Sand Shifting Freshwater Comunity Fish?

[Lance76]

i know this is a strange post,

but a mate told be about a fish he used to have as a kid, said it was similer to a saltwater goby in behavour, ie spent most of its day picking up and "sieving" mouthfulls of sand from his tank into piles,but he cant remember what it is called,

does anyone here have any ideas, he recalls it been blue ish in colour but thats about all!

long shot i know!

 

[JonathanT]

Sounds like a violet goby to me (improperly dragon fish in most stores).

Big, ugly, and fascinating fish. They are way more peaceful than most pet stores will tell you, but they also do much better in brackish water. I'm sad that I kept my last one in a freshwater community tank, but I wasn't aware how bad it was for them until after he passed away.

They do have nice coloration, but aside from that you have to really appreciate the fish as an oddball or you'll likely just think "UGLY!" when you see them.

 

[Lance76]

Thanks JT, dont supose you know of a totaly freshwater version of it do you, it sounds cool!

 

[nmonks]

Awaous flavus (=Awaous strigatus, the candy-stripe goby) is another earth-eating gobies. In size and shape, very, very similar to those watchman gobies that reef-keepers will be familiar with.

In fact, most burrowing gobies will move considerable quantities of sand, even though they aren't actually looking for food. If they create mounds of sand, chances are they're burrowing rather than looking for food. Fish that are foraging in the sand tend to sift it all pretty uniformly. Territorial gobies making a nest will shift the sand in a more purposeful manner because they are deliberately trying to build something.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Lance76]

Thankyou,
going to have a look out for them,,they seam pretty cool!
thanks again

 

[JonathanT]

Ah, I just looked it up and it in fact could be a more proper match (looks almost like a marine goby). Similar behavior though, but it sounds like this one may do better in freshwater tanks than the violet (which sadly often ends up in them).

Oh, and this candy striped goby is certainly more attractive looking...

 

[chris_1127]

candy-stripes are amazing fish, great looking and really fascinating to watch. if you can, get a male and a female too, watching the courtship displays and colour changes is something else. Only problem is they seem to have a pretty short lifespan in captivity - mine only lived about a year, and i've read online that this isn't uncommon.

 

[Ricky Savage]

there are pure freshwater gobies around here. They are called Round Gobies, and are a invador species, they move sand and gravel aorund like its nobodies business..haha..mine died when i moved tho

 

[mr.dark-saint]

I was thinking some sort of Xenotilapia but I don't know what kind of water you're on.

 

[Lance76]

that is a great little fish mr.dark-saint, and mytank is arounf 7.6/7.8 as it is however that would be great for a tank of just it!
stunning stunning fish!

 

[Darkmoon Bettas]

The candy-stripe goby is PERFECT, exactly the kind of fish I've been looking for, for my sand substrate tank with my betta sp. mahachai in it. That thing is so blasted hard to keep clean.

Funnily, I'd never heard of the species before this thread, but last week, the LFS where I work got one in by accident--he just got scooped in a bag with some silver mollies, of all things, after never having one in the 6 months I've been there. But knowing what he was, I snapped him up (and the owner was happy to let me--she says the candy stripes don't usually sell well, or to tanks appropriate to them, which is why she never gets them intentionally). He's gone from a thin, shy fish to a plump, active, curious little guy in just a week, and he's both ADORABLE and useful. Thanks so much for the suggestion!