What is this?

[ergert]

I was at the place I shouldnt buy fish from and saw this and thought cool I will put it in my tank with nothing in it but some frags and snails.

It is about 3 inches long and is trying to eat my snails and xenia.

I was told it is a tiger spotted gobey. It looks so much better than the pic, I just turned my light on and got the picture

Should I get rid of it? If it is not a spotted gobey than what does it eat?

Thanks

[Hormigaquatica]

Looks like a watchman goby to me, although those dont usually bother snails and coral. They might throw inverts that get in their way or down in their burrow, but dont normally try to eat them. Just keep an eye on him I suppose- if its too aggressive, pull him.

[stevensun]

http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/z...voninoides.htm

[cowboyswife]

My pink spotted goby did that stuff all the time! Every time I put a new frag in my tank, he felt the need to bite it. He almost got eaten by my clam for trying to bite it too. If a snail got anywhere near his burrow, he would bite it and take off with it.

[ergert]

Thanks for your responses. He is not burrowing, but just sitting behing a rock. This thing is as big around as your middle finger and seriously almost 4 inches long. Not the typical goby. He is a giant. Mouth is so big he could eat a cube of brine probably, but it is not eating right now. Not sure what to feed it.

I have fiji sand in there and some of that live sand so hopefully he could still burrow if he wanted to.

[Gem Tang Rider]

Your goby is looking for building materials. They will use your snails, frags, whatever they can find. It will stop using your tankmates, if you provide it with some small rock rubble, shells. However the goby does not normally make the burrow, the pistol shrimp digs the burrow that they will share.
That fish would go perfect with a tiger pistol shrimp. Make sure you get a tiger pistol, some pistols are not symbiotic.
Feed him mysis shrimp, nori, & krill. You maybe able to get it eating pellets.

[redhdmedic]

my pink spot goby is the largest fish in my reef at a healthy 4.5" and easily as "fat" as my thumb (I can't freakin' believe I just typed that...)...he just refuses to pair up with any darn shrimp, because he's stubborn I suppose (who knew I'd get the stubborn one?!?!) but has himself a nifty little cave system going on in the rock work. He snatches hermits and moves them all over, as well as anything else that wanders to close. My kenya tree dropped a bud which decided it was going to stick itself to the rock near his cave and he moved that! Watchman gobies are persnikity, but fun as heck with their personalities...until they find that 1 thing that drives you nuts...lol

[Gem Tang Rider]

I have a pink spot goby that is captive bred. It wouldn't know what to do with a pistol shrimp either.