Which goby should i get?

[PeterEde]

I'll say NOT a sand sifter. Like sleeper gobies.
Mine covers every thing with sand.
It's great for keeping my bottom clean but I am forever blowing sand off rock and corals

 

[Scooter21]

the ones that clean the sand are Valenciennea i think and they will starve in ur tank

I ended up with a diamond goby. I plan to assume he can't get the proper nutrients from the sand. I made a 2 foot long pipette and I plan to put food in the sand for him to find

 

[Dave1993]

I ended up with a diamond goby. I plan to assume he can't get the proper nutrients from the sand. I made a 2 foot long pipette and I plan to put food in the sand for him to find

i have heard of diamond gobys accepting mysis/brine so you might get lucky

 

[i cant think]

I'm pretty new to this and I want to go buy a goby for my tank. It's a 36 gallon with only fish right now, but I will add inverts shortly and I could see adding some soft corrals in the future.

I want a goby that will help clean the sand and/or rock. Id also like one thst would pair with a pistol shrimp if i end up getting one. My LFS doesn't have that big of a saltwater selection, so I'd like to go in with a list of possible choices.

In a 36G tank, you’ll likely starve most sand sifters. The only ones I can think of that won’t starve are the three in the Koumansetta genus. The Valenciennea genus are the ones who everyone recommends even though they are more likely to starve in captivity.

The shrimp goby genera that will likely do well in this tank size are Amblyeleotris, Lotilia and Stonogobiops.

 

[Scooter21]

In a 36G tank, you’ll likely starve most sand sifters. The only ones I can think of that won’t starve are the three in the Koumansetta genus. The Valenciennea genus are the ones who everyone recommends even though they are more likely to starve in captivity.

The shrimp goby genera that will likely do well in this tank size are Amblyeleotris, Lotilia and Stonogobiops.

I got a diamond watchman, but I plan to have to target feed him by putting food in to the sand and near his hideouts

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

I can't say which to get, but I would stay away from a yellow watchman goby. I had one and never saw it. I had read in advance this could happen but didn't believe it. I regretted getting one.

 

[PeterEde]

I have a Banded sleeper in a 30 gallon and it's fat as.
Loves his nori and sifts all day long

 

[i cant think]

I got a diamond watchman, but I plan to have to target feed him by putting food in to the sand and near his hideouts

Be cautious with this species. It likely will starve unless you can find a way to feed him Atleast 5x a day. These guys really need 4-5” deep sandbeds that are Atleast 3 years old at a minimum. Obviously, the older the better as the older the sand bed then the more life it will be able to replenish.

These guys will get highly active as they age as well. Don’t let their small juvenile sizes trick you - they tend to get 4-5 inches at maturity. I’ve seen some hit 4.5 inches but these were in 6’ tanks with 4”+ sandbeds that were several years old. Most of the ones I see in smaller tanks than 4’ either jump or starve within the first 6 months.