Sand cleaner

[rolikesfish]

What is the best goby that you can get for cleaning up your sand bed?

[RiffRaff]

Diamond gobies are awesome at keeping the sand bed clean. They're real active and fun o watch too

[Palting]

I just learned from a recent thread. Wider area cleaners are diamond watchman http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1926+220&pcatid=220 , and the brown barred goby :http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+2109&pcatid=2109. Yellow wachman are more a small area cleaner, around their lair, but fun to watch with a pistol shrimp.

[Sisterlimonpot]

I agree with the diamond goby. be careful though, they are jumpers and may end up on the floor.

[rwm555]

My vote is for a pink spotted. Fun to watch - he is always "eating" sand!

[RcToners]

My vote is for a pink spotted. Fun to watch - he is always "eating" sand!

My pink spotted was lazy and just hung out around the tank. They're shrimp gobies so they're not specialized in sifting sand. My diamond is amazing. He is super industrious and probably turns my entire sand bed (150 gal tank) every day. He is also very fun to watch. As a warning, they make a lot of little burrows so solid rock structures are a must.

[todd williams]

Diamond gobys are great fun to watch but I had to give up on them. I think I tried four times and they all took the high dive to dehydration. They are more vulnerable when they are new to a tank. When frightened they can dart to the surface. I just hate to come home to find that.

[ultreef]

If you have high flow and fine sand, then think twice before you get a sand sifting goby.

[sn4265]

I've been a bit curious about this... What exactly constitutes "high flow"? I've got a Mag 9.5 as my return pump which is teed off to feed the fuge, so I've probably got something like 500-600gph back to the DT. I've also got a Koralia 750 gph and I'll probably pick up a second one of these once I actually get the tank setup inside, hopefully this week. The tank is a 120gal, so I figure on my total flow being about 2k gph. Is this "high" flow?

[jeff@zina.com]

The tank is a 120gal, so I figure on my total flow being about 2k gph. Is this "high" flow?

That would, in general, be high flow. But keep in mind that specific areas of the tank may have higher or lower flows, since you don't have a straight, steady flow through all areas (and shouldn't). Placement of your returns and the Koralias can change flow areas considerably.

Jeff

[shifty51008]

2k flow in a 120 gal. I would consider med flow. that is around 16-17x turn over.

my tank I consider high flow with over 70x turnover.

[TripleT]

I agree with the diamond goby. be careful though, they are jumpers and may end up on the floor.

+1

Do not leave your canopy open when you walk away.

And if your tank is uncovered, they will end up on the floor, it's just a matter of when.

[tamortman]

diamonds are great but mine clouds the tank when he is at work.

[zachfishman]

Which of these gobies are non-obligate sand feeders? (i.e. they'll feed in and stir the sand bed but aren't wholly dependent upon it for nutriment). I'm looking for something small to churn the sand in my 29.

[bertoni]

A yellow watchman goby will be fine in a 29g tank, IME. I don't know how much cleaning they actually do, though. I had a mated pair, and they were fun to watch.

[E36328i]

Diamond watchman or a Goldhead Sleeper goby are my favorites for their sand-sifting abilities. They are schizo fish though and will jump out on a moments notice. I have had large ones jump out of a 1/2" hole before so keep all holes well covered!