those with gobies, actually keep your sand clean??

codydemmel4 · 11/06/2016, 10:55 AM

SO I am thinking of taking sand out of my next setup because I do not like how it gets dirty sometimes.

However if I can get the opinion of reefers who keep gobies, do they actually keep your sand bed white and clean? I am not talking about crystal white but moderately white is that possible?

If so what is your sand and what goby do you have?

Thanks!!

Sk8r · 11/06/2016, 11:01 AM

No fish will make your sand white, but some will rearrange it massively. They're personable and funny, and if you don't like them for that, they're not for you. My own favorite is the yellow watchman. Had a pair of plain watchmen, and 'mated pair' they were, great partner-tending in that set: when the male went over on his side unconscious during a tank-moving accident, the female worked for many minutes nudging him upright, getting him to move, and much as I did to save him, she did most. They lived quite a long time. YOu'll often only see one, as the partner seems to nab food for both.

HidingReefer · 11/06/2016, 11:20 AM

I have a dragon goby, at first he made a mess dumping sand everywhere, but now he's more careful. I still have to blow off sand off corals though. Just be aware of this, corals that need to be on the sand bed might have a problem, like fungias.

I love my dragon goby, they can make a mess, so be prepared to deal with that, what Sk8r said is true it wont make your sand white, however it will re arrange the sand, making it look cleaner.

Mine doesn't do the best job at keeping the sand clean, but I don't mind

AlSimmons · 11/06/2016, 11:32 AM

Like mentioned above they'll move some sand around for you, but they're also pooping in that very same substrate you wish to keep to keep clean. The micro fauna will most likely be decimated over time too. They're not sifting through that sand for fun.

lokmar · 11/06/2016, 10:42 PM

My orange spot keeps about half of the sand bed in my 120 clean. For some reason, he tends to sift all the sand in the front half of the tank. He isnt too bad about rearranging things. Great reef fish and fun to watch.

JZinCO · 11/06/2016, 10:59 PM

My twin-spot keeps the sand pretty clean but tends to lightly dust everything in the tank.

Half Vaped · 11/06/2016, 11:09 PM

I had a Diamond Goby that did a great job at keeping the sand clean in my 150G for over nine months. I think it slowly died of starvation, since I never saw it eat any prepared foods. It seemed to fully depend on the micro-flora and -fauna in the sandbed, which my system might not produce enough of. It was very skinny towards the end of its tenure.

minus9 · 11/06/2016, 11:35 PM

Like Sk8r said, they are fun to watch. They don't clean the sand, but certain gobies sift the sand for food (microfauna). If you want your sand "cleaned", then I would suggest getting a CUC that cleans the sand, fighting conch's, cerith snails, ect.....
I have a Neon Goby who keeps the fish clean (and zips around the tank) and I just picked up a Yasha Goby - Candy Cane Pistol shrimp pair today. Talk about fun to watch.
I'm old school, so a tank without sand looks strange to me, but that's just me.

d-man · 11/07/2016, 02:39 PM

I have and will always have diamond gobies as my primary sand cleaners. By far the best I've ever kept. I have 3 in my tank that are awesome. I also have a orange band, a bluespot, and a Randall's as my other gobies, but they are not cleaners.

Get the diamond gobies and watch the sand stay almost pure white

EdgeN · 11/07/2016, 02:49 PM

A friend of mine had a tank with a Diamond Goby in it one time. While the sand did look prestine at first glance, I put my finger in the substrate and shook it vigorously and a big cloud of detritus emerged. Looks can be deceiving sometimes.

If you really want to keep your sand bed clean a siphon is your best bet.

BlackTip · 11/07/2016, 02:56 PM

I have a Diamond Watchman in the QT. The QT was bare bottom. I have few PVC pipes and I placed a bowl of sand. In couple of weeks, he took the sand from the bowl mouth full at a time and created a cave for himself. He chose a PVC pipe, placed a large pile of sand in front and back, left a small openings, and placed some of the sand on the sides of the pipe, so it doesn't sway in the current. One morning, I found the plastic bowl floating on top. Very fascinating and interesting to watch. I am nervously looking forward to what he is going to do in the DT.

Half Vaped · 11/07/2016, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-man

I have and will always have diamond gobies as my primary sand cleaners. By far the best I've ever kept. I have 3 in my tank that are awesome. I also have a orange band, a bluespot, and a Randall's as my other gobies, but they are not cleaners.

Get the diamond gobies and watch the sand stay almost pure white

Did you guys with Diamond Gobies ever have problems with getting them to eat prepared foods (frozen Mysis, Brine, Cyclop-eeze, etc.)? I want to try another one, but don't want it to starve to death. I really miss how it kept the sand whitish.

stephen.davis. · 11/07/2016, 05:21 PM

Mine ate frozen from day one

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

karm40 · 11/07/2016, 05:53 PM

As an add on to Diamond gobies, I've had 2 jump and my tank is 30 inches deep so... caution.

johnike · 11/08/2016, 07:31 AM

I have a pair of Tangaroas, pair of Randalls, a Yasha Hase, and a pair of Twinspots.
Sand is incredibly clean.

