FAQs on Shrimp/Watchman Gobies
Systems
Related Articles: Shrimp Gobies, Marine
Scavengers, Alpheid (including
Shrimp) Gobies,
Related FAQs: Shrimp Gobies 1, Shrimp Gobies 2, & Shrimp Goby Identification,
Shrimp Goby Behavior, Shrimp Goby Compatibility, Shrimp Goby Selection, Shrimp Goby Feeding, Shrimp Goby Disease, Shrimp Goby Reproduction, &
Alpheid (including
Shrimp) Gobies, True
Gobies, Gobies 2, Goby
Identification, Goby Behavior,
Goby Selection, Goby Compatibility, Goby Feeding, Goby Systems, Goby Disease, Goby Reproduction, Amblygobius Gobies,
Clown Gobies, Neon Gobies, Genus Coryphopterus Gobies, Mudskippers, Sifter Gobies,
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Mmmm, completely covered (they jump), a mix of
deeper sand, some rubble (for burrow making) or up-ended open on
one side PVC pipe...
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Yellow Prawn Goby 1/22/17
Good evening guys,
<Dave>
60g shallow tank, two Picasso Clowns, Rippled Coral Goby, Cleaner Shrimp, a few
snails, and hermit crabs... I've had a Yellow Prawn Goby in my 90g reef tank
years ago, and I felt it was fairly easy to introduce and keep. That particular
Goby when introduced, went straight to the bottom of the tank (lights were off),
hid for the rest of the day, and by the next day when lights were on it did what
Gobies do. I've just now acquired a Yellow Prawn Goby for this 60g reef tank,
and it did appear on the smallish side to me at 2" total length and slender, but
the fins all looked to be in good shape, he was a bright healthy looking yellow,
and I watched him aggressively defend his territory at the store vs. a small
Firefish. To me, it was a healthy little Goby. I had seen these small Yellow
Prawn Gobies at the LFS two weeks ago so I know it's not a fresh off the plane
Goby. I picked the best of the three, floated him for 40mins, and dripped in
tank water, etc...
turned off the lights, and he swam to the bottom but didn't hide. He hung out in
the middle of my aragonite bed out in the open. My clowns checked him over, but
didn't touch him. Fast forward one day, lights go on and the Goby
decides he'd like to swim in the mid-upper level of the tank,
<Interesting>
and was sucked to the outer protective foam of my Vortech MP40. I quickly turned
off the MP40 and he swam away. He still insisted on swimming the upper half of
the tank vs. scooting along the bottom. My Clowns checked him out some
more, but they weren't nipping at him or anything. Goby swims to one side of my
Innovative Marine SR60 with dual overflows where the Clowns hangout, one Clown
gets a little too close and the Goby swims into the narrowest slit for my
overflow and into my filter sock. I immediately intro the sock to the tank, Goby
swims out in the mid-upper level of the tank. I turn off the lights, and he
settles down to the bottom. When the lights were on, I did notice that where his
torso turns to tail, there is a whitish patch (stress related?).
<Maybe; or a physical injury>
He swims fine, but I don't perceive he has the strength to escape the suction
from the intake/foam for the MP40 (which has remained off). My quarantine tank
has been up and running without lights for 2months, and it's a 20g with hang-on
filter with the appropriate salinity and temperature. I do intend to double
check the water quality there with a water test, etc in the morning. No, I
didn't quarantine because one of your articles indicated the Gobies are hardy,
and tend not to carry harmful bacteria/parasites, etc.
<And often being quarantined is worse for them than not>
I figured as the only bottom dwelling fish (my Coral Goby remains mid range
within my very porous live rock) he would be
best suited for an established system with nothing to bother him on the bottom
except a few snails. Did I acquire a Goby that is too small/delicate at 2"? I
really don't get the lights on/mid-upper level swimming at all. Thoughts?
