Re: Will a Sleeper Banded Goby be to big for a 30 gallon tank?  11/12/06
Thanks for the quick response, but is there anything I can get to help move the sand around?
<... please see WWM re... there are articles, FAQs files archived re the topic. RMF>

Sandsifting goby, how big a tank?   9/16/06
Hi there,
<Hello>
I have a 29 tall tank that has 2 (paired) clowns, a few corals and a cleaner shrimp. Tank is quite stable. We would like to add a new fish
and I became enamored by a Sand Sifting Goby at the LFS. It is labeled as a Diamond Goby, but it is more green and brown in color, has bands and two small black spots as well. I think it is a Barred Goby. I would guess the fish is about 2 inches. We put it on hold, but now I am worried we don't have enough sand for it. I also read that they will eat regular food, too.
Is this a bad fish for us? If so, do you have any suggestions on an interesting addition for our tank?
<I think the more important question is how established is your sand bed.  Sand Sifting gobies need a well established sand bed with lots of micro fauna to feed on.  The only problem is that in a small tank, they can sometimes wipe out the entire population.  Yes, some will eat prepared foods, but not always guaranteed.  I would definitely make sure he is eating before you take him home. – Cheers! Dr. J> <<Yep, he's new! RMF>>

Star(fish) Wars Part III 7/03/06
So after my orange brittle star tried to eat one of my sand sifting stars, I told the aquarium shop if I could return it because it was being aggressive, they said I could but I would get no money or store credit for it. <That’s unfortunate.>  It sucks so I decided to keep it. Since I have two other brittle stars, a greenish, an orange (the aggressive), and a black-reddish one.  Well after that I noticed that my diamond watchman goby was not around, he would always come out of his cave for hours to eat, then yesterday I didn't notice him at all.  I had my fiancé move rocks today and try to find it and when he was checking the wet and dry, long and behold my beloved watchman goby was dry and toasty as a French fry under my dining room table which is next to the tank.  I am just wondering why would he jump out of the tank.  <Perhaps startled by something, running from something, water quality, and sometimes its just a mystery.> I did noticed when I was buying him at the aquarium shop that while the guy was trying to catch him with the net it seemed that he was going to jump out of the tank, he was swimming that fast and up towards the surface, so I am just wondering if it was that perhaps the brittle star tried to eat him or something and to escape, he jumped.  <Possible, they are know as a bit of a jumper anyways.>  I was so sad, it was a great addition to my 180 tank, it had character and really kept my sand super white, along with my sand sifting stars and yellow headed goby. Would you provide with some light here?  I need to know if my thought is correct.  He was like two inches and I thought that I was going to keep him for a long time.
<There are many reasons why fish jump, escaping a predator is just one potential reason, hard to say with any confidence what happened.>
<Chris>

Which Sand-Sifting Goby?   6/19/06
Hello help crew,
<<Vincent>>
The sand in my sand bed is roughly 1mm to 1.5mm sized.  What kind of goby will fit to that?
Thanks,
Vincent
<<Most all of the sand-sifting/sleeper gobies will do fine.  My favorite is Amblygobius phalaena...  Regards, EricR>>

Which Sand-Sifting Goby? II - 06/19/06
Hello Eric,
<<Hello Vincent>>   
I saw a beauty white goby and I think there is a little black dot in his back, and he swallow the sand in his mouth then released it to the back (I don't know how to call that).
<<It's referred to as "sifting" the substrate>>
It was so interesting!!  Wonder will he do that if my sand is bigger size?
<<You don't give me much to go on here for an ID Vincent.  If this was a Yellow Headed Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea strigata) then yes, it will handle your substrate just fine.  I suggest you do a keyword search of our site, and the "net" in general, for "sand sifting goby" and see if you can identify what you saw/view the different species available...most all can handle/will do fine with a substrate grain size of 1mm-1.5mm as you have stated you have>>
Thanks,
Vincent
<<Regards, EricR>>

Which Sand-Sifting Goby? III - 06/21/06
Valenciennea sex...(Valenciennea 1837), I think that what it is.  Thanks.
Vincent
<<Valenciennea sexguttata...or Sixspot Goby.  Not widely seen/available in my experience, but I would expect it do fine with your substrate all the same.  Regards, EricR>>

Mandarin/Diamond Goby question   6/10/06
I have a question or two for you.   I have 110 Gallon tank, with about 90 lbs. of live rock.  I am planning to run the tank approximately 6 months to a year before adding any piscine buddies; I really want to let all the critters populate the rock and sand.  Question; would this amount of time provide enough live food to sustain a Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus), without a refugium?
<Likely so... with an absence of competitors>
Would he/she eventually eat through all the pods, or would they have enough space and numbers to sustain a healthy population indefinitely?
<Likely large enough to sustain an ongoing food population here>
I suppose I can make refugium area in my sump, but I don't want to light it since I tend to have heat issues and that is just one more source to worry about.  Can the pods grow fine in the dark?  
<Many types, yes>
Actually, it is not completely dark since it is in a fish room and receives stray light from the tank above, but definitely not enough "quality" light to grow any macro algae with.  I can put some aragonite sand and some filter floss for them to live in....would this work?
<Possibly>
Last question; this is regarding a Diamond Goby.  Would that be in competition for food with the mandarin goby?
<Particularly when small yes. Still as a consumer of benthic, in-fauna that give rise to other organisms with age, size as well>
When they filter the sand, do they specifically target pods, or are they just getting the detritus?
<Sift most all "large-enough" worms, crustaceans, molluscs...>
Thank you for your time, it is appreciated.  Take care.
Paul
<Bob Fenner>

Diamond Goby Mated Pair Behavior  - 5/12/2006
Hi Bob,
<Tim>
I've been involved with reef keeping for three years now and would like to formally thank you and the crew for providing me with an exceptional education through your website.
<A pleasure, honor to serve>
I have an interesting situation and have not been able to find any similar experiences posted on any forum website. I have a mated pair of Diamond Gobies which I've had for several months (yes they do make a mess of my DSB but my wife insisted!).
<Heee... on the gobies or the mess... or both!?>
On a daily basis for the past several weeks the pair have performed the following ritual with one particular piece of live rock:
they both dig a burrow under the rock then one of the two (how do you sex a goby?)
<Most can't be... externally>
gets underneath the rock and the other completely covers the rock with sand (what was my DSB). The first time it happened I intervened almost immediately and lifted the rock off and let the goby swim calmly away. On turning the rock over to replace some of my DSB, I noticed a fleshy mass that was attached to the underside of the rock, It didn't look to me like an egg mass, not like I've seen with my continuously spawning pair of True Percs.
<There is more diversity amongst the fishes than the rest of the vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) combined...>
I obviously don't want to lose the goby, but I also don't want to interfere with their natural behavior. Is this a spawning event? Or, is this a goby divorce?
<The former>
Thanks in advance for any input/comments that you might have on this. Best regards, Tim
<Do, please, keep good notes... consider what foodstuffs you might be able to culture, use here... to feed the young. Bob Fenner>

