Pink Spotted Watchmen Goby Do they Sift?

[petoonia]

I was looking at a pink spotted goby at my LFS. They told me it sifts sand, but Liveaquaria just says it will make a burrow with a pistol shrimp. Do you think it will sift sand, or is it more likely to hang out in a cave all day?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=221

 

[Jerry W]

I've had a couple of them. They will sift but IME, it will be close to the spot they make a home. Mine would hollow out a spot under a piece of rock and stick close much of the time. They come out to eat and then back to the spot. They can take a big mouthful of substrate and work it through their gills, but I never observed them doing it all over the tank.
hth

 

[petoonia]

Thanks!!!

What goby would be best to sift all over the tank? I've never had one before. I want one that will sift sand, and actually come out in the open. Which ones are best for that?

 

[billr]

I have several tanks and I have a Diamond Goby in each one of them. They sift sand all over the whole sand bed. They do like to dig wholes under rock and such and stay there at night. You have to make sure all your rock and such is based good on the glass or an egg crate that is on the glass and the rock on it. If its not set in good you will have a landslide and it may break you glass. Here is a link to the Diamond Goby. Good luck. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=220

 

[grouper25]

I had 2 Diamond Gobies in my 220 for a week. Both kept the sand spotless although created alot of cloudy water from all the substrate aggitation which I did not like. Unfortunately, one night, both decided to jump over the corner overflows, get sucked into the drain pipe and die on the filter pad in my sump.
Great workers but dont know if I would get more given the dust storm they create.

Anyone know of an alternative selection?????
Thanks

 

[matter1331]

the cloudy water will pass with diamond sleeper gobies and other sleeper gobies as well. Once they've sifted through the sandbed a few times you won't have clouding anymore. This can take up to a couple of weeks if you have a large tank, These are my favorite, but as grouper said, they can jump so you need something to cover the tank.