Orange Spot Diamond Gobies
- Thread starter L98-Z
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goochesfish
New member
I've read they can starve once they've exhausted the organisms in the sand. 2 would mean the food supply disappears faster.
luther1200
Premium Member
I doubt that would happen anyway. Mine eats any prepared food I offer it. Frozen,flakes,cyclopeeze to name a few.
I have one and thought about a pair for my 210g but after seeing all the work one does I stayed with that. They will make tunnels and caves for awhile so be prepared for that and make sure your rock is on solid bottom.
Mine also took to prepared foods and Mysis as well as brine shrimp also. He is a great sandbed cleaner.
They have to be a matched pair or they most likely will fight it out from what I have read. You cant just buy 2 and throw them in there
Mine also took to prepared foods and Mysis as well as brine shrimp also. He is a great sandbed cleaner.
They have to be a matched pair or they most likely will fight it out from what I have read. You cant just buy 2 and throw them in there
Last edited:
blumoon reefers
New member
In regards to your original question - my very trusted LFS (over 20 years experience in SW only) - told me that it was MUCH better to get them as a pair. Just trying to match 2 up would be more difficult and the chances were not as good.
That said, I had a diamond and a pink barred goby pair up for a short time, until I introduced a pistol shrimp, then the pink bar abandoned the diamond.
That said, I had a diamond and a pink barred goby pair up for a short time, until I introduced a pistol shrimp, then the pink bar abandoned the diamond.
goochesfish
New member
Mine paired up with my yellow watchman goby. I guess mine won't starve either since it too eats whatever i feed. Sorry, I can't answer your question though. I guess all you can do is try.
iwishtofish
Active member
I'm guessing my former tank (29g, and too small) was about 5 or 6 months old when I bought a small diamond goby. It had been trained to eat offered foods by the LFS, and survived drop-acclimation (being spilled out of bag onto carpet, and then tossed into tank when I panicked).
My sand bed was maybe 4 inches deep in one corner of the tank. Once the goby recovered from the shock of its unorthodox introduction into the tank, it went to town! That little fish tunneled everywhere under my rock, and endured constant harassment from my flame angel. The tank was a veritable blizzard of sediment for a couple weeks, and my rock was coated with sediment up high, and sand down low. Finally things settled down - I cleaned up the rocks, the sandbed was clean, the flame angel had died and life was good for the goby. Very entertaining little fish, and he ate the mysis and meaty pellets I offered readily.
Then I had to break down the tank for a move, and I gave the goby to a friend of mine. He already had a diamond goby in his 55g tank, but it was a much larger specimen. The larger diamond goby immediately chased mine all over the tank until it died.
I hope that helps you some while you research this fish!
My sand bed was maybe 4 inches deep in one corner of the tank. Once the goby recovered from the shock of its unorthodox introduction into the tank, it went to town! That little fish tunneled everywhere under my rock, and endured constant harassment from my flame angel. The tank was a veritable blizzard of sediment for a couple weeks, and my rock was coated with sediment up high, and sand down low. Finally things settled down - I cleaned up the rocks, the sandbed was clean, the flame angel had died and life was good for the goby. Very entertaining little fish, and he ate the mysis and meaty pellets I offered readily.
Then I had to break down the tank for a move, and I gave the goby to a friend of mine. He already had a diamond goby in his 55g tank, but it was a much larger specimen. The larger diamond goby immediately chased mine all over the tank until it died.
I hope that helps you some while you research this fish!
One is enough...
One is enough...
I bought a small Diamond Watchman for our first tank:
Despite what you might read above, he does relish feeding time with his tank mates and eats most meaty foods that are offered. He has since transferred to three new tanks and is now responsible for sifting the sand in our 350G display tank. He assumes this responsibility happily.
"Herman" is now a little over 4 inches long:
Suggestions:
1.) You only need one sand-sifting goby, no matter how large your tank is.
2.) He will rearrange your sand bed - get used to it. If he builds a "sandcastle" I don't like, I'll level it out as I'm doing tank maintenance. Chances are he'll build it back.
3.) He will keep your sandbed nice and white. But he'll also build caves under live rock and "sand dunes" in other places. Appreciate him for that and let him do his thing. It will keep your sandbed from being the boring, flat surface most aquarists envision.
4. Make sure your live rock rests on the tank bottom. If you stacked it on top of your sandbed, there is a possibility that the rock might collapse as he burrows and "squish" the little guy.
JME.
LL
One is enough...
I bought a small Diamond Watchman for our first tank:
Despite what you might read above, he does relish feeding time with his tank mates and eats most meaty foods that are offered. He has since transferred to three new tanks and is now responsible for sifting the sand in our 350G display tank. He assumes this responsibility happily.
"Herman" is now a little over 4 inches long:
Suggestions:
1.) You only need one sand-sifting goby, no matter how large your tank is.
2.) He will rearrange your sand bed - get used to it. If he builds a "sandcastle" I don't like, I'll level it out as I'm doing tank maintenance. Chances are he'll build it back.
3.) He will keep your sandbed nice and white. But he'll also build caves under live rock and "sand dunes" in other places. Appreciate him for that and let him do his thing. It will keep your sandbed from being the boring, flat surface most aquarists envision.
4. Make sure your live rock rests on the tank bottom. If you stacked it on top of your sandbed, there is a possibility that the rock might collapse as he burrows and "squish" the little guy.
JME.
LL
dendronepthya
Premium Member
We have six of these in our tanks (1 in each 125-gallon aquarium). One time we thought one had jumped so we put in another and it turned out that the original did not jump. The two paired up quickly. One of the two eventually jumped out breaking up the pair though 
In my experience, they are the best sand sifters and 1 is able to keep a 125-gallon sand bed pristine white all by its lonesome. They also eat everything we put into the water and quickly figured out that the turkey baster = food. The only downside I see to this fish is that it likes to jump. A lot. We have probably lost 10 fish over the past 2 years. They make it out through the egg-crate tank covers even.
In my experience, they are the best sand sifters and 1 is able to keep a 125-gallon sand bed pristine white all by its lonesome. They also eat everything we put into the water and quickly figured out that the turkey baster = food. The only downside I see to this fish is that it likes to jump. A lot. We have probably lost 10 fish over the past 2 years. They make it out through the egg-crate tank covers even.
The only time "Herman" jumped is when we introduced a new Foxface into his tank without a proper introduction. Scared the poop out of him and he jumped. Fortunately my wife and I were standing right there when he went carpet surfing. I just reached down and tossed him back in the tank... he hasn't jumped since.
Smart fish. :lmao:
LL
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