Gold Head Sleeper Goby

discode · #1 09/13/2005, 04:51 PM

Hello All:

I have just purchased a Gold head sleeper goby. I was wondering how difficult they are to keep. I have read that you should have one of these in a tank that has an attached refugem. I do not have a refugem at this point.

I am currently feeding with cyclopese and, mysid but he doens't ever take the food as I put it in. Everytime I approach the tank he darts away. I have tried putting in just a small amount of mysid and then actually putting the rest of it in about 10 min later but this does not seem to be working. He has been in the tank for about 2 weeks and constintely sifts the sand but I am concerned that he may be slowly starving to death.

I was just wondering what other peoples experiences with this fish are or if anyone could give me some suggestions to ensure a long happy life for this guy.

Thanks,
Dave P.

fischcrazy · #2 09/13/2005, 05:25 PM

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discode · #3 09/13/2005, 05:34 PM

Thanks.

I have seen those requirements before.

Peoples personal experiences with these fish would much more helpfull to me though. Also any suggestions on getting it to eat.

Is it normal for them to not want to eat food that is not on the bottom? Do they only eat food from sifting of sand or do the actually take food before it hits the bottom? Any info about these issues would be great.

CrazyLionfish · #4 09/13/2005, 06:07 PM

They usually won't eat anything except pods and other creatures in the sand. How long has your tank been up, the reason they say you need a refugium is so that their is a sufficient amount of pods for him to sift in the sand bed. Most gobys dart away if you come near the tank so that isn't too much to worry about. Some people get lucky and get gobys that eat mysis shrimp and other prepared foods, but that is rare. How long has your tank been up and running? If it is new there most likely isn't a sufficient pod level at this point.

discode · #5 09/13/2005, 06:16 PM

My tank is about 8 months new. I had it set up for about a year with a rocky substrate. Then about 8 months ago I switched over to about a 4" sand bed. It is the same rock that has been around for about 1 yr. 8 months but only about 8 months that I have had the sand. I dont have any corals yet as i was having a algae problem which has sorted itself out.

Is there some type of supplement that i can add to my tank that will bring the pod level up (beside just age)?

Thanks again. Any info is greatly appreciated. I have not had any fish die yet and dont want to start with this on.

JENnKerry · #6 09/13/2005, 07:28 PM

I've had my sleeper since April. He's in a 55 gallon with no fuge. He sifts the sand all day and eats everything I put in there from flake and pellets to frozen mysis, brine and frozen formula two. A real pig.
I really don't know what kind of advise I can offer you. Just sharing my experience.

discode · #7 09/13/2005, 07:36 PM

Thanks for the info.

Looks like i will have to come up some creative ways to entice the guy to eat.

techigirl78 · #8 09/13/2005, 07:40 PM

Try adding some garlic to the food as well. I never had a sleeper goby, but I did get a scotter blenny and rainford's gobies to eat food with garlic in it.

discode · #9 09/13/2005, 07:49 PM

Thats a good idea. Ill give that one a shot when I get home tonight.

discode · #10 09/13/2005, 10:25 PM

I had a little bit of success with adding garlic to the mysid. I saw the goby eat 4 or 5 of the mysid.

Is it best to use fresh garlic? Is powdered garlic better? Any info is appreciated.

JENnKerry · #11 09/14/2005, 07:00 AM

I would say fresh...cause nothing beats fresh ya know

techigirl78 · #12 09/14/2005, 08:48 AM

I'm lazy I guess. I use the stuff in the bottle: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewIt...product=KM3631

I also keep it on hand for fish in QT and add it occassionally to the food when I feed my tank. Seems to work well for me.

discode · #13 09/14/2005, 10:41 PM

So is 8 months in this tank long enough to have a good build up of pods? Please forgive my newbyness.

Gary Majchrzak · #14 09/14/2005, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by discode
So is 8 months in this tank long enough to have a good build up of pods? Please forgive my newbyness.

Get out a flashlight and look at your aquarium tonight.

discode · #15 09/14/2005, 10:48 PM

Okay. What is it exactly that I am looking for? Or will I just know when I see it.

CrazyLionfish · #16 09/15/2005, 06:29 AM

Small ones of these

however, I've had not a lot of luck with the flashlight, but once I took a rock and dipped it in freshwater and 5 of them came out instantly.

discode · #17 09/15/2005, 02:46 PM

I see. I have recently taken a piece of rock out to some maintenance on the tank and noticed one of these little critters in the bottom of the bucket when I put the rock back in. I kind of doubt that I have enough to sustain my sifter goby though. I am probablly going to buy some cultured ones though the web.

peecook · #18 09/16/2005, 12:03 PM

8 months could be enough time, mines been setup since nov04 and at night i can see a done of these guys swimming around.

johnb0184 · #19 09/16/2005, 02:37 PM

i used to work at a fish store and the gold heads that we got in always did better as a pair. I had one in my tank and he wasted away due to being to shy to eat. Although it may be to late to add another but they were less shy in pairs

discode · #20 09/16/2005, 03:12 PM

Lately I have been feeding a combo of mysis, cyclopese, formula 2, VHP (from the makers of formula 2), and dosing with garlic daily. I prodominatly have veggie fish in the the tank hence the mix of stuff.

The goby will pretty much ingnore the flake food and I cant really tell if he is eating the cyclo BUT since I started dosing with garlic he has taken some of the mysis. As a matter of fact everything in the tank has really started to show more interest in eating.

Today I even saw him take off from one side of the tank to the other to gobble some up. If I can get him eating good on the mysis and VHP stuff Ill cut back on feeding him so often. I hope that is soon because i REALLY dont want to foul my water.

I did test my water yesterday and there were no discernable levels of Nitrite, Nitrate, or Ammonia. So hopefully everything will stay that way.

discode · #21 09/17/2005, 12:34 PM

I feel like I finally got this guy eating. Today he went after my normal mix of cyclopese and formula 2. Hopefully he will keep it up.

CrazyLionfish · #22 09/17/2005, 02:07 PM

Awesome, you got a good mysis eater! lol

discode · #23 09/17/2005, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrazyLionfish
Awesome, you got a good mysis eater! lol

Well I wouldnt put him in the the eating good category just yet BUT he is eating something other than whats in my sand finally.

I hope he will keep it up. I think I am going to order some pods from online to supplemnet his food supply more.