Fish for sand turnover in agressive tank

[Jasonrusso]

I have recently gone through 3 diamond gobies. I had one months ago and have been wanting another one since he died. In the tank with him is: Dwarf Lionfish (5"), Porcupine puffer (6-7") Yellow tang (4"), and a dwarf golden eel. No one ever bothered the first goby I had. I attribute this to the fact that he was the first fish in and the other fish were smaller.

The first replacement goby was too small and I think he became an expensive meal for my Lion. The second goby was bigger and I thought that "He's too big for the lion." The next day he was missing and I feel he met the same fate. The third was as big as you can buy in the store. He lasted 4 days (with the lion constantly lurking over his cave) until I came home to a dead goby (not eaten this time).

So I now accept the fact that I cannot have another diamond goby which I am going to miss. The goby made a mess, but kept my sand turned over and spotless. I have 20-25 snails and about 20 hermits to keep the sand "clean" but I want something to turn the sand over and push it around. I don't mind smoothing out the piles once a week when I do water changes.

I'm thinking about a dragon wrasse. I know they are a little tougher, but will they push the sand around?

 

[huma-huma]

Have you checked out a tiger wardi goby? They are similar to a diamond but IMO are a bit tougher. An engineer goby will make caves and tunnels and grow to 9-10" but they don't actively clean sand outside their caves.

 

[huma-huma]

I've got a banded dragon goby that is in with my dwarf lion, a Niger trigger, and two damsels and he has never been bothered

 

[woody390]

what about some sort of goatfish, depending on what size tank you have a yellow and boat goatfish could be ideal? if not maybe a smaller one

 

[Jasonrusso]

Sorry, 75 gallon rock only.

 

[woody390]

maybe ask on here see if you can find anyone with experience in bicolour goatfish. I think a porcupine puffer may well hassle anythingy you put in there though potentially to death epecially as your 105 gallons off the recommended size tank for a porcupin puffer even if its too big for a lion fish to eat.

 

[Jasonrusso]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious. The puffer is still small and I am looking into a bigger tank.

 

[woody390]

Well if its so obvious got to wonder why you have it in a 75 it's all well and good looking into another tank but if you going to have fish should have them in a tank for the adult size how will you judge when the 75 becomes a hinderance on the fish? All I'm saying is that you don't provide adequate conditions for the fish I.e. a porcupine in a 75 your going to get more aggresions issues etc than you would if its in a tank of recommend size so I'd recommend taking the puffer back until you have the right set up for it

 

[arsenalkt]

I had the same issue with my lionfish a sand goby, 1 he ate the next bigger one he got to jump out of the tank somehow. He also ate my long engineer goby. I had a dragon wrasse as well which surprisingly was eaten by my niger trigger at the time. Aggressive tanks can be hard, I have a community tank as well to keep my options open, but with the aggressive tank I've just found the bigger the better really.