Valenciennea strigata Rescue  - 2/21/2006
A great pleasure to write to you. Your answers and articles have steered and scared me in the right direction many times though foolish (human) mistakes are always abound.
<Ah, yes>
   I purchased 2 Valenciennea strigata from my LFS today. I've been waiting for these fish for some time and they always come in damaged or not at all. I only paid for one the 2nd seemed to be in Osmotic shock while the healthy one was hovering and protecting him. I looked at them yesterday and said I would take them today if he made it through the night, and he did.
     Symptoms are mostly upside down and not swimming much at all, heavy breathing. no other obvious signs of parasites. LFS said he came out of the bag like this.
I know its probably a lost cause but a worthy one. any suggestions would be Greatly appreciated.....Chris in Rhode Island
<Keep the area around where these are being quarantined quiet, the tank unlit... offer some live foods (crustaceans, worms), live rock... Bob Fenner>

Sand surface cleaner versus sand sifters    1/25/06
Hello again to the best Crew around!!  With the help you all gave me when I first got started, the great website and the awesome books, I have usually been able to find just about any info I need without having to bug you with any questions in quite some time.  But I have a question this time that is a different twist than what I see on the website.  I am wanting to find a "sand surface cleaner" versus a "sand sifter".  Most everything I find on the FAQs deal with something to do deeper cleaning than what I am after.  
Here's the background. I have a 210-gal reef tank that is just about a year old. Livestock and such so far has been slowly built up to now consist of:
- 5 Blue-Green Chromis
- 1 Blackcap Basslet
- 5 Lyretail Anthias
- ! Coral Banded Shrimp
- 5 or 6 Peppermint Shrimp
- 1 Brown Brittle Star
- 1 Feather Duster
- Small Xenia patch
- some Button Polyps
- 1 small Torch Coral
- 1 Cynarina (button/meat coral)
- small patch of brown star polyps
- large patch of neon green star polyps (lush and fast growing)
- 1 Leather Coral, ~ 7" diameter
- 1 Cabbage Coral, ~ 6" long
- -1 Small blue/white Acropora
- 1 brown Acropora
- a couple of stalks of Shaving Brush
- a couple of Emerald Crabs
- several blue and scarlet hermit crabs
- some mini hermit crabs
- several Nassarius, Cerith, and Turbo Astrea snails
- 5 large Mexican Turbo snails
- 4" or so of aragonite substrate
- roughly 300 lbs of LR
- Feedings take place every 2-3 days with a mix of flakes, Spirulina, Cyclop-eeze, frozen Mysis shrimp and frozen meaty variety pack with Selcon drops added, occasional Marine Snow and/or DT's Phytoplankton
I will soon be adding some Hawaiian Zebra Crabs, some more Astrea snails, and probably some more Nassarius just to help keep the sand stirred up more.  Eventually, I would like to add a Naso Tang, a Yellow Tang, and probably another Tang, like Sailfin or Kole maybe. That will be it for fish. Then I'll be adding more corals, and eventually maybe a clam.  But all that will come after I get my Chaetomorpha refugium going.
<Good>
Right now I am looking for something to keep the sand surface cleaned up. Not so much for stirring up and cleaning the bed but for cleaning the sand surface. Stirring would be good but the snails and weekly vacuuming help with that. But I am looking more for something to keep the brown stuff (diatoms?) from collecting on the surface in between weekly water changes. . Also, something to clean up any occasional Cyano that may decide to start up. Eliminating the need to vacuum would be awesome, but is not really the goal here. I just want to keep the sand surface looking clean in between vacuuming. The Snail and Crab Teams keep the rocks and glass pretty clean, but the sand surface still gets a light brown coating after a few days, especially along the back edges of some of the rock caves where the flow is low and the vacuum can't reach.
Based on readings at WWM, along with your CMA and Reef Invertebrates books, I have thought about a Diamond Goby (Valenciennea puellaris), but want to make sure it would not decimate the sand bed of organisms the way a sand sifting star or horseshoe crab would. At least I think he wouldn't starve in this big of a tank. I have also started reading on the WWM website about spaghetti worms as an alternative. But I don't much about them yet and need to re-read about these in the Reef Invertebrate book again.
<Valenciennea species would be my choice here>
Your thoughts good or bad about spaghetti worms?
<Mmm, often get eaten...>
If I decide to add some of these, would you forego any other sand cleaners to avoid over-cleaning the bed?
<Likely not a problem here with the gobies>
If I go with the Diamond Goby to clean both the surface and upper layer, should I just surface-skim vacuum the top weekly and not do the normal inch or so into the bed?
<Up to you>
Any other suggestions you might offer about a sand cleaner?
<I'd avoid most other types as too invasive and possibly predatory.>
Thanks again for all your patience and great information.  I know you hear this a lot, but I am quite sincere when I say there are a lot of us 'learning aquarists' out here that owe a great deal of the little we have learned, and the successful joy of this hobby, to your efforts and assistance. Many may not still be in this hobby if not for your help.
Tnx,
Rick Morris
<Glad to share, help. Bob Fenner>

Re: Sand surface cleaner versus sand sifters    1/25/06
Thanks for the fast reply, Bob.  Last follow up questions on this, I promise.
The more I read your book and web today, the more concerned I get about the Valenciennea puellaris' reputation for jumping out of even well covered tanks and deep digging, plus his need for live Mysis.
<Mmm...>
So, I thought I should ask if you would recommend the Yellow Headed Sleeper
(Valenciennea strigata) as an alternative?
<Is a good choice as well... about the same nutritional needs, propensity for jumping...>
Should he do almost as good a job cleaning the sand surface with less chance of a rock slide and jumping out of the tank?
<About the same...>
Also, what is the recommendation on quarantining gobies like these? Since they are primarily substrate feeders, how do you keep them from starving during a full quarantine?
<Good question. Mainly a matter of more careful feeding, paying close attention that they don't get "too skinny"...>
Will they possibly take frozen Mysis and/or other meaty variety while in quarantine,
<Almost always, yes>
or do you recommend going with a short quarantine of a couple day and then move into the main tank?
<Shorten if necessary... with a pH adjusted FW dip twixt the move>
   My quarantine tank is a separate 10 gallon bare-bottom system, so I could add a little aragonite from my main tank if that is your recommendation.
<Should do fine>
Thanks again for your help.    If you and the Crew ever get down to Atlanta, let me know.  I owe you a trip to the new Georgia Aquarium and lunch at the
best BBQ in town!!
<Some folks live just North (in S. Carolina...). And I do like BBQ! Both the Texan varieties and more south. Bob Fenner>
Rick

