Bad luck with Diamond Gobies

[aquaph8]

The first one went carpet surfing.
So I built a birdnetting top and got a new one.
The new one is now missing in action after about a week.
No way this one jumped, I guess it died in there somewhere.
Probably serpent food by now. I had a gold head a while back and lost him too.
What am I doing wrong with these gobies?

 

[Gogandantess]

Get a yellowhead sleeper goby. Way cooler and much more active sifting and stirring sand all day! Diamonds tend to stay still and look boring IMO.

 

[eho72]

So you're not the only one losing multiple diamond gobies due to strange circumstances. I've lost 3 already in a span of about 8 months. Still I haven't given up. Just added one to my DT today after making through the QT alive. Take a look at how I lost my 3:

First one died when he jumped out while I opened the lid of my QT to feed the other fish. The lid was literally opened for a minute.
Second one died jumping and getting stuck to the egg crate with a layer of netting on top.
Third one I didn't even bother with QT since I lost the other 2 while in QT. Well he died the first night in my DT and was half eaten by my CUC by the time I woke up.

 

[reef_doug]

Get a yellowhead sleeper goby. Way cooler and much more active sifting and stirring sand all day! Diamonds tend to stay still and look boring IMO.

Regular sleepers can spit sand on your corals whereas the diamond gobies generally will just sift it. I don't know about the yellowhead sleepers though.

I had a Diamond goby for a few years but when I added a flame hawk he pestered the goby and didn't let him eat pellets.

Many of the diamond gobies die after awhile since our tanks are generally too clean for them to get enough food out of the sand. They will need to eat pellets to supplement their diet in captivity IMO.

 

[aquaph8]

Regular sleepers can spit sand on your corals whereas the diamond gobies generally will just sift it. I don't know about the yellowhead sleepers though.

I had a Diamond goby for a few years but when I added a flame hawk he pestered the goby and didn't let him eat pellets.

Many of the diamond gobies die after awhile since our tanks are generally too clean for them to get enough food out of the sand. They will need to eat pellets to supplement their diet in captivity IMO.

Thats kinda what I was thinking cause its really a chore to get food down to the bottom of the tank without the other fish getting it.

 

[Pallobi]

I've had 3 diamonds... they and the one i have now did and does an absolutly amazing job for me... each is different though, but i will never not have one if i have a sand bed...

 

[aquaph8]

I've had 3 diamonds... they and the one i have now did and does an absolutly amazing job for me... each is different though, but i will never not have one if i have a sand bed...

I agree they do a great job cleaning my sand but not the best job staying alive. I would like to always have one.

 

[evokevin]

we are still on our first diamond goby, but hes has a few close calls. a month or two ago he was attacked by something. took a huge bite out of his cheek... he was moving very slow, wasnt swimming, and i figured he would he dead in a day. i spot fed him for a week, and he recovered very well. he know is back to normal, you can still see his scar, but hes healed and back to sifting sand. my current problem is the kole tang attacking him essentially every time he comes out of the holes he digs. the kole tang is gone as soon as i catch him though... because of him being chased so much, hes very thin. i am back to spot feeding him in the evenings and he bottle feeds off the small baster i use. pretty funny!

 

[aquaph8]

My kole was also a little @$$. I sent him back to the fish store. I tried spot feeding with mine but he wouldn't come near me although every other fish I have was more than happy to be spot fed.

 

[jmski333]

i would check your sump, mine disappeared for a week and i pretty much gave up. than i noticed a little white fish staring up at me from my sump. i was pretty excited. mine is eating frozen and what not and it super happy. i've had him for about 4 months. does an awesome job you sifting my sand and never piles it on my corals.