Sonyardo · 11/08/2016, 07:44 AM

I'm using crushed marble play sand as a substrate. I also have a diamond goby that does a fine outstanding job of keeping the sand sifted. The fish will kick up a little sand every once in a while. The diamond goby takes food from the water column with the rest of the fish and then will sift sand throughout the day. I usually only notice sand in the water column when the fish is actually digging a new hole or renovating it's old one

toothybugs · 11/08/2016, 07:56 AM

I had a diamond/ orange-spot in my old 75. My girlfriend at the time named it Gulp. He was awesome fun and did an excellent job (and ate frozen from the get-go).

But I went through 3 in as many months before figuring out they need a lid on the tank....

LJLKRL · 11/08/2016, 08:37 AM

I have a diamond goby and he is awesome. He stays near the bottom and does not carry sand up high and drop it on corals. He travels the entire sand bed too. He eats pellets and Mysis and whatever he gets from the sand.
He works all day long too.

codydemmel4 · 11/08/2016, 08:59 AM

awesome thanks for all the suggestions and experiences with them. I do have a lid so I think I would be good on that aspect.

If you guys should say what size tank you have with the goby that would be great, would it be too much to get 2 diamond gobies for a 180 gallon?

LJLKRL · 11/08/2016, 09:02 AM

I have one in a 210. I was not sure I could add a second one, if they would get along. Mine is a diamond goby.

johnike · 11/08/2016, 09:09 AM

93 cube

codydemmel4 · 11/08/2016, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnike

93 cube

damn wiht 7 gobies? I guess you do have a lot of water volume but i thought they would starve to death

codydemmel4 · 11/08/2016, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJLKRL

I have one in a 210. I was not sure I could add a second one, if they would get along. Mine is a diamond goby.

how does it keep the sand?

d-man · 11/08/2016, 10:04 AM

Yes a top is a must.

And yes they only clean the top layer. They are not the only thing u should have for a sand bed. Also depending on tank size, a sand sifting star, and lots of nassarius snails will help rotate the sand while the goby keeps the top white

Half Vaped · 11/08/2016, 11:01 AM

Wow, I guess I was the only one with a Diamond Goby that didn't eat. I was going to give up on this species, but I guess I'll give them another shot. Thanks guys.

11/06/2016, 10:55 AM	#1
codydemmel4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Center Valley PA Posts: 1,479	those with gobies, actually keep your sand clean?? SO I am thinking of taking sand out of my next setup because I do not like how it gets dirty sometimes. However if I can get the opinion of reefers who keep gobies, do they actually keep your sand bed white and clean? I am not talking about crystal white but moderately white is that possible? If so what is your sand and what goby do you have? Thanks!! __________________ -Cody SPS Dominant 180 gallon. Link to my tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2618245

11/06/2016, 11:01 AM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	No fish will make your sand white, but some will rearrange it massively. They're personable and funny, and if you don't like them for that, they're not for you. My own favorite is the yellow watchman. Had a pair of plain watchmen, and 'mated pair' they were, great partner-tending in that set: when the male went over on his side unconscious during a tank-moving accident, the female worked for many minutes nudging him upright, getting him to move, and much as I did to save him, she did most. They lived quite a long time. YOu'll often only see one, as the partner seems to nab food for both. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/07/2016, 02:56 PM	#11
BlackTip Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 1,598	I have a Diamond Watchman in the QT. The QT was bare bottom. I have few PVC pipes and I placed a bowl of sand. In couple of weeks, he took the sand from the bowl mouth full at a time and created a cave for himself. He chose a PVC pipe, placed a large pile of sand in front and back, left a small openings, and placed some of the sand on the sides of the pipe, so it doesn't sway in the current. One morning, I found the plastic bowl floating on top. Very fascinating and interesting to watch. I am nervously looking forward to what he is going to do in the DT. __________________ 325G DT. 100G sump. In-sump refugium. SRO-5000SSS. 2 Gyres 150. 2 Water Blaster HY-5000. 2 Razor 320W. Apex Gold. MR2 GFO. 2 800W Heaters. Tunze Osmolater. 2 20g-long QT tanks. Geo 624 CA. 80W UV

11/08/2016, 08:59 AM	#19
codydemmel4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Center Valley PA Posts: 1,479	awesome thanks for all the suggestions and experiences with them. I do have a lid so I think I would be good on that aspect. If you guys should say what size tank you have with the goby that would be great, would it be too much to get 2 diamond gobies for a 180 gallon? __________________ -Cody SPS Dominant 180 gallon. Link to my tank: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2618245

11/06/2016, 11:20 AM	#3
HidingReefer Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 259	I have a dragon goby, at first he made a mess dumping sand everywhere, but now he's more careful. I still have to blow off sand off corals though. Just be aware of this, corals that need to be on the sand bed might have a problem, like fungias. I love my dragon goby, they can make a mess, so be prepared to deal with that, what Sk8r said is true it wont make your sand white, however it will re arrange the sand, making it look cleaner. Mine doesn't do the best job at keeping the sand clean, but I don't mind

11/06/2016, 11:32 AM	#4
AlSimmons Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: California Posts: 2,482	Like mentioned above they'll move some sand around for you, but they're also pooping in that very same substrate you wish to keep to keep clean. The micro fauna will most likely be decimated over time too. They're not sifting through that sand for fun.