Question on Orange spotted goby   1/22/06
Hi everybody!. I recently bought a pair (or i believe they are a pair) of Orange spotted gobies, and after i put them in my tank, right away one dug
a hole under a piece of live rock and they both moved in. Now every once and awhile they do this weird dance where they swim around
each other in a circle and one will lock its mouth on the others face and then act like nothing happened and go about there business. Now i think
they are a pair because they NEVER leave each other. When one goes out the other goes with it. if one decides to go munch on gravel the other
does as well its funny. But anyhow does anybody know what this might be? any help would be great. THANKS!
Roger.
<A social species... may not be reproductive in nature, but are "pairing" here. Bob Fenner>

A Quick Response Appreciated!! (Sand-Sifting Goby) - 12/11/05
Bullet Goby or Diamond Goby?  Is there a major difference?
<<Bullet Goby/Genus - Amblygobius...Diamond Goby/Genus - Valenciennea...similar in habits/feeding.>>
I wrote to CREW asking for a recommended critter that would eat algae dust from our sand surface.
<<Yes...was I...EricR here again.>>
Per your recommendation, was told to get a Bullet Goby.
<<Correct>>
I sent my husband in search of a Bullet Goby and he came back with 2 small Diamond Gobies, being told they would work equally as well and told we needed more than one because they are small. Tank: 180 gallon.
<<Mmm...likely Valenciennea puellaris, the Orange-spotted Goby.  Have had these in the past...can/will do a good job sifting the substrate.  This goby will get large (6" or more), compatibility issues aside, two might be too much for your tank...possibility of not being able to keep both adequately fed.>>
Are we ok to add them or should we take them back and hold out to find a Bullet Goby?
<<Up to you.  If you like the looks of the Diamond Goby then give it a try...though I'm hesitant to recommend two at this stage.>>
Scrambling here, I can't find any differences other than keeping
more than one may create an issue,
<<Maybe, yes>>
thus don't know if I should return both or one, or continue to ready them as new additions to our tank.
<<If you decide to add both make sure you do it at the same time, though I would be inclined to only add one of these fish.
We house live rock, Naso Tang, Green Bird Wrasse, Fox face, Yellow Tang, Percula Clown, Coral Beauty, Royal Gamma, 3 Blue Damsels, 3 Striped Damsels, 1 Six Line Wrasse and 1 Black Brittle Star along with a host of Crabs that enjoy the night life.
Debi Stanley-Viloria
Mission Viejo, CA
<<Regards, EricR>>

Sand Sifting Gobies...heavy bio-load and nutrient problems  12/1/05
Hello Crew
<Hello.>
I was at my LFS the other day and became extremely fascinated with the blue cheek gobies they had. Anyways I believe there would be room in my tank which is a 29 gallon FOWLR that consists of 2 ocellaris clowns 1.5" each, 2 yellowtail damsels 1" each, 
<Watch the damsels they may get "evil" with age.>
a six line wrasse 2" and a coral banded shrimp. Right now I have a crushed coral base (but was planning on converting to sand anyways), hang on filter and a small amount of live rock (2lbs maybe). I have had this exact set up for about six months and do 25% water changes once a month. Nitrates are usually in the 30 range.
<This is a bit high... shoot for 10 or less. I would look into a protein skimmer.>
Also I should be upgrading to a 55 gallon within the next year.  Do you think that adding a small (I know they can grow up to 7") blue cheek goby would upset my levels that much if at all. If it would could a solution be adding some small hermit crabs to process the extra detritus, or would adding more live rock be a better alternative. (I already know more water changes would be the best but they're a pain where my tank is at right now so I'm trying to go for convenience.) 
<With your current load I would skip this addition. Not only due to its potential size but also due in part to what is in your tank already. Also more fish will not help your current nutrient problem. This animal also prefers larger tanks with well established Deep Sand Beds.>
Thanks in advance for the guidance
<Welcome.>
Mike Turner
<Adam J.> 

Valenciennea puellaris and Amblyeleotris guttata compatibility  11/17/05
I had a Valenciennea puellaris that jumped from my tank, so I had my LFS order another, but his supplier sent him Amblyeleotris guttata instead. 
<Not unusual to have suppliers mix gobies up>
My questions are: 1) would these 2 fish be compatible in a 135g system? 
<Mmm, yes, should get along>
Since the diamond watchman and the spotted prawn look so similar, I didn't know if that might cause them to fight. 
<Not likely>
2) I believe I had sufficient 'pods for the puellaris (they are -everywhere- both amphipods and copepods, very easy to find all over the rocks, glass, sand, any time of day). I have about 3-4" of sugar-sized sand throughout, and the live rock offers a lot of places for things to hide (very porous and stacked to make crevices). My concern is if they both eat 'pods that I would not have enough. I planned to add a refugium within the next 2 months, but do not have one yet. Would these two fish compete for food?
<Not to the point of starvation here>
3) I know the puellaris likes finer sand than the guttata - would it be possible to put some more coarse sand/gravel on one side for the prawn goby and keep just the finer sand at the other end for the puellaris to encourage them to stay on different sides of the tank?
<I would not add, mix the substrates>
Thanks!
Scott Hardin
<Try as the system is currently. Should be fine. Bob Fenner> 

Goby M.I.A., Family Valenciennea 10/11/05
Hello,
<Hi Chris!>
I've had a pair of diamond gobies for about a year in our 125-gallon reef tank. We'll one of the pair will come up missing over the past month or so for a day or so, then will show up. 
<Fairly normal of Valenciennea (sand-sifting and sleeper) gobies.> 
We'll it's because the other one keeps burying him/her in their burrow she's been missing now 
<Have you ever observed any aggression between the pair. Quite common for the gobies to fight over burrows.> 
for about 72 hours and I moved some of the sand where he had covered up a clam that's right next to the burrow entrance he went back and put the sand back. 
<Yes this is one of the facts of life with a goby in the tank, I have a pair that will bury anything given the chance.> 
Is the other one okay or should I try and move the 4 inches of sand that he piled on the top of the hole, I don't see any other entrances to the burrow however these are very large rocks about 15 - 20 pounds that make up where they have made their burrow?
<If the goby is indeed in the burrow he/she can get out. I would be patient for now and give it a little bit more time. Occasionally these fish can get over zealous in their tunneling behaviors, and have rocks/sand cave in on them.>
Thanks,
Chris
<Just be patient it may emerge, Adam J.> 

