how much damage can a sleeper goby cause?

[tuftsreef]

hi, i recently aquired a gold head sleeper goby, one with blue streaks by its eyes... a Valenciennea strigata...

anyway, i got it because i was hoping it would clean this algae that was at the bottom of my tank. it did a great job and now the tank looks much cleaner. however,

i read that they are are horrible in regards to keeping a live sand bed...by watching him eat, i believe it. so, how bad is he really for my tank? how impt is the stuff he could be eating?

 

[danmhippo]

They usually only digs the top 1/2" layer of the sand, except where they sleeps. Assuming you have over 4" of sand bed, top 1/2" is aerobic layer anyway, and should not cause too much concern.

However, some kept DSB for it's capacity to create biodiversity. Where the sleeper goby's main mission is to eat off what you consider as "biodiversity" in the sand. If you don't mind not seeing worms and pods on the sand, Sleeper goby is just fine for your tank.


(however, not all sleeper goby created the same, the orange spotted sleeper goby is much more active digger, and makes more damages to a typical DSB than other sleepers.....)

 

[tuftsreef]

hey thanks for the info, that was what i was hoping...my sandbed is about 3.5 to 4.5 inches deep so hopefully i'll be fine

 

[Minh Nguyen]

...
some kept DSB for it's capacity to create biodiversity. Where the sleeper goby's main mission is to eat off what you consider as "biodiversity" in the sand. If you don't mind not seeing worms and pods on the sand, Sleeper goby is just fine for your tank.
.....

Tuftsreef,
You don't seem to read the complete post.:lol:
Minh

 

[tuftsreef]

haha, i read the post...you said at first that since the top layer is an aerobic layer and that i should be fine...the second part is what i was wondering about, i knew he would eat whatever is in my sand and i was asking how much damage he could cause...so, am i wrong in assuming he would only take a few bugs from the aerobic layer, or will he totally kill whatever bio diversty i have?

 

[danmhippo]

Let's just say he will eat "most" of pods and worms in the top layer. There will always be places even the gobies can't access.............

 

[Anonymous]

They usually only digs the top 1/2" layer of the sand, except where they sleeps. Assuming you have over 4" of sand bed, top 1/2" is aerobic layer anyway, and should not cause too much concern.
However, some kept DSB for it's capacity to create biodiversity. Where the sleeper goby's main mission is to eat off what you consider as "biodiversity" in the sand. If you don't mind not seeing worms and pods on the sand, Sleeper goby is just fine for your tank.


(however, not all sleeper goby created the same, the orange spotted sleeper goby is much more active digger, and makes more damages to a typical DSB than other sleepers.....)

dan (aka jimmy )

seems to me that the constant turnover of the top layer in different spots each time would result in an everchanging aerobic, and hence, anaerobic/anoxic depth overall on the sb, no?

wouldn't this then cause the rest of the sb to never be able to really stabilize it's nnr bacteria populations?

 

[danmhippo]

Hmmm, I never has, nor do I have the equipment to monitor oxigen level in different part of my sandbed. But if the lower part of the sand, the anaerobic layer are undisturbed, the denitrator concept still works. However the anaerobic zones would be much shorter in height. Assuming in undisturbed 4" sandbed, the true anaerobic zone are 2" down, now with sleeper goby's digging of the top 1/2" layer, the anaerobic zone would have been reduced to 1 1/2" down.

My experience with golden head sleeper is their digging are limited to only a section of the sand surface, usually near their burrow entrance. Usually this is not a big problem.

Another possible problem he may run into is golden head sleeper has the habit of scattering sand grains over LR. This is especially frustrating if you have sensitive corals near the burrow entrance. Where as the orange spotted sleeper does not scatter the sand around, but they do more damage to the DSB because they dig much deeper into the sand.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I have not personally keep a sleeper goby, but the only problem with them in a sand bed is the elimination of the animals in the sand bed and the fact that they scatter the sand everywhere, over clams and corals. I don't think one need to concern about the aerobic and anaerobic zones changes, at least not significantly enough to cause problem in denitrification.
Minh

 

[WRASSER]

ok people,


8O with all this sand bed talk, you raised one eye brow. i have a dragon wrasse that has a feild-day in my sand bed. plus four other wrasse that follow him around from time to time. the question; what harm is this to my sand bed :?:



wrasser 8)

 

[danmhippo]

What do you want to know? Your sand bed is already a supercharged bioball with all the digging from the top all the way down to the bottom.

When is the last time you see any worms on the sandbed? eh?

LOL!

 

[WRASSER]

well, i guess te real question is; dose the dragon do any harm to the sand bed?
and no i don't see anything small :!:



thank you,



wrasser 8)

 

[Minh Nguyen]

well, i guess te real question is; dose the dragon do any harm to the sand bed?
and no i don't see anything small :!:



thank you,



wrasser 8)

You just answer your question. IME, in-fauna is the most important factor in DSB system.
Minh

 

[WRASSER]

NICE TANK minh,


i am fairly new to the trade, all i have done was share my experinces with everyone to try to help. so i am still learning. with that said what dose INFAUNA mean :?:




wrasser 8)

 

[Minh Nguyen]

The animals living in the sand.

 

[WRASSER]

minh,



so, then i should start a refug. to help replenish my infauna :?:





wrasser 8)

 

[tuftsreef]

i second that last question...

also, should i consider getting rid of my goby or will my tank be fine with less critters in the sand. by the way, the goby goes through the whole 72 gallon tank eating, but leaves the sand pretty much where he got it (doesn't drop it over my live rock)

 

[danmhippo]

It all depends on what you want to accomplish with your DSB? Do you want it :

1. become a nursery for worms and bugs?
2. to perform denitration?
3. be looking pretty against your LR?

To accomplish #1 and #2, you should not have sleeper goby, or any actively digging fish.

To accomplish #3, you could employ other animals that turn over sand grains, but without the deep digging as wrasse and sleepers do. Conch, cukes, brittle stars and some hermits will accomplish #3 without disturbing your sandbed.

Refugium will be great addition to any tank, regardless of conditions.

 

[WRASSER]

hippo,




if you want the gobies and wrasse, will the refugium replenish the sand bed? ... ( i also have a manderian) ...



thanks,


wrasser 8)

 

[danmhippo]

Hey man, you are pushing the limit.........

Well......... I would suppose an oversized refugium may do the trick. By oversize I meant refug almost as big as the main tank.

Wrasse can learn to eat prepared food without much problem, but golden head sleeper is harder. Mandarin is very hard to convert. I would assume you have not had the mandarin for long? Have you seen it eat? How long is the duration between each "peck"?