Bella Goby

About this fish

Bella Goby (Valenciennea bella) is a small, peaceful sand-sifting goby for a home saltwater aquarium. It’s a practical choice for aquarists who want a calm bottom-dweller that can help keep the sand bed in motion and add lively behavior around rockwork and burrows. In many reef-style setups, gobies also make interesting neighbors because they may perch on rocks or corals, sift the substrate, and sometimes pair behaviorally with a pistol shrimp.

Features:

• Peaceful temperament, generally compatible with many community reef-tank fish
• Often found perching on rocks or corals and moving through the sand bed
• Sand-sifting behavior is best supported by a deep, mature sand bed
• May use burrows and can share a burrow with a pistol shrimp
• Eats small meaty foods such as mysis and copepods
• Known to jump, so use a tight-fitting lid
• Arrives well with slow acclimation and a quiet settling spot in the tank

Specifications:

• Care level: Beginner to intermediate (needs appropriate sand bed for sand-sifting behavior)
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Placement: Bottom to mid water near rockwork; prefers areas with sand to sift
• Diet: Small frozen foods such as mysis and copepods; offer small portions
• Feeding frequency: Once or twice daily
• Tank requirement: Deep, mature sand bed for sand-sifting
• Lid: Use a tight lid to reduce jump risk
• Water conditions: Marine conditions (typical reef-tank ranges apply): temperature about 75–80°F (24–27°C), salinity about 1.020–1.025 specific gravity
• Shipping/arrival note: Acclimate slowly and provide a quiet place to settle