Sleeper Goby
Hey Crew,
<Mark>
A few questions regarding setting up a Q-tank if I may.
<Go ahead>
Looking to pick up a Sleeper Gold Head Goby (Valenciennea strigata) in a few days for my 75G (setup 2+ years, 40# LR, 4" oolite DSB, two clowns, purple tang and a cleaner shrimp). Q-tank is 15G, have a hang-on power filter that will take foam elements that have been in my main tank for awhile.
Questions:
-Should I fill (or partly fill) the Q-tank with water from the 75G?
<Yes>
-Considering is a sand sifter, go a shallow sand bed or stay bare bottom?
<Mmm, a toss-up... if the animal looks fine otherwise, I'd add substrate... but if you think you might want/have to add medicant/s, I'd omit it... Actually... if the fish looks fine I'd probably skip quarantine altogether... and just pH adjusted freshwater dip and place it... More to be lost than gained with many such fishes (touchy, easily starved varieties)>
-Tank previously setup with eggcrate lid, okay or should I be looking for a glass top?
<All openings large enough to exit up must be covered>
-How to feed the goby while in QT?
<A "turkey" baster... meaty food items, frequently>
-What should be the minimum stay?
<None to a few weeks>
Lastly, when is Part2 in the NMA series due out?
<Heeeeee! Wish I could tell... a few to several months likely>
Thanks in advance,
Mark
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner> 

Feeding Sand-Sifting Gobies (6/17/04)
Hello, <Hi! Steve Allen with you tonight.>
  As I was reading through your FAQS of sand sifting gobies, I noticed that many people's were getting thin and not getting enough food.  My friend has had a pair of them for 2 years in his 72 gallon, and to sustain feeding he has finely chopped up krill and buried it in the sand.  It seems to have worked could because the gobies are nice and fat. <Interesting. Obviously, one would have to be careful not to add too much and mess things up.> Scott. <thanks for the tip. I will post it for the edification of all readers.>

Twin-spot Goby
<Hi Kylee, Mac here>
I was talked into getting a twin-spot goby without doing the proper research
and now that I've researched it I see that they need to be kept in pairs. My
question is should I go get one from a store that isn't a mated pair and see if
they will pair up? or should I take back the twin-spot goby that I have.  <In all honesty I kept a single twin spot goby for two years by itself.  I know that it is recommended that you keep it as a pair but mine did quite well on its own.  I will say that it paired up with a shrimp goby.  It was probably one of my very favorite fish ever but it did constantly eat in the sand.  Constantly sifting sand through its gills.  Was nice for keeping the sand stirred up but was tough on the sand critters.>
Also will the twin-spot goby compete with the mandarin for food?  <Both eat pods so it will provide some competition for the mandarins food source.  You might consider supplementing your pods production with some type of refugium where they can breed without being eaten or consider renewing your pods with some type of outside pods that you bring in.>
Thanks,
Kylee

Dying Goby (6/6/04)
I have a question concerning my orange diamond goby. <Valenciennea puellaris. This fish is a sand-sifter and will often starve to death in aquariums without a well-established (1 year or more) live sand bed.> I bought him about 2 1/2 weeks ago and I think he is on his way out. I have had my tank up and running for about 3 months and it is a 40 gallon tank. I have two perc clowns, 1 green Chromis, one tiny black and white damsel, a small yellow tang and the diamond. <The Yellow Tang will outgrow the tank.> I have about 30+lbs of live rock and 2+ inches of live sand.  I have an emperor 400 filter, however I don't have a protein skimmer or UV sterilizer. <A skimmer would be nice. The UV is not necessary.> I have 4 shrimp, 2 peppermint and 2 camel shrimp. Also, I have about 4-8 hermit crabs and 10-12 snails. I changed around 15% of the water prior to adding my goby.  I acclimated him and put him in. <No quarantine? I sure hope he's not sick from a contagious disease that could wipe out your tank.>
Immediately he went under some live rock and then I did not see him for 2 days.  Finally, he stuck his head out. He would grab a flake of food or a brine and would go back under. Every day he came out more and more. The little fellow got pretty brave and would roam the bottom with one eye on the other fish. He was always a little nervous around the yellow tang. The tang was not attacking him but would swim close and the goby would hide out. <Could have been attacking when you weren't watching. The goby is shy, and will not respond well to intimidation.> All of the sudden, 2 days ago I did my biweekly water change. I don't recall if he was acting strange before or after, but I believe it was before.  He stopped eating and would not come out of the rocks.  Now I noticed that he comes out of the rocks at late night.  He also seems to be breathing heavy. <Bad sign> One other thing that I did not think of much until now is that he had a tiny pink spot on him when I got him.  I didn't notice it on him in the store and though he just scraped into a rock or something. <Possible. If so, a portal for infection.> That spot disappeared after a few days and I though nothing of it. My water parameters are fine. Salinity 1.023-25, temp 78, no noticeable levels of nitrite or ammonia.  Furthermore, all of the other fish are happy as can be.  I was wondering if maybe the tang wounded him because the tang keeps pestering him now that he is just laying in the sand bed. I have to keep an eye on the tang and chase him away.  I don't know what to do, any suggestions.  LFS says that water quality is bad <why do they say this?>, but it is not and there are no spots, fin rot and his eyes are not cloudy. What can I do to save my little sand sifting buddy? <Take him out and put him in a hospital tank where you can try to nurse him back to health. Read about quarantine/hospital tanks on WWM. Hope this helps, Steve Allen.>

