i want a diamond goby but..

[pairenoid]

right now in my newly established tank (1 month,20g long) i had a randalls goby and a pistol shrimp but the goby died in 2 days for unknown reasons(they never paired up in that short time)

my original intention was to get a goby that sand sifts, i didnt realize other gobys form relationships with a shrimp until i went to the LFS

with my goby dead, I kind of want to go back with the idea of a goby that sifts sand because it will be nice to watch and keep it clean, but now i have a tiger pistol shrimp that is all alone and almost never comes out

should i get a goby to make the shrimp happy, or a goby to make me happy so i can watch it do its thing, for the record, i would of not got the tiger pistol shrimp had i not got a goby to accompany it, but now im stuck with it. Last question, would a shrimp goby even keep my sand clean because it looks dirty right now and the shrimp doesnt seem to have done anything except "dig" not "clean"

 

[Elude82]

I would just go with a nice sand sifting goby. A sleeper goby does a great job! For all you know the shrimp my pair with it. Tank mates are always unpredictable. Do what makes you happy!

 

[Vettitude]

Just remember to keep your tank completely covered. They are jumpers.
I had mine for only 4 days until he disappeared. I bought a new light fixture which was giving me excess heat in my canopy. I removed about a 2.5 inch strip from the back of the canopy for venting. He had only been on the bottom of the tank until then. Once I removed this section, I noticed him swimming at the surface when the lights when off and the moonlight LEDs came on. The next morning...GONE!
We looked everywhere, behind the tank, in the sump, in the refugium, moved/removed all of the live rock to look for him but to no avail. Best guess is he jumped out the back and out from behind the tank becoming a late night snack for my wife's Pomeranian (who will eat anything).
I have since screened the back of my canopy and am going to get another diamond this weekend. You are right, they are awesome to watch!!!

 

[Beengirl]

If you get a goby, it may or may not pair with the shrimp. If he pairs, he probably won't sift. I have the same problem. So I got a conch, and it keeps my sand very clean. You could always do that.

 

[Elude82]

Yeah, I have a fighting conch and love it! It sifts the sand better than a sand sifting star! And they are a lot more fun to watch than stars!

 

[Crystal A]

Get a yellow watchman. Dosent sift as much but will pair up. The diamond needs an established tank for the natural food it eats. I put on in my 5 month old tank and unfortunately it still didn't make it even with the spot feeding I did. I could never fatten the little guy up. For sand sifting great but a good chance it could starve in a fairly new tank. The watchman barely sifts and eats more prepared food which is working for me so far. Ps love my shrimp and goby pair one of the most interesting things in my tank. Wasabi and ginger. Lol

 

[pairenoid]

alright i decided to get a yellow watchman than, cant wait!

one thing im wondering is what size fish should i buy? my first goby was a baby because i wanted to watch them grow but now i dont care

 

[Vettitude]

My Diamond took right to small sized pellets. I would feed him on one end of the tank while the clown and tang would eat on the other end. Never an issue with him eating.

 

[Crystal A]

I did Train mine to eat all kinds of stuff. He ate from a steak injector, lol, but for some reason I couldn't get him to fatten up. It was to bad but now I've for the watchmen and pistol and she is looking good. the pistol well all it does is dig! Lol

 

[FishWorks AK]

Not a diamond, to big and messy he will drive you nuts. A rainier sand sifter, maybe a sleeper (size?)

 

[Gza166]

I have a sleeper gold head and I love to watch him sift sand it's awesome. I have a cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp but he has an attachment with my clarkia believe it or not. They are always with each other.