2 jump in quarantine with no sand. Added sand for the 3rd one and he seemed happier focusing on moving the sand around all day while hiding in a small 1" pvc tube. I think the sand helped him feel secure and not jump. But, i also had the lid locked down on the 3rd once with no home cover than 1/8", lol.

I need to find a way to cover the areas that are open, like near the filter, it's just a hang on the back filter so there is gap there and the top is slightly off. It's weird these bottom fish are notorious jumpers! I had a tiger Goby, he was big but I never saw him, he was always hiding. When I moved him into the bigger tank, he was out in the open more but I never once saw him venture away from the bottom, then I find him dead in the sump one day.

 

[citymouse]

Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

That's something I'm still trying to accept, lol. I've had a tank for 8 years, started with a 75g converted from fresh to salt, I never had a sump until I sized up to the 215, so that was all new to me. I had fresh water fish for years before this too, still have a 75g fresh with fish that just breed like rabbits!

 

[Idoc]

I need to find a way to cover the areas that are open, like near the filter, it's just a hang on the back filter so there is gap there and the top is slightly off. It's weird these bottom fish are notorious jumpers! I had a tiger Goby, he was big but I never saw him, he was always hiding. When I moved him into the bigger tank, he was out in the open more but I never once saw him venture away from the bottom, then I find him dead in the sump one day.

I used egg-crate with a nylon netting attached to it to block the holes. The second goby jumped through the little slit opening at the HOB filter! So, i cut a small piece of egg-crate that covered that slit and extended into the filter overflow a little. Then placed a couple heavy bottles on top to hold everything down.

But, i think the sand kept him occupied and made him feel safe. He took all the sand out of the container and buried the pvc tube and he stayed in the tube... only being out when i fed him. But, i used copper, not TTM. He's very happy in the main tank now.

 

[Big G]

I used egg-crate with a nylon netting attached to it to block the holes. The second goby jumped through the little slit opening at the HOB filter! So, i cut a small piece of egg-crate that covered that slit and extended into the filter overflow a little.

+1 ^^^ This exactly. 1/4" bird/bug mesh available at your garden supply works great. Just zip-tie it to the eggcrate. Works great.

 

[citymouse]

I used egg-crate with a nylon netting attached to it to block the holes. The second goby jumped through the little slit opening at the HOB filter! So, i cut a small piece of egg-crate that covered that slit and extended into the filter overflow a little. Then placed a couple heavy bottles on top to hold everything down.

But, i think the sand kept him occupied and made him feel safe. He took all the sand out of the container and buried the pvc tube and he stayed in the tube... only being out when i fed him. But, i used copper, not TTM. He's very happy in the main tank now.

My HOB filter has a big opening, I'm going to have to get creative like you did!
I also need to cover the overflow in my main tank, that's where my last Goby made his final jump to death, clearing the less than 1" gap between the lid and overflow. I have some screen left over from the tops, so I'm thinking zip ties.