Dave
<I'd give this fish a bit more time. Do you intend to introduce a prawn/Alpheid
here? Bob Fenner>
Re: Yellow Prawn Goby
1/22/17
Hi Bob,
It's now early the next morning, and lights are still off, and the Goby seems to
be just fine at the bottom of the tank - but the lights will turn on in about
4hrs, and I'll be sure to watch him closely to ensure he doesn't turn into
Michael Phelps again.
<Heeee! Hopefully not that BIG an ego; it wouldn't fit in the tank!>
I'm open to the Pistol Shrimp, I've had one in the past with a Diamond Spotted
Goby... but that Shrimp feasted on all
my hermit crabs. If I am to introduce a Shrimp for him, I'm guessing I should
wait until the Goby is a little bigger? Or, do you feel that he'd be less
stressed out with a Shrimp at his side?
<Much more re this last... they really protect each other. Bob Fenner>
Re: Yellow Prawn Goby 1/24/17
Thanks for your insight. Now, introducing a pistol shrimp am I sacrificing
hermits, some snails, and eliminating my wish to add a banded serpent star?
<Possibly the first two groups if they venture too near... Bob Fenner>
Re: Yellow Prawn Goby 1/25/17
Yellow Watchman's still alive and kicking. Even with the white blemish where his
torso meets his tail, he sure swims in the open water a lot - I don't think it's
an injury. I haven't seen him feed as of yet, and his tank mates are leaving him
alone thus I've left him in the system. I wonder if he knows he's a goby?
<Again; unusual... hope it's not looking for a place to leave the tank. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Yellow Prawn Goby 1/28/17
Hi Bob,
Just one last thought here... the goby is feeding aggressively, which is a
great sign.
<Yes>
Everything else seems normal and he's spending more time on the bottom of
the tank.
<Ah good>
I've still rescued him from the overflow twice in the past three days (seven
times in the past 6 days). I'm wondering, if my aragonite uncomfortable for
him?
<Very probable. I'd make an area, even just set a dish of a couple inches
depth (glass or plastic) of finer, or mixed substrate in the system>
Most of the coarse pieces seem to have worked their way to the top of the
bed, leaving the sandier substrate under a half inch of crushed coral.
Thoughts? Pic attached.
<As stated. B>
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The Yasha Hase Miracle... Mmm, sys./env. in the
main 4/13/11
Hello!
<Yuki>
I "inherited" a tank from my boyfriend along with all his
hermit crabs and shrimp (He moved out of his parents' home and also
got a mantis shrimp - G. ternatensis). It's a Biocube 14 with
approximately 10+ lbs of live rock and a 1-2 inch deep aragonite
sandbed. There's a good wad of Chaeto and Caulerpa as nitrate
export (and hermit food). There are a lot of CUC, as I'm interested
primarily in invertebrates:
4 Calcinus laevimanus
2 "Fuzzy White Hermits"
3 Calcinus elegans
2 Clibanarius tricolor
<A lot of Hermits for such a small volume>
1 Lysmata wurdemanni
2 Lysmata boggessi
1 Astrea phoeba
They ate every bit of algae they could find, including hair, Cyano,
Chaeto, and were working on the Caulerpa before I added more Chaeto in,
despite daily feedings. This was fine with me, as they were all very
peaceful and entertaining despite apparently starving.
<Okay>
And then the Yasha appeared. A bit of background: This Yasha Hase was
presumed dead about six months ago, when the tank was still my
boyfriend's.
He bought the Yasha and a Randall's Pistol together and the Yasha
disappeared after a few months. We bought the pistol a replacement (a
Hi-Fin Red Banded) and they paired, so we presumed the Yasha had
died.
Three months later, the tank was passed onto me. It sat empty for a
month, cycling the live rock and sand. I then added the hermits and
shrimp, feeding pellets and krill. Recently, I started feeding them
table shrimp for variety, and not more than a few days after that I
spotted what should have been a long dead fish.
