recommendations for a pico shrimp goby pair

[spieszak]

Its only a 5 gallon so I can't have any pod lovers.
If I have to go with "messy" as far as sand movement I'd be ok with that, but would prefer more "isolated" sand movement that I can manage quickly with a pipette to clear.
My sand bed is currently only about and inch, was planning on supplementing on only one side to try to keep the pair in the viewing area (I've heard that works, but its such a small tank, its pretty all viewable area, so I'm not too concerned)..

Anyone have suggestions? Watchman/Randalls with a red banded?

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Definitely go with a Randall's pistol. The tigers get pretty big and mine tunnels all over my 30g tank. I'd skip a watchman due to their size. Go for one of the smaller goby species like a high fin or a yahsa haze.

 

[spieszak]

hmm... the watchman is one of the few that was stating smaller gallonage. I'll have to go back over the list and look more closely at size.

 

[spieszak]

So liveaquaria puts the yasha at 30 gallons and the yellow watchman at 10 gallons, with max size within a half inch of each other... can someone with experience speak to why they think the gallonage recommendations for the yellow watchman that's stated to max out a half inch larger has the smaller gallonage requirement?

 

[cbr600rri]

I agree with Sugar Magnolia. Based on my experience, watchman will get bigger than a high fin or yasha. Also, I think the yasha may be a typo. You can definitely put one in a 10 gallon. But given the room, a yasha does like to hover and/or swim against the current near their hideaway spot. Compared to a ywg, they just like to rest.

 

[spieszak]

Can anyone note any experience with a Wheeler's Shrimp Goby ?

 

[Angel*Fish]

So liveaquaria puts the yasha at 30 gallons and the yellow watchman at 10 gallons, with max size within a half inch of each other... can someone with experience speak to why they think the gallonage recommendations for the yellow watchman that's stated to max out a half inch larger has the smaller gallonage requirement?

Point of purchase is never the place to be getting this kind of info. The red banded high fins and yashas are much smaller fish.

 

[spieszak]

I use LA as my 'quick reference' because of the ease in searching... I don't take them as bible tho... do you have recommendations on a good Goby site?

 

[Angel*Fish]

No, sorry I don't. Here's a good article but it won't help you with size. According to fishbase.org yashas get up to 4.7 cm, the red banded high fins reach 6 cm and watchmen get up to 10 cm (4 in) http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/hcs3/ The yellow watchmen are wider in girth. I've had a pair of nematodes (red/black banded high fin) and there was nothing about them that indicated to me they somehow would need 3x the space as the larger yellow watchmen.

 

[spieszak]

Awesome! Thanks for the info...I was hoping someone might have a 'goby cheat sheets with everything on one page...so it would be easier to compare... haven't found one yet tho... i'll check the link, and fishbase.org. much appreciated!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I've had both a yasha and a YWG. My YWG at adult size was about 3 1/2". The yasha at adult size was about 1 1/2" As far as behavior goes, the yasha would swim and hover just above the opening of the burrow. The YWG sat on the sand bed at the opening of the burrow.

 

[MikeandNicole]

If you want to spend the money I would get a white cap goby as they stay really small and would look great in a pico. For pistol shrimp, I would look for a candy striped pistol, they stay small and will pair with most fish.

I have a yellow watchman, yasha, dracula, and magnificent goby now. The magnificent is the smallest and would be a great addition if you can find one. The yasha will stay smaller than a watchman, and I would say the dracula would be smaller than a full grown watchman, but bigger than a yasha.