Watchman Goby Question

[JoshuA c]

I've had my watchman for a couple days now and he still hasn't even started building a burrow. I haven't even seen him sift sand. Is this normal? I had a diamond goby and he made his burrow the day after I got him. Does the watchman need a pistol shrimp to burrow? I don't think he does but when I bought my watchman,, he was with a pistol shrimp but I couldnt spend 45 bucks on him. Any help would be appreciated

 

[austinsdad]

There's nothing you can do but wait it out. Isn't he at least sitting under a rock or overhang, or something? Where does he go at nite? Even if you did get a pistol, there's no certainty they'll pair up anyway.

 

[ocean]

I've had my watchman for a couple days now and he still hasn't even started building a burrow. I haven't even seen him sift sand. Is this normal? I had a diamond goby and he made his burrow the day after I got him. Does the watchman need a pistol shrimp to burrow? I don't think he does but when I bought my watchman,, he was with a pistol shrimp but I couldnt spend 45 bucks on him. Any help would be appreciated

When I first got mine he hid in the rocks for a few days before I saw him poke his head out. He never did any real burrowing that I could see. And they don't sift sand, at least mine doesn't. You don't need a pistol shrimp for him, 50 50 chance if they pair up. But mine did pair up, but hardly ever see the shrimp, just his claws behind the goby waiting for food!

 

[joy13]

What kind of watchman is it? Most don't dig burrows from what I have seen but will live in one if one is provided. I have a wheeler goby and tiger shrimp pair, the pistol does all the digging the fish just hangs out with him most of the time. They were paired up in the store so when they got in the tank together the shrimp went over and put his feelers all over the fish like hi buddy nice you made the trip with me.

You might put a piece of pipe in the sand for the goby to go into something like a bolt hole.

 

[JoshuA c]

Mine swims around the tank trying to find somewhere to go at night

 

[Sniperhank]

Yeah he needs a place to go. My yellow watchman arrived on Monday. In the first 5 seconds he found the SMALLEST hole in my LR and was gone. I didn't even know that hole was there. But that is his home, he doesn't have a burrow. He has come out and doing well, though I haven't seen mine sift sand...or eat anything for that matter.

 

[austinsdad]

Get a dedicated turkey baster (all plastic) for your tank. Great for cleaning off rocks when doing water changes too. Anyway, create a area under a rock with it by blowing out some sand underneath the edge of a rock at the front of your tank (so you can see him more, of course). Maybe 3-4" or so. I know you can't see under rock, but give it a try. I'm betting he'll hang out there once the dust settles.

What Joy said is true, as watchman's really don't dig IME.