White Sand (Chalk) Goby

About this fish

White Sand (Chalk) Goby is a small sand-sifting goby for a home saltwater aquarium, sold under the name Valenciennea sexguttata. In a reef or fish tank, this goby’s main practical role is to sift and aerate the sand bed, helping keep the substrate surface active while it feeds from the sand and the water column. It’s also commonly seen perching on rocks or corals and using burrows—often alongside compatible tankmates.

Features:

• Peaceful, community-friendly goby that generally does well with most calm tankmates
• Sand-sifting behavior helps keep the sand bed surface in motion and supports a more natural “working” substrate
• Often perches on rocks or corals, then retreats to the sand or burrows
• Frequently forms a shared burrow dynamic with pistol shrimp (if you keep one)
• Will typically take small frozen foods like mysis and copepods in an established tank
• Choose a setup with a deep, mature sand bed and a tight lid, since many gobies will jump

Specifications:

• Scientific name: Valenciennea sexguttata
• Care level (general guidance): Moderate (best in tanks with a deep, mature sand bed)
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Diet (general guidance): Small frozen foods (for example mysis, copepods); benefits from live microfauna in the tank
• Tank setup / placement: Provide a deep, mature sand bed; place where it can access sand for sifting
• Water type: Marine (saltwater)
• Temperature (general guidance): About 72–78°F (22–26°C)
• Salinity (general guidance): Reef-appropriate range, commonly around 1.020–1.025 specific gravity
• Cover / lid: Tight lid recommended