Let’s see your Engineer Goby’s

polyppal · Jul 9, 2022

Size matters when it comes to Engineer Goby’s. They grow long like an eel to a purported size of 12”!

I’ve had mine for about 6mos and got a rare glimpse of him today. Looks like he’s up to about 6”! Very impressed to see his growth from the little 1” baby I purchased him as.

Lets see the length on your Engineers!

Nurfed · Jul 10, 2022

I only ever see mines face. Last time I saw him about a month ago he was 8 inches long.

Nurfed · Jul 10, 2022

Managed to snap a picture at dinner time

ruffner69 · Aug 28, 2022

anyone have engineer for sale?

albano · Aug 28, 2022

I have a few…. Rarely see them, but while redoing a frag tank, the 2 that came out were 16-18” !

cdnco2004 · Sep 20, 2022

Wish I could get pics. Mine is about 5" last I saw them. They only stick their head out of their borrow to spit out sand or to grab food floating by.

Saltyanimals · Jan 3, 2023

Just got a pair out of QT and into DT this week. They're about 3.5-4 inches. Just clicked to me reading this thread that some people have shared that they rarely see theirs. Which raises the question of the diet. I assume no one goes out of their way to feed them and they eventually just find food when the tank is fed.

Mine is now in a 180G and they're already starting to make tunnels which is interesting, but now I'm wondering what kind of damage could come. While my rocks are fairly squished into the sand as they're fairly large pieces, I just can't see how something could tip over that could crack a tank. Scratch maybe, but crack would be devastating.

Slocke · Jan 3, 2023

Here are my two Picky and Scaredy. They are both at 10" and are good fun though scaredy rarely leaves his hole thus the name:

They grow way bigger than 12". These ones at the Shedd in Chicago are 18" to 24":

DiloHunter · Jan 3, 2023

Mine just hide. They are about 6" long.

Slocke · Jan 3, 2023

Saltyanimals said:
Just got a pair out of QT and into DT this week. They're about 3.5-4 inches. Just clicked to me reading this thread that some people have shared that they rarely see theirs. Which raises the question of the diet. I assume no one goes out of their way to feed them and they eventually just find food when the tank is fed.

Mine is now in a 180G and they're already starting to make tunnels which is interesting, but now I'm wondering what kind of damage could come. While my rocks are fairly squished into the sand as they're fairly large pieces, I just can't see how something could tip over that could crack a tank. Scratch maybe, but crack would be devastating.

They'll wait for food to pass them then rush out for it. I also target feed mine with bits of salmon and squid.

They won't purposefully cause a cave in and haven't caused any tumbles for me. They're about par with a diamond goby in my opinion. They move a lot of sand but not big rocks and really once they're settled they stop excavating.

cdnco2004 · Jan 4, 2023

Saltyanimals said:
Just got a pair out of QT and into DT this week. They're about 3.5-4 inches. Just clicked to me reading this thread that some people have shared that they rarely see theirs. Which raises the question of the diet. I assume no one goes out of their way to feed them and they eventually just find food when the tank is fed.

Mine is now in a 180G and they're already starting to make tunnels which is interesting, but now I'm wondering what kind of damage could come. While my rocks are fairly squished into the sand as they're fairly large pieces, I just can't see how something could tip over that could crack a tank. Scratch maybe, but crack would be devastating.

Like I said, mine never comes out unless I am doing maintenance and moving rocks around. Then she comes out. I do get bottom sinking pellets that I target at her entrances, and she will dart her head out and grab them, and occasionally toss a small clam (just the meat) or small scallop down to it.

Slocke said:
They'll wait for food to pass them then rush out for it. I also target feed mine with bits of salmon and squid.

They won't purposefully cause a cave in and haven't caused any tumbles for me. They're about par with a diamond goby in my opinion. They move a lot of sand but not big rocks and really once they're settled they stop excavating.

Yeah they do a great job getting all the sand out from under the rocks but done in a way they don't fall. Once she gets her burrow setup she does not do any more excavation except to push out sand that drifts in or when I move things around and she has to rebuild her borrow.

Saltyanimals · Jan 5, 2023

My pair has been nonstop excavating, but likely because they’re new as folks mentioned here. They’re always out and about all over the tank which is fun to watch, but I admit a part of me wishes they would dig less. Lol. Hopefully that’ll settle down.

They are digging near a paired Randal goby and shrimp cave which makes me wonder if they’re eat the shrimp. Hopefully the goby will be able to defend its cave and shrimp friend.

cdnco2004 · Jan 5, 2023

Once they get older they will stop coming out as much. Its what they do in nature. Only the juvenal's come out of the burrows to look for food. The adults make kills of opportunity but mostly get food from the juvenal's who will bring food back to spit into the adults' burrows. Kind of a reverse on the momma and baby birds feeding.

cdnco2004 · Oct 3, 2024

I added a new Cleaner Wrasse and the Engineer Goby HATES it. I have seen the Goby out of its burrows more in the last 3 days than I have in the last 6 months combined. I have a ruler at the bottom of my tank to make it easier to gauge how big my fish are getting and yesterday when I did not have my phone out she had just chased the Wrasse again and settled at the bottom of the tank and I was able to see how long she is for the first time in a really long time. She has gotten to 13". Real big and chubby.