Sleeper Goby
The Sleeper Goby is an excellent cleaner fish that will routinely sift through your substrate and significantly reduce detritus and waste in your tank.
Also known as the Golden-headed Sleeper Goby, Blueband Goby, Diamond, Pennant Glider and Blue-cheek Goby, this species is a welcome addition to the majority of marine tanks due to its cleaning ability. They also communicate with each other by using their mouths to produce sounds similar to that when they are sifting and chewing your sand!
- Experience Level: Moderate
- Hardiness: Moderate
- Minimum Tank Size: 50 gal (190 L)
- Size of fish: Up to 6 inches (15 cm)
- Temperament: Usually peaceful
- Temperature: 72°F – 79°F (22°C – 26°C)
- Gravity : 1.020 – 1.025
- pH Range: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate Hardness : 8 – 12° dKH
- Diet: Carnivore
Table of Contents
Introduction
Aquarium Setup
Difficulty
Feeding
Breeding and Social
Sleeper Goby Aquarium Guide
- Minimum Tank Size: 30 gal (114 L) – A minimum of 30 gallons is required for a single fish.
- Suitable for Nano Tank: Yes
- Live Rock Requirement: Live Rock structures are preferred.
- Substrate Type: Live Sand
- Lighting Needs: Any
- Temperature: 75.0 to 78.0° F (23.8 to 25.5° C)
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026 SG
- pH Range: 8.1-8.4
- Brackish: No
- Water Movement: Prefers calm areas.
- Water Region: Mainly bottom and along the reef structure.
The Golden Headed Sleeper
Difficulty
This particular species of Goby is moderately difficult to keep and recommended for the more experienced fish keeper, especially considering its high demand for specific foods.
Like many other Gobies, the Sleeper Goby vacuums sand into its mouth and filters it through its gills, capturing any foods it finds during the process. It is essential that your tank has enough live sand, with plenty of natural foods available.
Feeding
Like other Gobies, the Sleeper Goby will eat small crustaceans and other small marine organisms. Offer them mysis shrimp and other live protein sources. When feeding, small pieces of garlic can be added to assist will help repelling external parasites and can also boost the fishes immunity.
Sleeper Goby Feeding Guide
- Diet: Carnivore
- Flake Food: Yes. Make sure the food is small enough to fit in its mouth.
- Pellet / Tablet: Yes. Make sure the food is small enough to fit in its mouth.
- Live foods (fish, shrimp, worms): Yes.
- Feeding Frequency: Several times per day.
Breeding
They have been shown to reproduc in hobbyists reef tanks, and are generally observed laying the fertilized eggs around the surface of their burrows. The male will aggressivly defend the burrow while the eggs develop. Within 4 days the larvae would hatch and become free swimming throughout the currents. Getting the fry to feed can be incredibly difficult unless you prepare an suitable environment with minimal flow and predators.
Social
The Sleeper Gobies are excellent workers and help ensure that your sand well sifted. Like other gobies, the sleeper takes large mouthfuls of sand sifting it through its gills and capturing small invertebrates during the process. The Sleeper Goby is best kept alone or in a pair unless your tank is 150 gallons plus.
The are peaceful and will very rarely show any aggression making them a great community fish. The Gold Headed Sleeper Goby has been known to jump out of tanks.