Favorite fish: YWG....because...

[Sk8r]

Mine has hidden except for feeding time---until the last couple of days. He came out whiile I was sitting close to the tank, and looked me over. I blink: he opens his mouth in the beginning of a threat display (all 2.2 inches of him); I stare. Mouth closes. I blink twice: big mouth opening. But he stays to continue looking me over and estimating the threat.

I think we have achieved detente. And he will be more front and center. I've only ahd him 2 years. If I can get him a mate (the only way I know is to get a much younger, smaller one) I might. A watchman pair is mild-mannered, but very devoted to each other, and very personable.

 

[Zionas]

Sorry about your previous one. I’m not getting a Pistol Shrimp after your experience. As fish like the YWG are bottom dwellers, how do i make sure food reaches them in the presence of faster and more aggressive feeders? Sinking pellets, maybe? Or frozen food that sinks? If so, what brands are good?

Do you find them to be an easy fish, easy to keep and feed?

Thanks.

 

[Sk8r]

I'd recommend a good frozen food that comes apart in bits when in the tank. Pieces waft where the current takes them. If you have good lower-tier flow, it'll take care of itself,. If not, a wavemaker can improve that: the one I use is the Maxspect Gyre. But the watchman is a sand-sifter, and gets much of his food from the crud that settles in the sandbed.

 

[Zionas]

Thanks. Would you put Watchman Gobies and shrimp Gobies in a very new tank?


If I don’t keep Pistol Shrimp would a 2-3cm sand bed be enough?

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks. Would you put Watchman Gobies and shrimp Gobies in a very new tank?


If I don’t keep Pistol Shrimp would a 2-3cm sand bed be enough?

That’s 1/2”........ok.....well.....seems very light for my thinking......

If your going to keep bottom dwellers now, or in the future (and this opens many choices) you need 1-2” of sand. Sand houses the micro organisms you want for export processing as well as providing a familiar place for these types of pets.

Just don’t use black sand, may look nice, buts not really suitable, IMO

 

[Zionas]

Was talking to my LFS today. I’m going for a 2”-2.5” sand bed, maybe.

 

[Sk8r]

The shrimp gobies and the ywg, all true gobies (the mandarin is not a goby; but is far, far stricter on its requirements) ---the gobies require a sandbed that has 'lived' a bit, so that there's food and microliife available to them as they sift sand for a living. They will happily take food dropped dinto the tank, but a healthy goby needs his subsand diet, too. They also require a deep enough sandbed for a 3" fish to burrow, though they will 'slant their burrow, and they prefer to burrow at the edge of the rockwork.

 

[Zionas]

Thanks for the info. So how long after setting my tank would you recommend that I start adding Shrimp Gobies?


Would a 2-3” sand bed be enough? Maybe 4-5cm?

 

[Sk8r]

3" Remember, he slants.Wait for the sandbed to populate. You'll see a little brown as it does. Don't overfeed to the extent you outsupply your cleanup crew. For a new sandbed 6 to 8 weeks, maybe, depending on the tank.

 

[Zionas]

Got it. I’ll go for a 3” sand bed and 6-8 weeks before adding the Gobies, 8 weeks I think. They’ll be my third batch of fish.

 

[Sk8r]

Remember that that sandbed is a waste processor, the last stop for gravity, and as important as your live rock. If you see waste starting to pile up on it, you are doing something excessive in feeding, or you need some critters like fighting conchs (actually peaceful to all but plate coral) or sandsifters like the YWG, but you do not want those critters early, because they will not have enough food for their forage. Also do not freak if your YWG goes invisible for weeks. They're shy and will want to scope things out. They're also curious, which is what will ultimately bring them up front and center like some grumpy old man protecting his 'lawn' from all comers.

 

[Zionas]

Thanks for all the info. I’ll keep it in mind. Will they have a lot of trouble competing for food once larger, more active fish (Pyramid Butterflies and Yellow Tang) are in?

Will my gobies be very scared of the Flame Hawk and Longnose Hawk that I plan to add later?


Edit: I also plan to add 4 PJ Cardinals with my 3 gobies for a total of 7 fish going into my tank once it’s up and running. All will be 1-1.5”. Will that be too much bioload for a tank that’s just been set up?