Mysterious Goby Loss
Hi Crew,
Scott F. here today>
I arrived home tonight to find my 7” Diamond Goby dead in my tank. This sand-sifting superhero had lived in my tank for over a year. I was very worried about him after he had been in my tank for a about a month as he looked as if he was going to starve to death. To allow him to eat food, I would squirt mysids under the sand where other fish could not get to them. After doing this for several days, he eventually began to eat the mysids directly from the feeding tube. After that he had no fear of other fish and he would readily fight for anything I put in the tank (as well as chasing anything that looked like a tube). Since this he has always appeared to be in excellent health.
The only changes recent I am aware of are the addition of a Pterosynchiropus splendidus and a Synchiropus picturatus to the aquarium, along with several coral frags (5 soft + 5 SPS), a 4” Lobophyllia and a 6” Alveopora. This is all in a 180g tank with a 20g refugium (teeming with ‘pods and a little Gracilaria and Caulerpa).
<Sounds like a nice setup for this fish>
Water parameters look good to me: Temp=78F, Salinity=1.024, Ammonia=0, Nitrite=o, Nitrate<5 ppm, Ca=380, Alk=6. The only parameter that I have noticed to be out of range lately is the temperature. Our air conditioner went out last week so the temp got as high as 84F and fluctuated between 78F and 84F a few times but has stabilized at 77F-78F for the past two days. I realize this situation is less than ideal but the Diamond Goby is not the fish I would have expected to show the first signs of stress.
<I doubt that a brief journey into the mid eighties would suddenly kill an otherwise healthy fish...>
My Xenia, Powder Blue tang other corals, inverts and fish all appear to still be doing well. Do you think the goby could have choked on something or, since he was as large as what most books list as maximum size, maybe he was just very old when I purchased him?
<Anything is possible...Could have even been a slow deterioration (such as "old age") that coincidently peaked when the temp of the tank got up there...>
Although I assumed he was getting all nutrition from eating pellet food, silversides and whatever else I feed my fish, maybe he was getting all real nutrition from ‘pods and the two dragonets have nearly eliminated the ‘pod population (in about one week)? 
<A definite possibility...>
Since I have 200 pounds of LR. in a 180g tank with a refugium that is overflowing with ‘pods I am guessing this last theory is a long-shot.
<A long shot, but certainly not impossible...Slow starvation based on malnutrition is possible, too- however unlikely that seems>
Any insight or guesses would be appreciated.
Greg
<Well, Greg, I'm going to have to postulate that it was simply the fish's "time"...Sometimes, a fish will expire suddenly regardless of care and conditions...A frustrating occurrence, but entirely too common. I'm afraid that, in the absence of environmental lapses and obvious disease signs, this fish may have simply expired for reasons that we cannot explain. Sorry for that unsatisfying answer, but we just cannot tell without a detailed postmortem...Don't be too discouraged- you gave it a great shot! Regards, Scott F>

Starvin' Marvin the Bluebanded Goby
>Hi all,
>>Hi.
I have a Valenciennea strigata that has been in QT for a little over a month and it seems to be losing a lot of its girth. It has been eating the omega one flake I have been feeding it, it seems to love this stuff, really tears it up. I am wondering if that is all it is doing, with the amount of food (flake) it is consuming it should not be this skinny. Does this fish need another type of food, I thought omega one had sufficient protein for this fish, or does it just sift it thru its gills and break into tiny little pieces w/o digesting it. I had had exceptional luck with this fish accepting the flake food so I am assuming it would easily accept other types. Should I try something else to fatten it up, and if so what do you recommend?
>>Check out this site: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=6575&genusname=Valenciennea&speciesname=strigata
It outlines part of what this fish feeds on.  Another issue, unfortunately one that cannot be solved if such is the case, is possible exposure to cyanide.  This poison destroys the gut in such a way that any food eaten cannot be utilized.  I do hope it's more a matter of providing a better/different variety of foods that better mimic its natural diet, rather than cyanide exposure.  Best of luck to you, Marina
>Thanks, Ryan

Valenciennea strigata breeding 2/9/04
I have a breeding pair of Valenciennea strigata, marine blue cheek gobies in my tank. Last night I watched one of them waft out hundreds of fry, which I quickly netted and placed in my 300 litre tank, which contains no livestock. It has a small air pump going, and a Tunze 3115/2 skimmer. How do I care for them?
<consult the breeding reports of similar fishes at the Breeders Registry online... and get some rotifers and baby brine shrimp hatched ASAP (consult Florida Aqua Farms for supplies). You are not likely going to be able to only feed them baby brine at first... rotifers will be needed>
I caught them 12 hours ago and they are still swimming. What should I feed them? At the moment I am using invert food, which says it can be used for marine fry, but what should I use?
<the invert food will likely elicit no response from the fry. Its the wrong particle size and type>
Has this been done before, as I can't find any info on it? Any advice will be appreciated. Best Regards, James Matthams.
<I'm not sure of anyone rearing the fry successfully. Please photograph and document your efforts regardless of how successful it is. It will be a great help to future aquarists. Write and article and we'll publish it for you. Or... Take notes and pics and I'll personally help you co-author the article. Best regards, Anthony>

Valenciennea strigata breeding 2/10/04
Dear Anthony, I am taking pictures at this moment and making notes on the goby fry. I am excited about the idea of doing an article, and look forward to doing this.
<outstanding! Please let me know how/if I can help you. For starters... if the pics are digital, shoot them in the highest resolution possible and do not retouch them in Photoshop or any such program (some editors wont take them unless raw originals... they can retouch as needed).>
It is now 48 hours since they have hatched, and I think there are about 20 active fry, which are aware of me, and of food. I will keep you posted. Regards, James Matthams
<excellent and please do continue to take detailed notes about your tanks husbandry and history (temps, foods, tankmates, dates/calendar/lunar cycle, etc). Kindly, Anthony>

Hungry Goby?
I have a yellow headed sleeper Gobi (Valenciennea strigata) and he is acting fine and sifting like crazy, but he is loosing a lot of weight fast. I had this problem with a Kole tang about 4 months ago and 4 year old blue damsel. However, my mandarin, cleaner shrimp and Mustard Tang are fine and seem to be thriving.
Tank 55 gal
Wet dry
Skimmer
70 Lb LR
Can't seem to figure this thing out. Primary source of food is mysis and whatever they can scavenge. Mysis is feed every 2-3 days and water parameters are right on. Perhaps a parasite?
Peter
<Well, Peter- internal parasites are a definite possibility. Many fishes do harbor these organisms, and the problems can manifest in your tank. These fishes tend to waste away in captivity if high protein foods are not eaten regularly. My best suggestion here would be to see that food is placed where he can easily get to it (like on the bottom of the tank). This will help assure that he gets his fair share. In all likelihood, there is not enough infaunal life in the sand to sustain him, so keep the food coming his way. Hopefully, this should fatten him up a bit. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Blue Cheek Goby
Hi,<Howdy, Cody here.>
When I feed my fish a mixture of flakes and brine shrimp, will a Blue Cheek Goby eat the remains of the food that fall onto the substrate?
And would one of these fishes live happily with a regal tang, Potter's angelfish, and a ocellaris clownfish, 2 cleaner shrimps, and 3 crabs?<I would target feed with a turkey baster to make sure he gets his fair share of food.  As far as compatibility please read here:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/valenciennea.htm Cody.>
Many thanks Darrell

