Can I put a diamond watchman gobie in a QT without sand?

[otrlynn]

I have learned the hard way to QT all fish...Can I put a diamond watchman goby in a QT without a sand bottom? I could put a small container of sand in the tank, but any food in the sand would soon be consumed anyway. Second question, are orange-spotted gobies and diamond watchman gobies two different species? According to Liveaquaria, they seem to be, though my LFS seems to use the terms pretty loosely.

[Sk8r]

Yes, they're 2 different species. Honestly, I'd be dubious about the survival of a diamond goby in a 58 g tank. Many cannot be persuaded to eat anything that doesn't come out of the sand, and they will clean that tank out in a week. If you have a choice between the orange spot and the diamond (easy to tell: the diamond doesn't have orange) go with the orange spot.

QT with a diamond is near impossible. They'll starve. Be sure you have a healthy fish.

Some people have buried frozen cubes under the sand trying to sustain this fish in a cleaned-out tank. Whether this has worked I do not know.

The yellow watchman goby is more suited to a 50g tank.

[otrlynn]

Thanks Sk8r, actually, I have a yellow watchman but he spends his days loafing in his chosen spot (sort of an open cave/wide passageway in the rocks). I was looking for something that would do a bit of sand sifting--hoping to get some help from the occupants on the diatom issue I posted about yesterday.

[Sk8r]

Ah!
I don't know how a yellow and a diamond would get along...
But I do have a recommendation to put your yellow guy to work. Get him a tiger pistol shrimp, and prepare to see sand move. These guys are little bulldozers, at work constantly, and fun to watch when they deign to show themselves. Only caution, they do dig under rocks. But I can pretty well guarantee you that species will pair, probably within about 2 seconds, and you'll start to see sand turned over. You can get one from Live Aquaria, I'm pretty sure. Their max size is about a couple of inches, and forget any rumors they crack glass or kill hermits---I have several deserving hermits who have survived being thwacked by the pistol shrimp and all you'll hear out of him is an occasional snap...You'll see your YWG getting fat and with him constantly.

[otrlynn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13044414#post13044414 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by otrlynn
Thanks Sk8r, actually, I have a yellow watchman but he spends his days loafing in his chosen spot (sort of an open cave/wide passageway in the rocks). I was looking for something that would do a bit of sand sifting--hoping to get some help from the occupants on the diatom issue I posted about yesterday.

I should have added that I will take your advice and skip the diamond watchman and perhaps try the orange spotted goby--but I am still wondering about whether I can do the QT without a sandy bottom. I know that gobies are not prone to ich, but I am leery of adding anything to the tank without QT. I was successful in QTing the yellow watchman, but then again he does not appear to be a sand-sifter.

[Sk8r]

He does sift. But may actually be put off by the diatoms. Mine works pretty hard---but then he has a tiger pistol helping him out. He does a new doorway a day, and is always switching burrows. That MIGHT mean that other sandsifting gobies won't touch it either.

Personally, between you and me, if an obligate specialty feeder is healthy in appearance, no frayed fins, distended stomach or gills, no sunken stomach, or dings or dents, I skip quarantine. It's a risk. But my dealer also keeps fish for a month or more in HIS 1.021 salinity tanks, and that so far has made me very lucky.

[Sk8r]

He does sift. But may actually be put off by the diatoms. Mine works pretty hard---but then he has a tiger pistol helping him out. He does a new doorway a day, and is always switching burrows. That MIGHT mean that other sandsifting gobies won't touch it either.

Personally, between you and me, if an obligate specialty feeder is healthy in appearance, no frayed fins, distended stomach or gills, no sunken stomach, or dings or dents, I skip quarantine. It's a risk. But my dealer also keeps fish for a month or more in HIS 1.021 salinity tanks, and that so far has made me very lucky.

[Sk8r]

Double post. RC had a cranky moment. ;)

Other things that might help: a single fighting conch: undersand and over-sand feeder. A tigertail cucumber might, but I would ordinarily never, ever recommend a cucumber for anybody's tank: they're kind of a ticking bomb you hope never goes off.

Your idea about a diamond goby doing it is possible---but do you think you could arrange for a loan from your store? You might need to put your yellow guy in qt while he's in the tank, [I fear fights] and then just donate him back to the store when he's done the job and put your yellow guy back in. I've done that before, when I've needed the temporary services of a specialty critter. Mostly my store will take returns, but all lfses are hurting with the gas crunch, and you might just call it 'rent' of said creature.

No, I wouldn't qt him. I'd be sure he's healthy, put him to work, then fish him out and take him back to the store.

[otrlynn]

Sk8r, thanks for all your input. I have thought about the pistol shrimp but I am a little worried about the tunneling. Most of the larger base pieces of rock in my tank are on the bottom glass, but there are a few smaller pieces that are not. The rock is just stacked in my tank, nothing drilled, and I have two well-balanced and supported bridges (nothing has ever knocked them over) but I'm a little afraid of excavation work! I'm a little confused about the difference between the diamond watchman goby and the orange-spotted (other than the color). Do you believe the orange-spotted is also an obligate feeder (i.e. via the sand) and are its chances better in my tank as far as eating and getting along with the YWG, who so far is very shy?

[Hornet]

You can use "Pure" silica sand in the QT while your QT'ing the goby. Pure silica sand won't interfere with medications that you may need to use for treatment.

[Sk8r]

LOL---NOTHING but an engineer goby digs faster than a diamond goby...Get some reef putty and install it at good spots.. It's just like modeling clay, but hardens underwater to form around things, just like modeling clay.

I think you're going to have to rent-a-goby until your problem is solved, because your ywg will fight the intruder. I could be mistaken, but the YWG is a scrapper when it comes to fish that also sift sand. Mine has taken exception to every new fish that comes in the tank, and if the fight-response is identical, you'll have WWIII. I'd qt your yellow guy and keep him in qt if you're going to get a rent-a-goby and just let it do its work while he's vacationing outside the tank. Then give the other goby back to the store and bring your yellow guy back. The only solution that would be compatible with him iN the tank is the shrimp.