Sand Sifting Gobies: Are they worth keeping? Your Favorite?

[flashsmith]

I just purchased a diamond goby 2 weeks ago. I had a makeshift lid on my tank while I'm waiting for mine to be built and shipped. He still found a way to get out and I woke up to him dried up on the floor. I'm debating on getting another one when I receive my lid. Does anyone know of a better sand sifter that won't bother my corals?

Don't do it. I've lost 4 in the last year. All carpet surfing. I have a clear view lid on my reefer 625 and the IM lids on my IM tanks have 2 of those. They always seem to find a way to jump out. I've moved on to Nasarius snails and conchs for keeping the sand bed clean. They put in work are interesting to watch.

 

[Coby333]

Don't do it. I've lost 4 in the last year. All carpet surfing. I have a clear view lid on my reefer 625 and the IM lids on my IM tanks have 2 of those. They always seem to find a way to jump out. I've moved on to Nasarius snails and conchs for keeping the sand bed clean. They put in work are interesting to watch.

Ok thanks!! Thats what I'll do as well

 

[doubleshot00]

I didn't know that, but I'm glad I do now!

I used egg crate under my rock to so I don’t think i want that exposed to.

 

[codenfx]

Really wanted one but decided not to, rather not deal with the corals eating sand or moved around. Definitely interesting to watch though.

 

[Grimmj]

Love my diamond. Always out during the day then tucks himself at night under the gate. Funny thing is he didn't give 2 craps about the pistol shrimp, but there is a brittle star living under it with him.

 

[Starganderfish]

Always been a huge fan of sand sifters. A good Goby, decent flow and the right snails and you don’t need to siphon or stir the bed.
I struggled to find anything in Australia recently when starting my new tank and ended up with what the store called a “Chocolate Goby” (Amblygobius Palawan). I was keptical at first as it’s not a common choice but it’s a powerhouse. Constantly scooping up sand and sifting it. Does my whole sand bed every day or two. He also happily takes pellets, frozen food and even snacks on algae occasionally so I have no worries about him starving. He’s a big fella, looks like a bullet and moves around the tank a lot. Only downside is that as he’s gotten more comfortable he’s started the old goby trick of scooping sand and drifting up and across the tank, dribbling sand as he goes. He seems to particularly enjoy sprinkling it on my elegance coral and my zoa rock and neither are enjoying the attention.
It’s annoying but a sand sifting goby is too important a member of the clean-up crew to do without.

 

[Starganderfish]

Love my diamond. Always out during the day then tucks himself at night under the gate. Funny thing is he didn't give 2 craps about the pistol shrimp, but there is a brittle star living under it with him.

I love that Stargate!!! So cool. Just needs a little MALP stuck in the sand.

 

[Jeffcb]

While they are working they do great.

Diamond goby's don't seem to live long.

I bought one 4 weeks ago. Put it in the Reefer 250 and have never seen it again.

 

[PeterEde]

I've had 2 larger sleeper sand sifters. I call mine the interior decorator. He covers everything ins snow/ My rocks look like a christmas scene. So unless you are ok with everything sand covered I would say no to the larger goby. But he's great at cleaning the sand

 

[Starganderfish]

Don't forget Rainsford's they sift sand and they are incredibly cute.

I have a Rainsford. He’s cool but barely sifts at all. Occasionally pecks at the sand or the rocks. He was supposed to be clean up crew but is basically ornamental. He eats pellets and frozen food happily though which was my biggest concern with the Rainsford.

Diamond watchman goby, constant sand/debris storm, no thanks not again.

The haziness and blowing sand either clean up relatively quickly or your sand is too fine. Mine drops sand but there's no haze. In fact, every couple of months I'll take a stick and stir up the sandbed manually and nothing ever comes out. I never siphon the bed - it's all on the Goby and the Nassarius snails.

I answered other.
It depends on your fish and coral -cape.
A diamondback will dump sand all over the place burying coral and rocks. So, if you have low lying corals, I will say no.
But if you have a FOWLER then definitely yes. Although beware, some species like the bullet goby willonly clean their area not the whole tank (even the more aggressive cleaner, the diamondback, will specialize in one area).

I think "Bullet goby" is another name for what I have? (Amblygobius phalaena) Mine is a powerhouse who cleans EVERYwhere, but my tanks only 20 gal so he may think the whole thing is his territory?

Don't do it. I've lost 4 in the last year. All carpet surfing. I have a clear view lid on my reefer 625 and the IM lids on my IM tanks have 2 of those. They always seem to find a way to jump out. I've moved on to Nasarius snails and conchs for keeping the sand bed clean. They put in work are interesting to watch.

Hmmn, I've never had a sand-sifter carpet surf. Fire Goby absolutely but none of the sifters. Had a Gold Headed Sleeper die in my last tank (a 4 footer) but I think that was from the black sand substrate - it was quite fine and very sharp.
My Amblygobius phalaena is big and can move fairly quick but doesn't have the rapid panicked darting of smaller Goby's that tend to jump.

