The diamond watchman goby (Valenciennea puellaris) is a popular choice for saltwater aquarium enthusiasts looking for a natural sand sifter. These fish are admired for their industrious behavior and attractive appearance, sporting a glimmering silver base color with iridescent bluish spots and orange markings. However, their specialized feeding habits require careful consideration to ensure their long-term health and survival in a captive environment. This article delves into the dietary needs of the diamond goby, offering practical advice on how to successfully feed and maintain these fascinating creatures.
Understanding the Diamond Goby's Natural Diet
In their natural habitat, diamond gobies are found in reef environments, sifting through the substrate in search of food. They obtain nutrients by filtering sand, consuming copepods, detritus, and other tiny invertebrates present within the substrate. This continuous sifting behavior is crucial for their well-being, as they extract essential nutrients from the sand.
Diamond gobies have a very wide natural range. This is a reef species that occurs in both protected lagoons and exposed reefs, down to around 30m in depth. It usually lives in pairs on the sand bed, where a shallow burrow is dug under rocks or rubble for safety.
Challenges in Replicating Their Natural Diet
One of the primary challenges in keeping diamond gobies in aquariums is replicating their natural feeding environment. Many aquarists have experienced difficulties in maintaining these fish, with some reporting that they slowly starve to death even when accepting prepared foods. The reason for this is that the goby may strip the sand bed clean of any food or life, and after that, it slowly starves to death -- even though they were eating prepared foods. This highlights the importance of understanding their specific dietary requirements and providing a varied and sustainable food source.
Acclimation to Captive Foods
It can be challenging to get a diamond goby to accept regular aquarium fish foods at first, but it’s important to try. Initially, diamond gobies may be hesitant to accept prepared foods, making it crucial to encourage them to adapt to captive diets. (Thawed) frozen or live brine shrimp, mysis, copepods and other meaty foods should work perfectly fine, although you can also try with formulated pellets. To ensure they are getting adequate nutrition, aquarists can offer a variety of foods, including:
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- (Thawed) frozen or live brine shrimp: While readily accepted, brine shrimp should not be the sole food source due to its limited nutritional value.
- Mysis shrimp: A more nutritious alternative to brine shrimp, mysis shrimp provides essential proteins and fats.
- Copepods: These tiny crustaceans are a natural component of the diamond goby's diet and can be added to the aquarium to supplement their feeding.
- Formulated pellets: High-quality pellets can provide a balanced diet, but it's essential to ensure the goby is actively consuming them.
- Cyclopeeze: Some aquarists have found success feeding cyclopeeze regularly.
It is important to keep an eye on things to make sure your diamond goby is actually feeding: other fish might get to the food before it gets a chance. Observe the goby during feeding times to ensure it is actively consuming the offered foods and not being outcompeted by other tankmates.
Maintaining a Healthy Sand Bed Ecosystem
To support the diamond goby's natural feeding behavior, it is crucial to establish and maintain a healthy sand bed ecosystem. If you didn’t use live sand from the start, be sure to give your sand bed some time to develop before introducing a diamond goby into your tank. This ensures your fish won’t starve as it adjusts to live and formulated foods. This involves providing a thick substrate of fine sand, preferably live sand, which harbors a variety of beneficial microorganisms and invertebrates. A thriving sand bed offers a continuous source of food for the goby, supplementing its diet and promoting its overall health. Some aquarists have found success using SSB (shallow sand bed) crushed coral.
Encouraging Detritus Accumulation
While it may seem counterintuitive, allowing some detritus to accumulate in the sand bed can benefit diamond gobies. Detritus serves as a food source for the microfauna that the goby consumes, enriching the substrate and providing a more natural feeding environment. One aquarist noted success in a low-maintenance, higher-nutrient tank, suggesting that an "uber clean" system may not be ideal for this species.
The Role of Algae
Allowing for enough algae to grow on/in the sand can be beneficial. Some aquarists recommend incorporating vegetables into the goby's diet, such as emerald entree, which contains greens for herbivores.
Tank Setup and Compatibility
The aquarium environment plays a significant role in the diamond goby's ability to thrive. These fish require specific tank conditions to exhibit their natural behaviors and maintain a healthy diet.
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Tank Size and Substrate
You can keep a diamond goby in a 55-gallon long aquarium or larger. Make sure the tank has plenty of bottom space, as these fish don’t really use the rest of the water column. Diamond gobies are burrowers and sand sifters that like a thick substrate of fine sand. A tank of at least 55 gallons with plenty of bottom space is recommended to provide ample room for the goby to sift and burrow. A thick substrate of fine sand is essential, as they will spend their days building mounds and burrows. The tank should also include some live rock to make their hide under. The goby will be thankful for the opportunity to dig around.
Tankmates
Diamond gobies are generally peaceful and reef-safe, but caution should be exercised when selecting tankmates. While they typically ignore other fish and corals, they can become aggressive towards similar species, especially other gobies. They can’t stand their own kind! It's best to avoid keeping them with aggressive or boisterous fish that may harass them or outcompete them for food.
Water Quality
Maintaining optimal water quality is crucial for the health of all aquarium inhabitants, including diamond gobies. Regular water changes and proper filtration are necessary to prevent the accumulation of harmful substances and maintain a stable environment.
Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions
Several misconceptions surround the care of diamond gobies, leading to confusion and potential problems for aquarists.
Over-Sifting
Some aquarists worry about diamond gobies over-sifting the sand bed, potentially disrupting the ecosystem. While it's true that these fish are industrious sifters, the benefits they provide in terms of nutrient cycling and detritus removal generally outweigh the risks.
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Starvation
The most common concern is the potential for diamond gobies to starve in captivity. To mitigate this risk, aquarists should focus on providing a varied diet, maintaining a healthy sand bed, and monitoring the goby's body condition for any signs of weight loss.
"Carpet Surfing"
Diamond gobies are known to jump out of aquariums, so a tight-fitting lid is essential to prevent them from "carpet surfing."
Observing Behavior as a Key Indicator
Careful observation of the diamond goby's behavior can provide valuable insights into its health and well-being. A healthy goby will actively sift through the sand, displaying a natural foraging behavior. A decline in activity or a pinched appearance behind the head may indicate malnutrition or other health issues. The fish sifts all the time, if it ever stops sifting, it's sick.