So here's the actual question: The goby is eating (I'm using
mysis and spirulina flakes) but it's very timid and I have to aim
the food directly into the burrow. This causes hermit crabs to find the
food later, which I'm sure isn't helping.
<Better by far than it staying about, polluting the water>
What does this goby eat in the wild, and how can I coax it out of its
hole more?
<Routine... feeding times, methods, time going by. These are very
timid fishes... naturally. They live very tenuous lives... I would
remove a good deal of the Hermits...>
I'm hesitant to purchase a pistol, since it was no more social with
the Randall's pistol, but I'm really worried about it because
it looks emaciated (probably from having extremely slim pickings in my
tank).
<As it is alive... it will likely continue>
it's not the fall that kills you it's the sudden stop.
- Yuki
<Nor life that causes ones death. BobF>
Shrimp / goby / Fireworm 03/22/2008 Hello!
Thank you for all the great info on your site. <<Hello, Andrew
here today>> When I got my live rock, the shrimp half of a
shrimp/goby pair hitchhiked along with it. The shrimp has lived in a
burrow in the substrate under one of the rocks for about three months.
Today I added the goby to my tank, and he promptly joined the shrimp in
the hole. As I was feeding them tonight, they were having trouble
getting their food because a fire worm had invaded their burrow and was
blocking the entrance. Figuring three was a crowd, I grabbed the fire
worm with my hemostats and tried to pull him out. Unfortunately, I
ended up tearing the worm in half, and the rest of it is still in the
shrimp and goby's home. Is there anything I should do? To remove
the rest of the worm, I'd have to lift the rock and destroy the
burrow. Will the situation resolve itself if I leave it alone? I think
I may be overly anxious because the goby is my first fish. At a risk of
having too much disturbance to the system, i would fill the burrow with
sand, effectively blocking it off. Another alternative is to try and
trap the worm and remove it that way. Please read over the follow FAQ
and linked articles for trapping and removing
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polychaeselfaqs.htm >> I've been
saving my money to buy him ever since I accidentally got the shrimp.
Thank you for your advice and all that you do for beginning aquarists
like me. In case you are wondering, no, I didn't quarantine the
goby. However, I've "visited" him a few times over the
past three months at the aquarium shop, and he has showed no signs of
disease. <<As a caution note, its always best to quarantine your
inhabitants yourself, this way you have as much time as you need, under
your own supervision, to watch the new inhabitants and rectify any
issues seen>> Thank you, Mandy <<Thanks for the questions,
hope this helps. A Nixon>>
Re: Nano shrimp set up Hello Crew, I
recently sought guidance regarding a 10 gallon nano I was setting
up for a proposed shrimp/goby combo. To update, the tank is
perking along nicely (mini cycle after adding a gorgeous 3 pound
piece of Pukani live rock) and I am still researching possible
livestock options... Tank is as follows: standard 10 gallon
glass, with an internal overflow-fed refugium (used an acrylic
partition) occupying 1/4 of the tank (this has a DSB with 4-5
inches of oolitic aragonite sand, and a powerhead with around 150
gph of flow) and 36 watts of PC lighting. Total sand volume is 15
lbs (including the refugium), with total LR volume of 8.3 lbs,
and actual total water volume at about 6.5 gallons. The display
has a sand depth of 2-3 inches, and includes a sizable amount of
small shells and broken shell fragments. I'm debating whether
or not a pistol goby combo will be as visible/interesting as I
had hoped, and considering a (single) coral banded shrimp with
one fish as another possibility. <A small, nervous fish...
Boxer shrimp are quite predaceous> Long term, my goal is to
stock with Zoanthids, and possibly a few mushrooms. I am not
after more fish, but rather an interesting display in which to
view a shrimp specimen. Would a royal Gramma work in this size
tank with a CBS, or is there too great a likelihood of predation?
