Diamond Watchman Goby

I just purchased an orange spotted goby about a week ago and he is the coolest fish ever. Even though he has dug holes under most of my rocks which made them fall several times...:frustrate:... we have stabilized the rocks and he works allllll day long. I love to watch him. :)

Congrats on the new edition, just so you know for the future setup your rockwork before putting the sandbed down to avoid those rock slides. It would suck for one of those rocks to fall and break your glass.

Congrats on the new additions. Do you have a lid/cover over your tank...they are known jumpers.

I have one....he's the only fish in the tank that does not zip away if you go near him, or even make a "fake grab" at him from behind the glass :D He's one tough muthah! Make sure he's getting food at the bottom, cuz in my 125g, all my fish are upper level feeders...and he's more lower to mid, so I always make sure he's getting his share :) He gets this big round bulge on his belly after eating.

And we have a saying in livingreefs....PICS or it didn't happen! :mrgreen:

Ok so when we were setting up our tank, the sand came before the rocks so it wasn't really an option to the put the rock in first, especially since it was live sand. yes, we have a lid on the tank. And we spot feed him down in his little hole under the rocks so I know he is getting plenty of food. But today I just noticed him and my Lawnmower Blenny going at it. The blenny was just minding his own business eating algae when the Goby chased after him and puffed up all big. Is anyone aware of them being aggressive fish?!

Live sand will stay live for months as long as it is kept wet. You can keep it live in a bucket. And you can put the sand in first, you just need to dig the rock down deep until it rests on the glass.

I have heard of gobies being aggressive. It's not common for them, but I don't think it will last. They will sort themselves out.

Ok thank you for your help.

photokaty said:

Is anyone aware of them being aggressive fish?!

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We had one for about a year before he caused a tiny rock slide and killed himself.

He was always displaying at the Sailfin. I don't know if he started it, but it was a mutual dislike. He never went after any of the other fish, but they don't hang out near the bottom. He was a little more mellow after the tang sliced him pretty good down his side. I've also heard they do better in pairs? I don't know if that's true or not.

Yes...they can be aggressive/territorial. My goby TOTALLY bosses everyone around. Even my foxface!!!! If the foxface gets too close to wherever he's eating, he will open his mouth wide and push him..the foxface will then get all spikey, and the goby will start "biting" the foxface's poisonous spikes!! No harm from either side, so far, though :) I figure if the goby's stupid enough to go up against a foxface's spines, more power to him! The goby also does that to any fish that goes too close to him during feeding....but it's random when he does it.

Gobies are also known to pick up shells (empty or still with inhabitants) and move them around as "decoration :) I've seen my do this a few times with some nessarius.

wontonflip said:

he will open his mouth wide and push him..the foxface will then get all spikey, and the goby will start "biting" the foxface's poisonous spikes!! No harm from either side, so far, though :)

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My orange shoulder tang does the same exact thing to my Foxface. At some point somebody's foxface is gonna have to lay the smack down on a fish to let all fish everywhere know that they're not to be trifled with.

My Tein spotted goby is a workhorse and sifts the sand a ton. He also hastunnels under everything! even my open brain coral. I watched him last night and was like seriously???? lol hes a cool bugger. had 2 diamonds before him both lasting a few days. One jumed out through a tiny opening and the other committed suicide under a rock. I tried to wedge all the rocks to the glass after that. No more flat sand though. Hills galore LOL

I had a diamond watchman once. They are prolific burrowers, as you've discovered. He starved because my wife wasn't feeding enough. :grumble:

R.I.P. Cracker :Cheers: