Who has a Yellow Watchman Goby?

[Keri]

I like the looks of these guys but don't know much about them so I have a couple of questions for the people who have them: (I've read a bunch online but I get conflicting ifo from different sites)
Are they a sand-sifting species? and if so, are they the kind that spits the sand up high closing all of your corals and clams?
Are they jumpers?
Do you think they would get along with my other fish in a 120g (scooter blenny, false percs, SF tang, Lawn mower Blenny, coral beauty, 3 chromis, yellow wrasse, foxface)
Would a 2" sandbed be deep enough for them?
edit: also: would he eat my sexy shrimp?

Thanks to everyone who answers!!

[NHRA]

We have two yellow watchman gobys in our 125gl and have had no problems with them. As for your questions.
Yes, they are sand sifters
No, they don't seem to pile the sand up
No body has jumped yet let alone leave the bottom 3" of the tank
No social issues with our other fish,hippo tang, yellow tang, two clowns, scooter blenny, 4 chromis, flame angel, potters angel, royal gramma and some other kind of goby (can't remember)
We have between 1" and 2" of sand bed and they seem to like there burrows under the live rock.
Don't know about the shrimp.

[dsaundry]

I dont know about the sexy shrimp but as for being big sand movers mine isn't. As for being a jumper..well all I can say is mine has gotton into my overflow and I have found him weeks later still kickin..he seems to be in a spot he likes now though. He is in my 72g with Coral Beauty, Chromis, and Cleaner, Pistol,Coral Banded,and Pepermint Shrimps as well as several other species of fish...So far he seems quite harmless...Sexy shrimp might be in his nibble list..Pretty small...

[Keri]

Thank you!!


I really like my sexies but they tend to stick to their birdsnest coral (to the point of if I bring it up out of the water they come with it!!) so if I keep that up near the top they might be ok.

[kipsix]

I had one until 2 days ago. :cry:
Sifted sand, but not much. Never ate my sexy shrimp, I had 4 in with it. No social issues. Infact it was housed with a big pistol shrimp (1.5-2") until my Golden Dwarf Eel ate the shrimp.... Then the Goby housed with the Eel??
Seldomly ever left the bottom of the tank. It was in with a Coral Beauty, Eel and some random damsel.

[steve fedyk]

I have Yellow Watchman in my 120, he lives with a pistol srimp. The two of them dig all the sand out from under my rock. I put ther the rock in first then added sand, so they should be safe. They will hide in the back of the tank for weeks, and then come out for weeks. They just push the sand around in one corner of my tank and make piles. My sand bed is 1" in the front and 3"-4" in the back.
I feed the reagler frozzen food and pellets. I don't think they will jump out of your tank.
A shy little fish.

[Lance]

I have a Yellow Watchman in my 90 gal. He lives with a Blue Gudgeon (kinda weird). He's a great little fish (my wife's favourite: she says he looks just like Bert on Sesame Street). He is quite timid of the larger fish (Fox Face, SF Tang, Coral Beauty, Ruby-headed Wrasse and 2 Fasle Percs) and spends most of his day in or around his den under the rocks. He is not a big sand sifter or jumper, and has never shown any interest in the inverts.

[Keri]

I have a Yellow Watchman in my 90 gal. He lives with a Blue Gudgeon (kinda weird). He's a great little fish (my wife's favourite: she says he looks just like Bert on Sesame Street). He is quite timid of the larger fish (Fox Face, SF Tang, Coral Beauty, Ruby-headed Wrasse and 2 Fasle Percs) and spends most of his day in or around his den under the rocks. He is not a big sand sifter or jumper, and has never shown any interest in the inverts.


That's too funny - I was going to name him Bert if I get one!!

[Lance]

That's too funny - I was going to name him Bert if I get one!!


Well, he does look like Bert! Ours is called "Toby the Goby".
Oh, and he eats anything I give him as well.

