Adding diamond goby ok?

Moosetache · 03/15/2008, 12:02 AM

hello all,
I have a lawnmower blenny, kole tang, pseudo, and true perc. Just wondering if a diamond goby is the correct call to add to this tank for some substrate maintenance. Will the lawnmower and diamond have a problem?

Tank is 10 weeks old but looks much older due to 3+ year old established LR.

Kribensis_2004 · 03/15/2008, 12:11 AM

I would not go for it right now becuse the sand isnt ready for that type of fish. Just becuse the rock is 3 years old dosnt mean your gravel is and thats were they get the majoraty of there food. Plus at ten weeks old you shouldnt probbly have that many fish in there. Three year old rock dosnt mean your aquarium isnt going to go throw a cycle.
Whats the prams on this aquarium, just asking becuse the aquarium seams to be too new to have all those fish in it allready.

Moosetache · 03/16/2008, 12:24 AM

params are:

Sg- 1.025
Nitrates- 0
nitrites-0
amm-0
ca-350
Alk-10
ph-8.3-8.4

Moosetache · 03/16/2008, 12:28 AM

and they have been exactly that for 8 weeks with the exception of the ca dropped to 280 for a couple days and the sg got up to 1.027 for a short time. I have had no nitrite/nitrate/ammonia problems except for 1 day there was a small nitrate bump to 20 that was gone the following day. 105 lbs of established LR will apparently do that for you if u don't have any die off getting it in ur tank.

iwishtofish · 03/16/2008, 03:27 AM

From what I've read about diamond gobies, it takes a really large, well-established sand bed to sustain this fish through its natural feeding process. Many starve in aquaria if they are not readily accepting introduced food such as vitamin-enriched mysis. It would probably be wise to see the fish eat introduced food in captivity before purchasing. They are also known for jumping right out of the tank. Some say they remain healthiest and less stressed when kept in pairs, and some people insist this is necessary.

I bought one mistakenly when I thought I was purchasing a diamond shrimp goby (careless move on my part, i know). The fish immediately made a silt storm in my tank that lasted about ten days. After much turkey-basting of rocks and filter sock use, things improved as the detritus filtered out. My fish accepts mysis, but isn't very competitive with the other fish when feeding and is easily intimidated. I ended up overfeeding in order to see that the goby ate enough, and I'm still working on the resulting nutrient problem. The fish is getting better at plucking food out of the water column, and hopes are higher.

If you ever end up getting one (or a pair), make sure your rock is resting on the bottom of your tank and is not supported by your substrate. Keep in mind that high flow will make it hard for the goby to "catch" the food you add, and you may have to target feed. Any corals or clams you have near the substrate will most likely become covered in sand or silt, and I think a fine substrate is best for this kind of fish. I can't help with regard to the lawnmower blenny.

I'm definitely not an expert, but I have read a lot about these fish as a result of my "mistake." Hope this helps with your decision!

03/15/2008, 12:02 AM	#1
Moosetache Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 552	Adding diamond goby ok? hello all, I have a lawnmower blenny, kole tang, pseudo, and true perc. Just wondering if a diamond goby is the correct call to add to this tank for some substrate maintenance. Will the lawnmower and diamond have a problem? Tank is 10 weeks old but looks much older due to 3+ year old established LR.

03/15/2008, 12:11 AM	#2
Kribensis_2004 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Juneau, Ak Posts: 15	I would not go for it right now becuse the sand isnt ready for that type of fish. Just becuse the rock is 3 years old dosnt mean your gravel is and thats were they get the majoraty of there food. Plus at ten weeks old you shouldnt probbly have that many fish in there. Three year old rock dosnt mean your aquarium isnt going to go throw a cycle. Whats the prams on this aquarium, just asking becuse the aquarium seams to be too new to have all those fish in it allready.

03/16/2008, 12:24 AM	#3
Moosetache Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 552	params are: Sg- 1.025 Nitrates- 0 nitrites-0 amm-0 ca-350 Alk-10 ph-8.3-8.4

03/16/2008, 12:28 AM	#4
Moosetache Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 552	and they have been exactly that for 8 weeks with the exception of the ca dropped to 280 for a couple days and the sg got up to 1.027 for a short time. I have had no nitrite/nitrate/ammonia problems except for 1 day there was a small nitrate bump to 20 that was gone the following day. 105 lbs of established LR will apparently do that for you if u don't have any die off getting it in ur tank.

03/16/2008, 03:27 AM	#5
iwishtofish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 4,949	From what I've read about diamond gobies, it takes a really large, well-established sand bed to sustain this fish through its natural feeding process. Many starve in aquaria if they are not readily accepting introduced food such as vitamin-enriched mysis. It would probably be wise to see the fish eat introduced food in captivity before purchasing. They are also known for jumping right out of the tank. Some say they remain healthiest and less stressed when kept in pairs, and some people insist this is necessary. I bought one mistakenly when I thought I was purchasing a diamond shrimp goby (careless move on my part, i know). The fish immediately made a silt storm in my tank that lasted about ten days. After much turkey-basting of rocks and filter sock use, things improved as the detritus filtered out. My fish accepts mysis, but isn't very competitive with the other fish when feeding and is easily intimidated. I ended up overfeeding in order to see that the goby ate enough, and I'm still working on the resulting nutrient problem. The fish is getting better at plucking food out of the water column, and hopes are higher. If you ever end up getting one (or a pair), make sure your rock is resting on the bottom of your tank and is not supported by your substrate. Keep in mind that high flow will make it hard for the goby to "catch" the food you add, and you may have to target feed. Any corals or clams you have near the substrate will most likely become covered in sand or silt, and I think a fine substrate is best for this kind of fish. I can't help with regard to the lawnmower blenny. I'm definitely not an expert, but I have read a lot about these fish as a result of my "mistake." Hope this helps with your decision!