<The latter> If there are other more suitable fish that
would do well with a coral banded, I'd love suggestions so I
can focus my research. <I'd just keep the shrimp here w/o
fish> I'm in no hurry, rather taking my time to get things
right. Thanks again for such a terrific site! I am still
reading/rereading Anthony and Bob's book, and strongly
believe it should be offered with the first purchase of live rock
at the LFS (which is great, thankfully). Thanks! Stan <Thank
you Stan... I share your concern re the size actually of this
system with a goby/Alpheus... and might risk adding a
tank-bred/raised Pseudochromid with a Stenopus hispidus... but...
in the long term... any/all fish will too likely be consumed in
this set-up. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: nano shrimp set up 12/30/07 Thanks, Bob.
So we are looking at a coral banded shrimp (with a possible
Pseudochromis tank mate), but you are thinking this volume is too
small for the goby/shrimp combo? <Yes> There isn't
anything in the tank yet, in case I misled you. If I understand
you correctly, then my best bet is to go with the CBS, with the
caveat that the fish might not be a friend, but food, and forget
about the pistol/goby combination. <Yes> I was getting a
bit concerned that pairing might go badly once I got them home
(they are paired at the LFS). A bit disappointed, but not much...
coral banded shrimp are just, well...cool. Thanks again for
putting so much time and effort into such a great site! Stan
<Welcome my friend. BobF>
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Wheeler Goby... sys. 11/29/07 To Crew, <Parker>
Thanks for all the help. You guys are great. I have been reading your
website for a couple years now and have learned so much. <Okay!>
I recently started a 12g eclipse with about 15lbs LR and an 1"-1
1/2" course substrate. Two clown fish, couple hermit crabs, and
arrangement of snails. (turbo, nauseous, <Heeee... Nassarius...
though they may make you nauseous> and bumble bee, which look really
good with the LR). All levels are sound, good SG 1.023, temp. 78, 8.2
ph, 0 nitrite, and 15 ppm nitrate (a little high). <Mmmm, yes> I
recently added a wheeler goby <Amblyeleotris...> and a feather
duster. I was wondering if having only an inch to inch and a half of
course substrate is enough to effectively keep the goby happy. <Mmm,
and the question of grade/average diameter...> If this depth it is
not enough or the substrate is not fine enough, can I add finer sand to
the system. <Yes> By adding fine sand to a system, can this
potentially cause stress to the fish, cleaners, or LR? <More likely
to relieve stress than cause it here...> If I can add finer sand,
how would I go about doing so? <Could be just added with... rinsed
and placed underwater, as in a plastic scoop...> Will the goby be
able to sift through the substrate? <If it wants> Any advice
would be great. Regards, Parker <Start planning for the next/larger
tank. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Yellow shrimp goby Hi, I wanted to purchase a yellow
shrimp goby. I was looking at a book of marine fish, it said that it
may jump out of an open aquarium, is this true? <Very much so...
these are great escape artists> I have about 3-4 inches of space
that is open. <Way too much!... you might be able to tape it
over...> It also stated that it may eat smaller ornamental shrimps.
Not sure what that means but does that include a cleaner shrimp?
<Not this size, type of (likely Lysmata) shrimp... it should be
fine> One more thing, my live rock rests on my sand bed. Should I
worry that it will dig around the rock and cause it to topple? <Not
much of a worry with this size, type fish. I wouldn't be concerned.
