Help me pick a goby!

[Altohombre]

After doing the whole goby/blenny debate I think I want a goby just because I hear the blennys are territorial and can kill other fish. Now is the hard part. I wish all gobys were sand sifters but it appears that they are not. I want one that has a lot of personality and sifts my sand up nice. The yellow watchman gobies look pretty good but I wouldn't mind a little more mix of colors or designs. I really like the Red Hi Fin, but it looks like it isn't a sand sifter. I would be adding this to a 46 gallon tank with 2+ inches of tiny grained sand and lots of room. There is also 2 perc clownfish in the tank. Any suggestions?

 

[Bifferwine]

I bought a diamond goby once. It jumped to its death within 24 hours. Went back to the LFS the next day, bought a new one. That one jumped to its death within 24 hours. I posthumously named them Tard and Re-Tard. Get it? Re? Hahahahaha. Anyways, I lost $100 in two days (they were $50 apiece).

What is my point, you may ask? My point is I hate sand sifting gobies.

But if you want one, Randal's gobies are cool looking:
Randal`s Goby- Amblyeleotris randalli - Medium (Eastern Asia) (Fish > Gobies > Randals Goby > Randals Goby OS )

 

[Altohombre]

did they jump out of an open tank or one with an egg-crate. I just put an egg crate on mine and even though they are skinnier than the opening I would think it would be pretty hard to jump straight up and out.

p.s.-I like the names.

 

[Bifferwine]

My tank has egg crate all around. They both still made it through. Along with my $120 purple tile fish goby. I hate jumpers.

 

[Altohombre]

damn how do people keep gobies then if they always jump. Blennies don't jump?

 

[RAYRAY]

I Have A Diamond Goby, He Is Awesome !! What A Job He Has Done With The Sand !!! And Yes He Did Jump,But OnlyThe Fisrt Night I Had Him, He Is Only About 2 Inches Long, I Put The Egg Craye On For About A Week, Now He Does Even Leave The Bottom Of The Tank !! I Also Took The Crate Back Off !!!! Good Luck With Your Pick !

 

[Alexander]

I would suggest a pair of golden head sleeper gobies bt they can get pretty large and your tank isn't large enough. they are really awesome but can be difficult to keep. they sift sand like crazy and its cool cuz they swim around instead of chillin on the bottom all the time

 

[Bifferwine]

I would suggest a pair of golden head sleeper gobies bt they can get pretty large and your tank isn't large enough.

So...how does this information help him pick a goby??? ;)

 

[Altohombre]

So...how does this information help him pick a goby??? ;)

Well he is 6'6" and stayed in a Holiday Inn last night.

 

[reeffreak]

Yeah,get a sleeper goby but your tank isn't big enough....WTF!A Randall's Prawn goby is nice but my book doesn't list it as sand sifter,it list it as a shrimp goby.My favorite would probably be the Twin-Spot goby. here....Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Two Spot Goby

Disclaimer:sand sifting gobies will consume beneficial copepods and worms that live in the sand bed.

 

[Altohombre]

WTF does it take to get a peaceful, non-jumping, colorful, personable, beneficial sand-sifting goby/blenny around here!!!!!

 

[Alexander]

didn't help at all.... but It was subliminal hints to go bigger! apparently you didn't pick up on that cuz I'm so sly

 

[yote]

I like the dragon sleeper gobys to.But they like to let the sand fall on the rock and corals.

 

[Bifferwine]

All of the sand sifting gobies tend to cover corals and rocks when they spit the sand back out... It's just part of the package. Expensive freaking suicidal jumping packages. Ahem.

 

[Altohombre]

do they only tend to jump in the early stages of introduction? if this is the case I can use my glass top instead of the egg crate for a while.

 

[reeffreak]

Once they get comfy its less likely they will jump but the risk will always be there.Why does it have to be a sand sifter.Get a shrimp goby/shrimp pair or one of the unique blennies like the tailspot.

 

[Altohombre]

I want my fish to have lots of personality. A sand-sifter is one of the coolest things to watch. My clowns have a lot of personality but they are mid-high swimmers, I want something fun to watch on the bottom of the tank. The blennies scare me because I keep reading posts on forums about them being aggressive and leaving bite marks in other fish.

Wouldn't a shrimp goby just be a normal fish? I only can get maybe around 5 fish in my size tank so I want them to be somewhat noticeable. The firefish seem almost too common to me, I see them in every LFS and Petco/Petsmart I have been to.

I would definitely get a Mandarin if I were more experienced and my tank was older.

 

[RAYRAY]

these would be the three that i would look at, I pick the diamond !!

good luck !

 

[Altohombre]

RayRay, thanks for those pictures, I am really liking the Tiger Watchman Goby at the moment, just don't know if my LFS has it. I also like the Diamond Goby a lot, but it usually likes bigger tanks than mine.

 

[RAYRAY]

i have a diamond in a 35 gallon hex, he is doing great, but he is only about 2 inches long