The Puffer Forum

Engineer Goby
(Pholidichthys leucotaenia) wont go inside of his cave he dug out a last night he is barely a inch long but for some reason he just wont go in .... any insite he is eating fine and every thing he even protects the cave from other fish any ideas??

Sounds like normal engineer goby behavior from what little I know of them. I had one for a short period of time and he dug several tunnels or caves. I think they dig sometimes for the joy of it like a dog does Hence the name.

Just make sure, if you have live rock in that tank that it's seated on the bottom glass, otherwise you could be in for an earthquake later on when he's bigger. Ask me how I know this...and why I don't have an engineer goby anymore.

lol yea all my rock is on the glass and ive had a banded sleeper goby before that collapsed all my LR so lesson learned ....
but i thought that they hung out in there caves alot i had no clue that they swam around much at all ill post a vid in a sec

Mine hid most of the time, but it was probably an adult. About 7-8" long, and I got him along with the tank which was rescued.

ahh so it could be a juvi thing??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl_6f7ugWqg

thats link im unsure how to post vis in thread

You did fine. Cute little guy. You have some huge hermits in there, dude! (or dudette as the case may be )

They may become more accomplished excavators and hide more as they grow. Maybe someone who has raised one from a juvenile will weigh in here.

lol im definitely a dude all 6'4 325lbs of dude lol but i got him because he colors looks very strange not solid horizontal lines

Ok Dude!

Yes, engineers have really neat juvenile coloring. I think they grow up to be really attractive adults, too. They must have the constitution of oxen as well, because I've never seen a more neglected SW tank than my neighbor had when he turned the whole sad mess over to me last summer, and the engineer was one of the fish inside still surviving.