Bob Fenner> Thanks Angelo
Substrate for Goby/Shrimp combo. 8/9/05 Mornin' Bob
<Cheers... Anthony Calfo here in his stead> First let me
apologize if this has gone to the wrong place, I found your link while
perusing the Goby section on your excellent pages! <Welcome!>
I'm considering making a return to the hobby after a break of quite
some years and of course a lot's changed since then! While
researching current thinking on Reef systems I've got bogged down
on the BB/SSB/DSB/Plenum issues and this is compounded by the fact that
I'm very keen to house the Goby/Shrimp combination and the obvious
effect this will have on substrate choice, plus the fact that I have a
very large quantity of (dead) Oolitic sand which I would
like to use in what will be a reef system with very few reef-safe fish,
small clawed crustaceans( Lysmata, Thor, Saron) etc. I think I'm
now up to speed re. Live Rock, Skimming, Carbon, Phosphate reduction,
Turnover ,Lighting etc. I would like the Goby/Shrimp to be able to
exhibit normal behaviour, hence my problem. The system will be
integrated within the main tank as I have no space (nor desire) to run
a sump. Would their digging spoil a DSB or even release anoxic toxins
from a DSB by digging? <Not at all. If the DSB is kept healthy with
adequate (proper and necessary) strong water flow above it so that
solids do not accumulate excessively... then all will be fine. And this
is easy to accomplish. Seek to produce random turbulent water flow as
with closed loop manifolds (you can fid some neat and current
links/pics on this subject over at Reefcentral.com)> You mention
adding tubes to the substrate, ( I can't find the link) which
I'd thought of. <Yes, excellent idea. Just bury under the
rocks/in the sand and let them do the rest> Would a 1"
substrate with tubes covered with sand be better? <That's not
deep enough for the shrimp and goby or efficient DSB activity (NNR)>
In either case I could never run a system B/B. <I too very much like
deep, fine sand beds. I think your oolitic sand is a best bet. Do enjoy
at 4-6" (10-15 cm)> Thanks in advance for any advice you can
offer cos I'd prefer not to proceed rather than get it wrong! Kind
Regards, Steve. <kindly, Anthony> Yashia shrimp goby stuck in
refugium 1/21/06 Well I finally got my 30g refugium set
up on my 220g tank this week. I put in a 5in sand bed, Gracilaria,
Chaetomorpha, and about 5 portions of pods I bought from florida
Pets.com. Everything looks great and seems to be doing good.
I see a lot of pod activity, which is my main goal for this tank. I
have a lot planktivores in my main (Anthias, fairies wrasses, etc.) and
I wanted to keep a suitable amount of zooplankton to feed them. Anyway,
my refugium is gravity fed by one of the two overflow outlets on my
hang-on overflow box. The other goes to the main sump and skimmer, the
refugium also empties into the sump. The first night I set up my
refugium I noticed my Yashia Shrimp Goby had not only got caught in the
overflow box but made a new home in live rock rubble I set up for my
pods in the refugium. I then proceeded to catch him and return him to
the main tank. All was fine for a couple days, but now its in there
again and loving all the new forage. I'm not only surprised he
ventured into the overflow again, I'm wondering how he fit through
the grid teeth and how he was so lucky to once again make it down the
right outlet into the refugium. Now I know he's obviously more
happy in the refugium, but I also know from your book that its no place
for him. I guess my question is how much damage can he do to my pending
pod population? <Have to wait/see> and what can i do to make him
stay in the main? <Better screening> I have 250lbs of live rock
and a live sand. There's no overly aggressive predators in the
tank, so I'm wondering why it keeps venturing down the overflow.
Would setting up a pile of rubble in the main tank make it more
appealing? Thanks Brandon <Likely "jumping" in
response to the water movement. Bob Fenner>
Sand-Dwelling Gobies and Bare-Bottom Tanks -
07/24/06 Good afternoon. <<Morning now...>> I currently
have an engineer goby that I have had for about 1 1/2 now in my 120
reef tank. I have a 4" sand bed in the
tank. I am planning on an upgrade to a 180, but I plan on
going Bare Bottom. I know that the engineer goby burrows in
the sand as mine always does, but is this necessary for its life.
<<Ultimately, yes...will likely suffer psychologically without
something in which to "engineer">> So my question is:
Can an engineer goby live in a tank with no sand. <<Not
recommended>> Also, I have a Watchman goby and the same question
goes for him. <<As does the same reply...>> Thank you. Joe
<<You're welcome Joe...EricR>>
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