Diamond Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea puellaris)

The Diamond Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea puellaris), also sold as the Diamond Watchman or Orange-Spotted Sleeper Goby, is a peaceful, reef-safe sand sifter that keeps a sand bed clean and bright while it works. Pearly white with rows of bright orange spots and pale blue highlights, it spends the whole day picking up mouthfuls of sand and sifting them through its gills. It is a beginner-friendly fish with one catch: it relies on the microfauna in the sand, so it does best in an established tank with a deep fine sand bed and regular supplemental feeding. Browse the rest of our saltwater fish to build out a peaceful reef community.

Care Guide

• Tank: 30 gallons or larger, established, with a 2 inch or deeper bed of fine live sand to sift
• Substrate: a fine sand bed with live microfauna is essential, bare-bottom and crushed-coral tanks are a poor fit
• Water: 72 to 78°F, salinity 1.020 to 1.025, pH 8.1 to 8.4
• Lid: a tight-fitting lid is a must, this goby will jump if startled
• Feeding: sifting alone rarely keeps it plump, so offer meaty frozen foods 2 to 3 times a day, especially in newer tanks
• Behavior: peaceful and always busy, it often digs a burrow under a rock and may pile sand as it works

Specifications

Compatibility

• Peaceful and reef safe, it mixes well with clownfish, firefish, cardinalfish, and other calm reef community fish
• Safe with corals and invertebrates, though it can shower low corals with sand, so keep frags raised off the substrate
• Keep one per tank, or a bonded pair added at the same time, since two unpaired diamond gobies may squabble in a small tank
• Avoid aggressive or fast, greedy tankmates that will outcompete it at feeding time

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• SFBB Freeze Dried Mysis Shrimp, an easy staple for a sand-sifting goby
• Frozen mysis, brine, and finely chopped seafood from our fish food selection for daily supplemental feeding
• Live copepods to seed the sand bed so it always has microfauna to sift
• Reef-safe tankmates from our saltwater fish and corals

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Diamond Goby reef safe?
Yes. It will not nip corals or invertebrates. It does sift sand constantly, so place coral frags up off the substrate where they will not get buried.

Will it really clean my sand bed?
Yes, that is its specialty. It picks up mouthfuls of sand and sifts them through its gills all day, keeping the top layer clean and turned over.

Does it need special feeding?
Do not rely on sand-sifting alone. Offer meaty frozen foods two to three times a day so it stays plump, especially in newer tanks with less microfauna.

What setup does it need?
An established 30 gallon or larger reef with a deep fine sand bed and a tight-fitting lid, since this goby is a known jumper.