11/06/2016, 10:42 PM	#5
lokmar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Springfield, Il Posts: 95	My orange spot keeps about half of the sand bed in my 120 clean. For some reason, he tends to sift all the sand in the front half of the tank. He isnt too bad about rearranging things. Great reef fish and fun to watch.

11/06/2016, 10:59 PM	#6
JZinCO Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: northern CO Posts: 502	My twin-spot keeps the sand pretty clean but tends to lightly dust everything in the tank.

11/06/2016, 11:09 PM	#7
Half Vaped Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 401	I had a Diamond Goby that did a great job at keeping the sand clean in my 150G for over nine months. I think it slowly died of starvation, since I never saw it eat any prepared foods. It seemed to fully depend on the micro-flora and -fauna in the sandbed, which my system might not produce enough of. It was very skinny towards the end of its tenure.

11/06/2016, 11:35 PM	#8
minus9 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: I'm in the Valley, Dude! Posts: 1,349	Like Sk8r said, they are fun to watch. They don't clean the sand, but certain gobies sift the sand for food (microfauna). If you want your sand "cleaned", then I would suggest getting a CUC that cleans the sand, fighting conch's, cerith snails, ect..... I have a Neon Goby who keeps the fish clean (and zips around the tank) and I just picked up a Yasha Goby - Candy Cane Pistol shrimp pair today. Talk about fun to watch. I'm old school, so a tank without sand looks strange to me, but that's just me.

11/07/2016, 02:39 PM	#9
d-man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, ca Posts: 2,732	I have and will always have diamond gobies as my primary sand cleaners. By far the best I've ever kept. I have 3 in my tank that are awesome. I also have a orange band, a bluespot, and a Randall's as my other gobies, but they are not cleaners. Get the diamond gobies and watch the sand stay almost pure white

11/07/2016, 02:49 PM	#10
EdgeN Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Overlook Hotel, CO Posts: 108	A friend of mine had a tank with a Diamond Goby in it one time. While the sand did look prestine at first glance, I put my finger in the substrate and shook it vigorously and a big cloud of detritus emerged. Looks can be deceiving sometimes. If you really want to keep your sand bed clean a siphon is your best bet.

11/07/2016, 05:21 PM	#13
stephen.davis. Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Rockford il Posts: 70	Mine ate frozen from day one Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

11/07/2016, 05:53 PM	#14
karm40 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: So Cal Posts: 604	As an add on to Diamond gobies, I've had 2 jump and my tank is 30 inches deep so... caution.

11/08/2016, 07:31 AM	#15
johnike Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bureau County Illinois Posts: 5,406	I have a pair of Tangaroas, pair of Randalls, a Yasha Hase, and a pair of Twinspots. Sand is incredibly clean.

11/08/2016, 07:44 AM	#16
Sonyardo Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: OC California Posts: 522	I'm using crushed marble play sand as a substrate. I also have a diamond goby that does a fine outstanding job of keeping the sand sifted. The fish will kick up a little sand every once in a while. The diamond goby takes food from the water column with the rest of the fish and then will sift sand throughout the day. I usually only notice sand in the water column when the fish is actually digging a new hole or renovating it's old one

11/08/2016, 07:56 AM	#17
toothybugs In Memoriam Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: The smallest county in Illinois Posts: 1,986	I had a diamond/ orange-spot in my old 75. My girlfriend at the time named it Gulp. He was awesome fun and did an excellent job (and ate frozen from the get-go). But I went through 3 in as many months before figuring out they need a lid on the tank....

11/08/2016, 08:37 AM	#18
LJLKRL Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Near Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 275	I have a diamond goby and he is awesome. He stays near the bottom and does not carry sand up high and drop it on corals. He travels the entire sand bed too. He eats pellets and Mysis and whatever he gets from the sand. He works all day long too.

11/08/2016, 09:02 AM	#20
LJLKRL Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Near Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 275	I have one in a 210. I was not sure I could add a second one, if they would get along. Mine is a diamond goby.

11/08/2016, 09:09 AM	#21
johnike Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bureau County Illinois Posts: 5,406	93 cube

11/08/2016, 10:04 AM	#24
d-man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, ca Posts: 2,732	Yes a top is a must. And yes they only clean the top layer. They are not the only thing u should have for a sand bed. Also depending on tank size, a sand sifting star, and lots of nassarius snails will help rotate the sand while the goby keeps the top white

11/08/2016, 11:01 AM	#25
Half Vaped Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 401	Wow, I guess I was the only one with a Diamond Goby that didn't eat. I was going to give up on this species, but I guess I'll give them another shot. Thanks guys.