engineer gobies

[wetbehindears]

Id like a pair in my dt i have a deep sand bed and sturdy rock work .

what are your opinions on them?

Also anyone have any tey are looking to get rid of.

 

[Jacwil]

I've wanted to try them b/c I think theyre fascinating but I've heard and seen what they can do to a system. Even though you have a dsb and sturdy rockwork, you may get frustrated from the sand slurry they create.

 

[DustyReefer]

I had one, he was kind of aggressive. Ive also heard they will eat smaller fish so thats another thing to keep in mind

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

They will destroy your sandbed's chances of having any shot at being useful biologically, and if it's fine sand it'll be floating in the currents 24/7. And unless your rock is nailed down, it'll probably move...

Basically, they strike me as a fish that needs a tank built with them in mind.

 

[wetbehindears]

Ahh k. thanks for replies. next fish idea hahha.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

better late than never?

better late than never?

I love Engineer Gobies. I have one in my reef aquarium.

 

[Spartan]

They are fine in a reef. They dig out a burrow and generally stay put. Mine never moved in 4 years. No threat to the sand bed unless u have a small tank in which case the sand bed won't count for much anyway.

 

[PCKRAJ]

I have 2 and never had a problem.

 

[S2minute]

I have 2 and now my sandbed looks lke the "projects" and they are slumlording it.

 

[DEEP BLUE SIX]

They are very interesting fish. I enjoyed mine when I had them alot.
I would say minimal sandbed if your keeping them. That way there is very little if anything they can disturb. They will just safely hide in rocks if there is no sandbed to disturb other than light cover. Rocks need to be anchored/placed well of course. But with out the sandbed the risk of shift is way less and the gobies have no sand to kick around and make a mess either.

everyone may have a slightly different experience. But in mine, they moved my entire sandbed- eveywhere. I never had any rock shift problems anyways. Most corals in that tank were all up on the rock work too. So no real disturbance for them.
However, once I wanted to try some bottom corals. I opted to get rid of them. As they could bury or partial bury some corals with their activity.

If you have a minimal to NO sandbed. You'd be ok. With a sandbed, I'd say it's not ideal at all. Unless you don't keep bottom corals and don't mind the constant changing looks of your tank bottom with the sand moved everywhere.

 

[wetbehindears]

Well thanks for.replies but im most likely going.to stay away. i like corals in the sand like donuts lobos and fungias .

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

How big is your tank? If you want a digging fish you may be able to choose one that typically stays in a (relatively) small area and just place the bottom-dwelling corals elsewhere. For instance, my goby and shrimp pair are constantly digging but they stick to their "home rock" so it doesn't really disturb the tank at all. IME this seems typical for these pairs. Meanwhile, my cave gobies are digging a new nest under a DIFFERENT rock at least once or twice a week - not ideal if you want bottom-dwelling corals.

 

[GMaquarium]

One of the most inexpensive, underrated and indestructible fish around.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

One of the most inexpensive, underrated and indestructible fish around.

x2

plus they look like an eel. Very kewl in a reef aquarium!

 

[DEEP BLUE SIX]

I will say they are cool!!
Everyone (that knew nothing about marine fish) who saw my tank,
always thought my pair were Eels. I told people they look similar if you don't know I suppose. Pholidichthys leucotaenia is the species name. They are actually an oddity of a fish and not really even a goby either. There's not much of anything else like them kept in the hobby at least. So the trade kind of grouped them with the goby family. But truly they are their own genus alone (at least at this point).

Mine were never interested in other (even small) fish. But they were ever fascinating to watch especially at feeding time.
Juvenile to adult change in striping is also cool to watch happen over time.

The only thing I'd do if I was ever going to keep some again, is a minimal to no sand bed in their tank. Just to avoid the annoying substrate movement.
But other than that, Great fish!!

 

[wetbehindears]

So all of.the.good.things said.will it out weight disturbing my sand beds chance at being.benifical for the tank?