Sleep On It! (Should He Keep A Sleeper Goby?)
Dear Robert,
<Actually- Scott F. in for Bob today, who's in New York>
I was doing some internet searching for information on Valenciennea muralis and found your contact information.
I have my eye on a pair at the moment which appears very healthy. For me it is not a cheap fish to obtain costing $50 for the pair. I was hoping to get some information on how easy are they to keep in aquariums and whether they will eat aquarium food. The shop keeper claims Yes, but my readings suggest that many of such species will starve to death in aquariums.
<Unfortunately, I have to agree with the authors whose work you read about. I would not classify them as "easy". Most of the "Sleeper Gobies" seem to waste away in captivity, despite our best intentions and efforts. These fishes are highly dependant upon infaunal life forms; most sand beds in closed systems simply don't have the density and/or diversity of life forms required to feed sustain these fishes for a natural life span. Some hobbyists have achieved a greater degree of success (or is that a lesser degree of failure?) with these fishes by feeding them foods such as black worms and mysis. An very well established aquarium with a productive refugium is also helpful>
The intention is to put the pair into a quarantine tank with minimal gravel and no rock for at least 3 weeks, so that I can observe their health and eating habits.
<I commend you wholeheartedly for that! A great habit to have>
There is no microfauna in this tank. Once I am certain that they are doing fine, I will transfer them into a 50G tank with a deep sand bed and a good microfauna that is growing out of control at the moment. I don't want to rely on the microfauna though as their sole diet as I am not sure how quickly will they reduce the population. What is your experience with them specially with respect to feeding.
<As outlined above- I have found them quite difficult to sustain for extended periods of time. If you do have success in weaning them to prepared foods during the quarantine period, this may help them by the time they are introduced into the main tank. Another problem that I have encountered with these guys is that they tend to become somewhat shy in community tanks, and may stop feeding, or at least, display great hesitation. I would try to "target feed" them once they are introduced to the display tank.>
The goby will share the tank with a bicolor angel and a green Chromis. There is no intention to have any other bottom dweller in the tank. Any information would be helpful. Cheers, Ashraf
<Well, Ashraf, I'm not trying to be negative about these fishes, but I have to tell you that you're in for a challenge, should you decide to obtain a pair. If you are up to the challenge, and are willing to do all that you can to assure these fishes' survival- it's all your call. You certainly sound like you have done your homework, but it's really a matter of personal preference as to whether or not they're worth keeping. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Sleeper Goby sifting substrate
>I have a 120g reef system, 90g display tank with a 20g refugium and 10g sump.  I have fine aragonite substrate, about 110 lb live rock, 14 corals, one anemone, 10 fish, 3 shrimp, a feather duster worm and a load of hermit crabs and snails.  The system is running perfectly, water quality excellent, fish healthy, most corals growing like mad.
>A few days ago I introduced a 3-inch Orangespotted Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea puellaris) after almost a month in a quarantine tank.  Well, he seems to be doing fine, but he sifts through the aragonite continuously, which causes silt to be circulating all around the tank.  The tank is now cloudy with due to these swirls of substrate, and the beautiful purple live rock has now become largely silted over.  It looks terrible, and I also wonder if the corals are now getting adequate light.
>>It's creating *that* much silt, eh?  Sounds as though he's having the time of his life.
>Catching and removing him is problematic; he is so fast it was difficult catching him in an almost bare 20g quarantine tank.  There is no way I could catch him in the big tank without dismantling the entire reef.  Any suggestions?
>>Hhmm...well, if he were an invertebrate that didn't swim I'd suggest the jar.  If he were a damsel, I'd suggest a tiny, barbless hook.  I don't think we should have you use that on the goby, though.  So, if it were my tank and my fish, I'd first try to sort out how to reduce the siltiness (I wouldn't worry too much about the corals not getting enough light, unless there's not enough current to move the silt off them).  Barring that, I would do some rearranging of the tank, so that I could block off a portion of the tank to trap the goby, thus making it easier to catch him.  If you absolutely cannot rearrange the tank to afford this opportunity, then I would find myself the oldest fish shop hand I possibly could, and offer him/her $20 to come and catch the fish.  Other than that, you could try some fine netting and literally "recollect" the fish, this could take some wrangling as they usually need to be chased from the rockwork.  Sorry I can't be of more help, though I think that someone skilled in netting up fish might be able to do it.  Good luck!  Marina
Jeffrey M. Zegas

