White Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea sexguttata)

The White Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea sexguttata), also called the Sixspot Sleeper or Chalk Goby, is a pearly white sand sifter with a row of tiny sapphire-blue spots on each cheek. It earns its keep all day long, scooping up mouthfuls of sand, sifting out food, and raining the cleaned sand back down, which keeps a sand bed bright white and free of algae. Peaceful and completely reef-safe, it is the tidiest janitor you can hire for a marine tank. Prefer orange freckles? Its cousin the Diamond Sleeper Goby does the same job in a different outfit.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 30 gallons or larger with plenty of open floor. The footprint matters more than the volume for a fish that works the bottom.
• Sand bed: the make-or-break requirement. Provide 2 to 3 inches of fine sand in an established, mature tank. Crushed coral or bare bottoms do not work for sleeper gobies.
• Feeding: sand sifting alone is rarely enough in a home aquarium. Target feed sinking meaty foods like PE Mysis, brine shrimp, and small pellets a couple of times a day so it keeps its weight.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, pH 8.1 to 8.4, salinity 1.020 to 1.026.
• Lid required: sleeper gobies are strong jumpers, especially at night or when startled. A tight-fitting lid or mesh screen is essential.
• Aquascape: seat rockwork directly on the tank bottom, not on top of the sand. This goby excavates burrows and will undermine rocks resting on sand.

Specifications

Compatibility

Peaceful with everything in a community reef. Great tank mates include the Firefish Goby, Royal Gramma, Blue Green Chromis, Banggai Cardinal, and inverts like the Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. Keep one sleeper goby per tank, or a bonded pair added together; two strangers will quarrel over sifting territory. Avoid housing it with other sand-sifting species in smaller tanks, since one good sifter can only find so much food in the bed.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Piscine Energetics PE Mysis frozen food for target feeding
• Xtreme Marine PeeWee Pellets slow-sinking staple
• Vitalis Marine Grazing Pellets
• Diamond Sleeper Goby if you prefer the orange-spotted look

FAQ

Will it keep my sand clean?
Yes, that is its whole career. It turns over the top layer of sand constantly, which keeps the bed white, oxygenated, and free of surface algae.

Do sleeper gobies really starve?
They can if they are expected to live on sand sifting alone in a young tank. The fix is simple: a mature sand bed plus target feeding with meaty frozen foods a couple of times a day.

Will it bury my corals?
It can dust low-lying corals and frags while it works. Keep sensitive frags elevated on rockwork or a frag rack and it is a non-issue.

Do I need a lid?
Absolutely. Sleeper gobies are famous jumpers, and a tight lid or mesh screen is the single best insurance policy for this fish.