Neon Goby

So I have been told that a neon goby will eat parasites in the reef tank. Would this keep ick and other parasites out of the system? If anyone has one please share your experiences (goods and bads). Do they like to dig?

Also I can't seem to find where to buy them. Anyone know where to find them? Thanks my search results have come up void.

 

Do you have an ick problem now? If so, I doubt it would help and you should look into better methods of removing it.

You can buy them on liveaquaria though, which even carries tank bred ones. They're definitely a good choice over a cleaner wrasse too which will inevitably die in a home aquarium...

 

This fish will not eat Marine Ich and has the risk of starving to death.

If you want to try another tank inhabitant, I would rather do a cleaner shrimp. While neither is an effective treatment for Marine Ich, cleaner shrimp do provide some comfort IME.

 

i just read the thread about the cleaner wrass not eating ick, lol. So now I know nothing can eat ick when its in the fish. I had an ick problem but it seemed to go away on its own. I imagine the fish built up immunities. I just wondered if the goby would eat the ick thats probably in the live rock rock and the small amounts that still end up getting in the fish and falling back to the sand bed. Ick has to be in the tank for it to come and go on its own right?

Also I have a fire shrimp and 2 peppermint shrimp. They all jump on the tangs from time to time, and I assumed they were cleaning. Do they do as good of a job as cleaner shrimp, or are they even cleaning at all?

 

I can vouch that the neon goby is a great cleaner of marine parasites from aquarium fish.
When your fish need to be cleaned they will come to a hover near the neon goby who will then go to work. This fish must be in your system before you have a problem as they are more of a preventive and can not handle a full blown epidemic.

Any time I add fish like tangs and angels I add a neon goby and suggest you have then in all tanks.