Goby Going Hungry
Hello!
<Hi there! Scott F. here!>
I haven't written in a long time (that's a good thing!)  but a couple things have come up and so I thought I'd drop you guys a line (thanks ahead of time for your great advice).  
I currently have two tanks set up, one is a 55 gallon saltwater and the other is a 10 gallon freshwater.  First of all, my tanks are kept between 72 and 74 degrees and the SG in my salt is at a steady 1.024.  Both tanks have zeros straight across for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and have been set up for about three months.
Ok, the bad stuff...I have a Spotted Rafael in my 10 gallon and I recently noticed that he has blisters (?)  near his mouth, one is just back from the corner of his mouth and the second is underneath the crack of his mouth.  I see him everyday and I never noticed them before so I think they appeared suddenly.  They don't seem to have grown at all, and he still eats like normal, but I have never seen anything like this on a fish so I thought I'd see what you guys thought.  The blisters aren't discolored in any way, they seem to just be a bit of skin stretched out....Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
<Really tough to ascertain from here...could be some kind of Vibrio infection...could be some sort of tumorous growth. I'd look in the disease FAQs on the wetwebmedia.com site for some ideas. Keep an eye on this condition, make sure that your water conditions are of high quality>
Onward!  In the 55 gallon tank I have two silver-tipped sharks (one is about four inches on is less than 2, I know they will outgrow this tank quickly!), a Goldstripe maroon clownfish, a golden head goby, a sand shifting starfish, a red legged hermit and an Astrea snail.  All of the fish get along great, but the newest addition - the goby - has not been eating.  I have only had him for four days, the first two days he spent excavating hide holes and by the third day he seemed to have chosen his final location and he camps out there all day.  I will admit I have very little information on what exactly they eat, the LFS said they will sift through sand on the bottom and pick up "leftovers" but I'm getting the feeling he was horribly wrong, I have seen a little information that says they eat worms and other sand creatures and *that* is actually what they are searching for when they sift the sand, my tank is pretty low on live rock and the sand was not live when I got it, I can't imagine that there would be enough life in it to support a creature that only eats sand inhabitants...Is this little guy doomed in my tank?
<Well, to be quite honest...probably. Don't feel like it's all your fault, though. This fish, and for that matter, all of the so-called "sleeper gobies", are extremely difficult to keep fed for extended periods of time; most slowly starve to death in captivity. They will generally only survive in very well established aquariums with live sand beds and refugia to encourage the growth of infaunal invertebrates and worms, which form the basis of their diet.>
Should I put him in a friends more established tank or is there food I can feed him that will fatten him up again and keep him happy?
<I think his best bet is to be moved into a well-established aquarium>
I plan on getting some live sand culture in the future, but that isn't helping him now so any advice would be great!  Thank you so much for putting up with me!  Have a great week! Sincerely,     Rachael
<Well, Rachel- I think that you'd be doing the right thing by moving this guy to a more established system. Be sure to establish a very "live" sand bed and a refugium if you do try to keep these types of fishes in the future. Truth is, they really are not good choices for captive systems, IMO. I think that you've learned a lot from this experience, and you will certainly move on to more success in the future! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Jumping Gobies!
Good Afternoon (or whatever time it is when you come across this email).
<Afternoon here- Scott F. with you>
This pertains to recently purchased Gobies. I have tried 3 times to keep a Maiden Goby (Valenciennea Puellaris) or sometimes called Diamond Goby. Each time it leaves the comfortable surroundings of my tank for a much harsher environment - the carpeting. I have lost 3 of the same type Gobies this way.
The last one, which jumped last night, lasted less than 12 hours. A little tank information: I have a reef set-up 45 gallon tall. I currently have a little over 13 tank turnovers per hour but my oxygen level is still low so I plan on adding another power head to bring my turnover rate to near 20/hour.
<The low oxygen level is of concern...do add more circulation and surface agitation for gas exchange>
I have removed the top on my aquarium in order to bring the O2 level up with little success. My skimmer is properly sized and working great. After the first Goby committed suicide, I purchased and installed a section of egg crate (louver) over the approx. 4" open section behind my light (light sits directly on top of tank). The second Goby found a way out of this so I decreased some of the cutouts (for HO Skimmer and the like) where there were no openings larger than the 1/2" X 1/2" squares. My 3rd Goby worked his way
out of this last night. I even tried a night light that was suggested. My question is this: I like the Goby and it's sand sifting properties. Is there anything I can do other than covering tank with screen like material and/or buying a Goby larger than the 1/2" openings?
<Unfortunately, I think that using a screen like material is your best bet (Fiberglass, not aluminum), short of covering the whole top with acrylic or plastic. If the fish wants to get out and become "reef jerky", as they say, about all you can do is make the task more difficult for it>
Are there any other Gobies or Goby like fish that sift like the Goby but that don't like to jump?
<Unfortunately, a lot of these types of fishes (sand sifting gobies and Tilefishes) tend to have the jumping habit. Personally, I have always used brittle stars to do the job. In actuality, there are a lot of people who argue (and I think quite correctly, in many cases) that sand-stirring creatures are not needed in most well-maintained sand beds, as they tend to decimate the sandbed fauna that contribute to the function of the sandbed.>
I hate to have to switch to the sand sifting stars. They aren't nearly as fun to watch. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks, J.T. Craddock
<Well, J.T.- I think your best bet is to use the screen material, or to simply discontinue the use of these types of fish in your tank. Wish there was a better solution I could offer, but I think that your options are kind of limited in a situation like this. Good luck! Scott F.>

Worried about my new Goby-Valenciennea puellaris
Hi Bob! I must say your knowledge through books and web sites have helped fuel my knowledge regarding the marine hobby. But since I'm sure you hear that all the time, I'll cut right to the point.
<Craig here today, I'm lucky to fuel myself to the bathroom!>
Yesterday (11-18) had a good pal of mine donate his Orange Spotted Sleeper Goby to me (Valenciennea puellaris) out of the kindness of his heart. It is a very fat specimen and he had raised it from a little 3 incher to about a good 4 1/2 to 5 inches that I have him at now. I received him perfectly healthy straight from my
friends tank and just gave him the routine fresh water dip and skipped initial quarantine because I knew it's been a healthy specimen for over 7 months and didn't find it necessary since my water parameters are good and all my other livestock are just fine. Here's a rough estimate of what I have set-up as well. 90 gal Fish only w/ 105 lbs of LR. and about a 4" thick fine live sand-bed. Here's the problem. After I acclimatized him, dipped
him, and introduced him, all was well for about 15 minutes. I then went to go check on something else for about 10 minutes and I couldn't find him anywhere. I know these guys are fantastic jumpers (he did jump clear out of my friends tank a good while back) and thus, the top of my tank and such have been adjusted accordingly. Plus I feverishly looked around my tank just in case he did escape and no sign of him, so obviously he must have
buried himself when I was gone. (the lights were off all this time as well).  When I came back I couldn't find any trace of a place where he buried himself. (As I am assuming he just buried himself totally out of sight) He has plenty of rock to hide under/in and a nice thick sandbed. I haven't seen him since those 1st 15 minutes of introduction (its almost been 24 hours) and am getting a little worried. Is this kind of shyness normal upon introduction?
<Not to worry, he's hiding.  24 hours is not at all exceptional.>
I think he's hiding towards the back of the tank and tried putting some frozen krill and brine shrimp in the sand bed last night to see if he would come out to eat. The krill was gone this morning but my juve harlequin Tuskfish probably ate that. So what should I do? Is waiting all I can do? I'm just a tad worried as I said, and will just try to spot feed brine shrimp, bloodworms, and krill as to where I think he is near.
<Just feed your fish as you normally do. He will come out.>
Any idea how long it will take for him to come out? Thanks a lot for your time!! You are the Uber-marine fish guru!
Sincerely, Pat
<That's Bob. I'm the Uber-food guru, something different altogether! Wait it out, your Goby will come out when he feels safe. It could be a few days even.  Just be patient..... Good luck!  Craig>

