orange stripe prawn goby (randall's goby) feeding question

[lekker11]

i have a gody paired up with a shrimp and they've tunneled all throughout my live sand. my question is, do they harm the live sand, meaning are they simply burrowers, or are they sifters, eating the live stuff in my sand (which is not what I want). If anyone can shed any light on this (no pun intended), please let me know. Thanks!

 

[mfdrookie516]

the sand is live because of the nitrifying bacteria that is in it (controversial if purchased in a bag from a store shelf), a goby sifting or burrowing through the sand will not bother that nitrifying bacteria.

 

[joy13]

They are actually keeping the sand turned and clean. I have narrius snails that do that job. Make sure your rocks are stable and not able to topple over because they like to go under the rocks.

 

[lekker11]

I wasn't so much concerned about the bacteria as I was all the other critters that make up live sand, such as the worms etc. I wasn't sure if the goby would be eating all of those up as well.

 

[melosu58]

They should not get rid of all your fauna. They might help themselves to any that are where they are but it will replenish itself over time.

 

[austinsdad]

Yep. Absolutely no worries there.