The hard part with clean-up crews is balancing the benefits of each member with the problems they cause. I combine a sand-sifting Goby with a heap of Nassarius for the sand-bed, turbo's for the glass and rocks and they are generally good. The sandfall from the goby is a pain but generally manageable.
I also have Trochus and Stromb/fighting conch's though and they are a huge pain, knocking everything over. Compared to that, the Goby is easy.

 

[flashsmith]

I have a Rainsford. He’s cool but barely sifts at all. Occasionally pecks at the sand or the rocks. He was supposed to be clean up crew but is basically ornamental. He eats pellets and frozen food happily though which was my biggest concern with the Rainsford.

The haziness and blowing sand either clean up relatively quickly or your sand is too fine. Mine drops sand but there's no haze. In fact, every couple of months I'll take a stick and stir up the sandbed manually and nothing ever comes out. I never siphon the bed - it's all on the Goby and the Nassarius snails.

I think "Bullet goby" is another name for what I have? (Amblygobius phalaena) Mine is a powerhouse who cleans EVERYwhere, but my tanks only 20 gal so he may think the whole thing is his territory?

Hmmn, I've never had a sand-sifter carpet surf. Fire Goby absolutely but none of the sifters. Had a Gold Headed Sleeper die in my last tank (a 4 footer) but I think that was from the black sand substrate - it was quite fine and very sharp.
My Amblygobius phalaena is big and can move fairly quick but doesn't have the rapid panicked darting of smaller Goby's that tend to jump.

The hard part with clean-up crews is balancing the benefits of each member with the problems they cause. I combine a sand-sifting Goby with a heap of Nassarius for the sand-bed, turbo's for the glass and rocks and they are generally good. The sandfall from the goby is a pain but generally manageable.
I also have Trochus and Stromb/fighting conch's though and they are a huge pain, knocking everything over. Compared to that, the Goby is easy.

I've never really considered gobies a part of a cuc. Every one I've ever had claimed an area and pretty much stayed in that vicinity. Never had a problem with conchs bulldozing but then again I have colony size coral on my sand bed and Scolys up on a turbinara cup rock. I just leave space for them to get around everything and nothing ever gets moved. Love checking the tank in the morning and seeing all the trails everywhere in the sand bed. Let's me know they're putting in that work.

 

[Rob K]

Someone posted this video on YouTube and I think that it is hilarious and shows that these little fish are absolutely worth keeping.

Sean, great video, thanks for posting!

 

[Rob K]

Diamond goby was the best thing I ever did for my sand bed. We named him Bob The Builder as he never stops shifting sand in piles besides the rock where his home is making a bunker incase the Russians come over I guess. Does bury some of my zoas and polys but moved them to the other side of the tank all and all would not have a tank without one (not my picture hard to get a good shot at him )

Diamond Goby is by far my favorite. Sand wouldn't be pearly white without him.

Agree, plus they are so much fun to watch.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I used egg crate under my rock to so I don’t think i want that exposed to.

I didn't know people used egg crates either!

 

[rmorris_14]

Someone posted this video on YouTube and I think that it is hilarious and shows that these little fish are absolutely worth keeping.

Love it! HahahahHa

 

[Brittanyjo]

My sand is always clean.

 

[Starganderfish]

I've never really considered gobies a part of a cuc. Every one I've ever had claimed an area and pretty much stayed in that vicinity. Never had a problem with conchs bulldozing but then again I have colony size coral on my sand bed and Scolys up on a turbinara cup rock. I just leave space for them to get around everything and nothing ever gets moved. Love checking the tank in the morning and seeing all the trails everywhere in the sand bed. Let's me know they're putting in that work.

Gobies are essential to my CUC but I don't do larger tanks anymore. In a smaller Nano tank, a single active Goby completely removes the need to siphon the sandbed, when in conjunction with a decent population of Nassarius.

I think the issue with my conchs is that they're just stupidly big. This is a two-inch diameter Fungia and the conch just barrels right over it. Combined with the dang things' determination to drag themselves up onto the rocks, they're a nightmare.

 

[LegendaryCG]

My Lawnmower Blenny has a very deeply dug hole under the rocks that he sorta shares with a cleaner shrimp. The shrimp is in there, the blenny is kinda tolerant of it.

 

[paradizecityz]

At one point, I had huge algae issue on the sand. Tried conch, Nassarius snails, etc but no luck. Got a diamond goby and within a couple weeks, my sand was spotless! Unfortunately, diamond gobies are jumpers and I've lost him to that. I want to get another one but my sand has been clean ever since

 

[TheGulag]

Love my Diamond Golb, stirs my sand for me everyday and keeps it nice and clean!

I do have a mesh lid on the tank for him, blenny, and a six-line.