Re: Worried about my new Goby-Valenciennea puellaris
Thanks a lot Craig! Its day 2 and still no sign of him, even though I do think I found his hiding place. You have helped calm my worries. When would be a good time for me to start worrying if I don't see him for a while? Thanks again!  Pat
<Well you know Pat, it's never a good time to worry! I have had Blennies hide for a week then suddenly come out and rule the roost and I've had them never appear again (small ones). More of the first and only one of the last. Don't worry, he's in there!  Don't worry, his life is in his hands. He's not going to kill himself! Craig>

Valenciennea strigata feeding habits.
Robert,
<Amy>
I have a 55 gallon fish only tank with a Valenciennea strigata, a blue
damsel, a strawberry fish,
<Mmm, what is this?>
and a percula clown. I have about 80 pounds of
reef sand and several coral replicas in the tank. I am feeding the fish
Prime Reef flake food and all the fish are feeding well except the
Valenciennea strigata. He usually stays hidden in the huge hole he dug
under the edge of a coral replica during feeding time (anytime I open the
canopy) and by the time he comes out, all the food is gone. I have only had
him a week and he is spending more time out in the open, but should he come
out and feed like the rest of the fish during feeding time? 
<Not on these food choices... this is a "sand-sifting" species, that derives the bulk of its nutrition from sieving out "interstitial fauna"... worms, crustaceans and more minute invertebrates found in and amongst the substrate... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/valenciennea.htm>
Any time he
spends out of the hole is spent sifting sand! Should I buy him some
sinking pellet food or does he just eat what he finds in the sand?
<Ah, the latter... if there is enough to sustain him/her... These fishes need plenty of "live" substrate... a few square feet per individual of established live rock/sand system... best placed months after a system has been set-up>
I don't
want to starve him but I also don't want to pollute the water by leaving food
for whenever he decides to come out of his home.
I just purchased a copy of your book on Amazon.com this morning and am
anxiously awaiting its arrival as I gain a lot through your website.
<Ahh, you will enjoy, gain by its reading>
Thanks again,
R McClain
<Do read over the materials on WWM for now. Bob Fenner>

Help answering a question (re Sand Goby pairing)
Bob,
Could you take a look at this question and help me out with an answer for this young lady? Thanks for your time .<I will try>
Jim Bell
http://www.reefland.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000963.html
I had a pair of yellow-headed sleeper gobies in the 40 gal FOWLR. About six weeks ago, Goby Richard's mate died. If I add another goby now will they become a pair or fight with each other? If the new addition happens to be the same sex will they be OK in the same tank together? Or should I add 2 more and have a manage a' trois? The only other fish in the tank is a tomato clown, who may be traded in for a flame angel in a week or two.
<A forty gallon is a pretty small system, but I give you fair to good chances that another Valenciennes strigata will get along with your remaining half pair... I would select a decidedly smaller individual (an inch or more less), and introduce them on a day when you can be present... and leave your lights on for that night... and, of course, be on the look out for jumping out.
Bob Fenner>

Requesting Pic Use - Valenciennea puellaris
Dear Mr. Fenner,
I am the publisher of Fish 'N' Chips, a free monthly newsletter dedicated to the marine hobby. I currently have over 800 subscribers worldwide. I am writing an article this month on the Valenciennea puellaris, the Orange Spotted/Diamond Goby, and would like to use the picture of this fish that you have in your article on Sifter or Sleeper Gobies on the WetWebMedia website. May I have your permission? Thanks and a link to the site would be included in the article and bibliography.
Thanks in advance for your time,
Elizabeth M. Lukan, Fish 'N' Chips
Web Site: http://petsforum.com/fishnchips/
Email: fishnchips@mail.com
Subscribe: fishnchips-subscribe@egroups.com
<Yes, you are welcome to utilize any of the content of WetWebMedia for non-commercial purposes. Have visited your site (very nice, many good ideas, especially like the organization of your Links (have added your URL to WWM, please add ours). Keep up the good work. Bob Fenner>

Sick Orange Spotted Goby
Bob,
Thanks for your reply on my feather duster last week. Still haven't seen
any activity from it's tube. Still waiting...
Loved your book, BTW.
I have an Orange Spotted Goby that is quite industrious at sifting my sand.
I have noticed in the last week that he is losing weight and is "bent" or
"twisted" in the middle. It behaves normally and eats well including flake,
gel, frozen brine and raw shrimp soaked in Selcon. I would normally suspect
diet, but it eats eagerly and IMHO, broadly.
No other fishes behaving abnormally. Any ideas? It's a tank favorite.
If I lose it. Any ideas on a replacement sand sifter? I do not have live
sand (yet).
Thanks again, Mark
>>
The worm may take weeks to months to regenerate its crown... sorry for that lack of info.
And really like these gobies too... and/but find them starving in many situations... my real advice is more food, more frequently... They should (for all the browsers) only be placed in well-established (let's say six months old plus) full blown reef tanks...
Other sand sifters I like are in the same genus (Valenciennea) and Amblygobius (esp. hectori)... a few seastars... some other fishes.
Bob Fenner

Orange Spotted Goby
I have tried 2 Orange Spotted Gobies in my 150 gal. tank w/ live sand,
rock, and coral. I have a full hood on this tank with a 3" open area in
the back. The problem is these fish keep jumping out. I did not know
this when I purchased the first one (I have never had a fish jump out
before) and after purchasing another I covered this opening with Plastic
wrap for the first week or two, but he too discovered a small opening in
the corner. After the first one, I added some 1" PVC at the base of some
rock and #2 immediately made a home and moved a lot of sand around the
pipe cavern, I really felt he was fine. The only other fish in the tank
are 7 green chromis and they never bothered the gobies. I have 2 sand
sifting stars, some red leg hermits and a bunch of snails, none of which
should bother them. My brother purchased one at the same time I did and
with no lid his seems to be doing fine. 

My question is: Do these fish need to be kept in pairs? Is this a normal
behavior? My wife and child really enjoyed this fish, I just refuse to
find another lying on the floor.
Thanks, Jeff Phillips
>>
Thank you for writing, and adding the ever-needed message re these gobies (Valenciennea spp.). Yes, they are notorious jumpers... and who can say why one out of how many seems to "be happy" and not jump out of someone's otherwise wide open setting? Do look into pieces of acrylic/Plexiglas that you can fit over openings that are more permanent, and chemically inert (available from plastic fabricating shops... usually in "scrap" bins at low prices). 
Bob Fenner

Orange Spotted Goby
Is the Gold headed Sleeper a jumper as well? How is it with the sand
sifting?
Thanks, Jeff Phillips
>>
A good sifter, and jumper... of the same genus (Valenciennea)... 
Bob Fenner