Best Sand Sifting Goby?

kopczynski

kopczynski

Member
I am currently in the beginning of stocking my 60 gallon lps/softie reef tank. i am wondering what is the best sand sifting goby that combines looking vibrant, colorful and unique but also doing a good job cleaning my sand bed. any suggestions or experiences?
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Hectors goby, moves sand but not mass amounts. I have a golden sleeper headed goby. Great fish but moves a ton of sand all over the rock wrk
 
kopczynski

kopczynski

Member
Due to the fact that my stock list leaves me with little room i was looking for a goby that stays around 3 inches or below that. Anyone know if the Tangaroa goby will sift sand or will he just burrow? Maybe a two spot if i find one that is eating well. Any thoughts one these guys, while researching i found that they are picky eaters but i already have a wide variety of both frozen and dried foods and am willing to buy more, I also found that they don't like more aggressive fish, does that mean faster swimming fish or a fish that would nip at him and give him a hard time, none of the fish i am planning on adding will be bottom dwellers or would the other fish still make him feel uncomfortable?
 
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candaceswf

candaceswf

Administrator
Most of the gobies that will sift a good amount of sand will get a bit larger than 3 inches -diamond goby, golden headed sleeper goby, long fin sleeper goby- but those will actually sift the sand looking for food rather than shrimpgobies that use their mouths to just move the sand.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,

Hector or Rainford's goby are small, move the sand and don't deplete the fauna. They are both algae eaters and colorful. Your tank is too small for a Golden sleeper, diamond or the long fin.
 
kopczynski

kopczynski

Member
At the moment I only have a starcki damsel will be adding 2 blood orange clowns 1 lemonpeel angel 1 midas blenny 1 tail spot blenny 1 gold assessor basslet and 1 kole tang. I'm really interested in the two spot goby if I can get one that has been switched over to frozen food or small pellets.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
kopczynski said:
At the moment I only have a starcki damsel will be adding 2 blood orange clowns 1 lemonpeel angel 1 midas blenny 1 tail spot blenny 1 gold assessor basslet and 1 kole tang. I'm really interested in the two spot goby if I can get one that has been switched over to frozen food or small pellets.
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LOL...Not all at once I hope. A 60g tank is very small for SW. You will have to be very careful when stocking the tank and adding fish of the same species, body type, or food requirements...they usually fight unless you have a huge tank where they can stay away from each other. Kole tang needs at least a 75g. One inch of fish is NOT the rule for a SW tank. You already have an evil damsel that will most likely kill any goby you try and put in there, along with the lemonpeel and poor basslet. There is a reason damsels are so cheap to purchase. They kill everything less timid then themselves, and are known for biting your hand drawing blood when you service the tank. Since it was the first one in the tank, he is the big boss who owns all the territory, and the fish you plan to add are his size and docile, they are doomed.
 
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