[tgoeujon]

mine lives under the mushroom that my sexies host, doesnt really sift and hardly ever leaves the bottom

[Keri]

mine lives under the mushroom that my sexies host, doesnt really sift and hardly ever leaves the bottom

- 1 for not sifting but a big
+ 1 for not eating the sexies!

[fkshiu]

I have a Diamond Watchman Goby which is pretty much the same thing as a Yellow Watchman. He is inseparable from the pistol shrimp and they make a great sand sifting team without displacing to much sand like a Sleeper Goby would. They've done such a great job that their little patch has been the only part of the sandbed that hasn't had any cyano issues. They live about a foot away from a pair of Sexy Shrimp and the goby has never shown as interest.

[dstasiuk]

Mine very rarely ventures out of his "den" that he shares with a pistol shrimp. Very timid, and doesn't do much to sift the sand, other than immediately surrounding the entrances to their home. Lot's of major excavating, then you pretty much don't see him, except to poke his head out at feeding time. Mine is several years old now.

If you want a cool sand sifter, I have a twin spot goby that does a great job. They are supposed to be hard to keep, but if you have an established sand bed, they should be okay. Very visible fish - out much more than the yellow watchman. Always roaming and "chowing down" on the sand, but doesn't scatter it - filters it right back out through his gills. Very neat fish...

[Matt]

Copying an earlier post of mine about my YWG:

I can't recommend the YWG myself, but for different reasons. Mine grew up, turned itself grey (not nearly as attractive) and has become the bully of the tank. It ate at least one (that I caught it at) cleaner shrimp, and eats anything that moves or stays still. Add that to the mess it makes of the sand and any low-sitting corals, and you've got the least-favourite fish I've ever owned. Hardy, though. Still going strong years later. And it is categorically, most definitely, NOT shy.Mine has also jumped into the overflow several times. That is a rescue operation I don't fancy. Grey, grumpy, and carnivorous. What's not to recommend? But that face... hard to resist its pout. Oh, and it killed a second YWG I put in hoping they'd bond.

[Keri]

Mine very rarely ventures out of his "den" that he shares with a pistol shrimp. Very timid, and doesn't do much to sift the sand, other than immediately surrounding the entrances to their home. Lot's of major excavating, then you pretty much don't see him, except to poke his head out at feeding time. Mine is several years old now.

If you want a cool sand sifter, I have a twin spot goby that does a great job. They are supposed to be hard to keep, but if you have an established sand bed, they should be okay. Very visible fish - out much more than the yellow watchman. Always roaming and "chowing down" on the sand, but doesn't scatter it - filters it right back out through his gills. Very neat fish...


I think I've seen the twinspot's at J&L, pretty cool looking. I don't really need a super-bright fish, just one that plays well with others and I like the idea of something that will sift my sandbed.

[TheMikey]

I have a YWG paired with a pistol shrimp in my 15G Nano. He and the pistol live under the rock on the left side of my tank and they do a lot of work with the sand (primarly the pistol - it used its big claw like a scoop and is quite amazing to watch). He's very peaceful but my girlfriend thinks he's a wuss as he retreats in a flash every time he sees someone move. He loves my feeding stick, though and is almost instantly out when I put it down there. Haven't tried putting him on pellets as he's still my only fish and I spoil him.

I have a 2-3" sandbed which they seem happy with.

Felix is the srhimp and I named the Goby Oscar.

HTH!

[Alberta-newb]

I've had my YWG for about 6 months now (first fish in) and has only jumped into my overflow once (I think he learned his lesson:lol:) Doesn't move much sand around except for building his burrow under a rock. He initially did pair up with my pistol for about 2 weeks but thet went through a divorce and I don't think they'll reconcile. Moved to the opposite side of the tank and stayed there up untill a week ago when he decided to move somwhere in the back where I rarely see him:sad: He gets spooked by the larger fish but definitely shows attitude if I come near him with my fingers:mrgreen: