Sand sifter Gobies? Yea or Nay?

[zev]

I saw my first sand sifter goby ( a Diamond Watchman Goby to be exact) and I think they are amazing. I am thinking of adjusting my stocking to allow one in my tank (bought my first additions today 2 pajama cardinals). What are peoples oppions of the sand sifters?

 

[ReeferMedic]

Just be careful picking one out. The Diamond Watchman shouldn't be too bad as far as I know as far as spreading sand around. The Golden Headed Sleepers spread sand all over everything. Ask Ryan, he has one I gave to him.......

 

[clamm]

nay! I love them but they always make a sandstorm and with sps its not a good idea.

 

[NateHanson]

They might also deplete your sandbed of the living critters that make it beneficial, so be careful. I suspect that with one of the smaller ones in a 55 you'd be fine, but something to think about.

Do people who keep these have trouble getting them to take frozen food? If yes, then I suspect they might well starve after a few months, after they've scoured a small sandbed.

Nate

 

[thenine]

I have a blue-spotted and a yellow watchman in a 75G and both eat frozen mysis and have been around for about a year now. The only problem is that they don't get along with each other so well, so one had to be moved into my refugium.

 

[denvig]

I have a pink spot with no problems at all. He will eat anything I feed. Does very little sifting with no sand storms.

 

[saltwaterB]

Watchman Gobies are not your true sand sifter, Sleeper gobies are. IMO Sand sifting Gobies are a nay in a reef tank. As said above, they can decimate most of the beneficial Fauna in our sandbed, and then slowly starve to death. Besides the fact that they can make a huge mess and cover any corals on the sandbed with a layer of sand daily, which can kill sensitive corals. I would definately go with a Watchman instead.
If you want a fish that will do a bit of sifting, and also eat other stuff (including hair algea) I would go with a Rainford's Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi)
Another great sandsifter that will survive in our tanks and take plenty of other foods as well as sift is the Dragon goby (Amblygobius phalaena) only thing with these guys is that they can reach 5"+

-B-

 

[snow_leopardd]

Golden stripe prawn goby...

falls into which category? ok or not ok?

 

[Jill & Brian]

We have a Orange spotted sleeper goby, and he is one of the most fun fish to watch. He also eats anything that we put in the tank ... flake, frozen, even pieces of nori. He does do a lot of sand moving, and he built a burrow under a large flat rock I have on the bottom.

Personally I love this fish, but he can be a bit messy. My tank is not heavily stocked with corals near the bottom, so he hasn't become a problem for them.

 

[jovreef]

Watchmans are great...I've never seen one not eat frozen foods, they have such great character also. I had a yellow watchman, he dug alittle hole under a rock and that was it for his sifting.

 

[eSoteric]

ive been keeping a figi watchman (similar to the diamond) in the 55g display at the store for 8 months so far. Along with 3 figi sand sifters. He dosent clean the sand to often becasue he isnt a true sand sifter, so theres plenty of food left for the sand sifters. He eats mysis,brine,silversides,prawn...anything that gets to the bottom to be honest! the only problem i have seen with him so far is he loves to pick up my blue legs and toss em around the tank. Oh and he ate a purple fire goby (So sad). If you have clams it might not be a good idea since most people keep them down in the sand bed they tend to get sand dropped on them from the goby!

 

[zev]

wow...thanks for the replies
I am still torn but it seems that if I any coral on the sandbed would be in danger. True or False? Is this also the same for the yellow watchman goby? I love both of these fish and would love to accomidate one of them.

 

[tucc185]

Yellow watchman gobies rarely sift sand, and when they do it is usually only in/around their burrow. they eat pretty much any frozen or flake food and don't usually cause any problems.