Sand Sifting Gobies hiding

[JT101]

I just picked up a pair of Sand Sifting Gobies from the local LFS. There, they were right out in the front of the tank (the usual 15-20g fish display tanks). Acclimated them slowly and put them in my tank, and they immediately went into a back corner. After a few hours they dug a little burrow under some of my Fiji rock and there they have been since yesterday afternoon, with just their snouts visible...
Today I noticed there are a few spots on the oolite (I have a little diatom problem - fairly new tank) where it looks like one or both of them took a little "bite" - there are about a dozen circulars spots on the sand about the size of a dime that are clean. Apparently, they're doing SOME scouting, but they're still pretty shy.

The LFS display tank even had a small amount of rock in it - if they were "hiders" I would imagine they would have been hiding there...

Any idea how long they will be "in hiding"? I mean, they have to come out and eat eventually...right?

Thx

John

 

[Aquatic Life Direct]

they are just acclimating to your system.. just give them some time and they will soon be out and about..

 

[Fishluva513]

they are just acclimating to your system.. Just give them some time and they will soon be out and about..

+1

 

[basiab]

Shyness may be the least of your problems. Are you saying that the tank is 20 gallons. Depending on what kind of fish you have it may be a problem. Many sand sifters will only eat what they find through sifting and that size tank will not do it. Not only do you need a large area of sand but it has to be well established.

 

[JT101]

Shyness may be the least of your problems. Are you saying that the tank is 20 gallons. Depending on what kind of fish you have it may be a problem. Many sand sifters will only eat what they find through sifting and that size tank will not do it. Not only do you need a large area of sand but it has to be well established.

No. The tank they came out of (at the LFS) was the usual 15-20g display tank. My tank is a 46g bowfront.

 

[bizzarro]

I bought a pair of zebra bar gobies and I was hoping they'd be out in the open more. At the LFS they were swimming freely even with rocks. In my 29G which is larger than the display they had it in, they're usually hiding under small rocks until they sense it's feeding time.