The Yasha White Shrimp Goby (Stonogobiops yasha), often called the Yasha Goby, is a unique but also hard-to-find saltwater fish. It is a sand-sifting goby that is excellent for nano tanks. It has a mainly white body with red, orange, and yellow markings throughout its body. Yasha Gobies also have an elongated dorsal fin which adds to its uniqueness. This guide will discuss this goby’s aquarium requirements, food and dietary needs, tank mate compatibility, and more.
Aquarium Requirements
Yasha Gobies stay very small compared to many other goby species. They only grow to about 2.5″ fully grown. This makes them fantastic candidates for nano reef tanks. Yasha Gobies can be kept in aquariums as small as 10 gallons. They will spend their days sifting for micro-organisms and will create burrows in sand along live rock. So it’s important to provide a deep sand bed and a fair amount of rock for them to use.
Like many other gobies, Yasha Shrimp Gobies should have a well-fitted lid on their aquarium. When they are spooked or stressed, they often dart from danger and may jump out of the fish tank as a result. You can likely purchase pre-made aquarium lids, or you can create your own using glass, acrylic, screen kits, or many different types of material.
Water Parameters
Water parameters are incredibly important to keeping an aquarium successfully. Swinging parameters, or water parameters that do not match the requirements of fish, invertebrates, and coral will cause you to struggle in this hobby. Some fish can tolerate parameters that do not match their needs, but we want our fish to thrive. The following are water parameters needed for Yasha Gobies to thrive.
- Water Temperature: 72°-78° F
- dKH: 8 – 12
- pH: 8.1 – 8.4
- Salinity: 1.020 – 1.025 sg
Consider getting a High Range pH and KH test kit to test for pH & dKH. Keeping your temperature between 72° and 78° can be accomplished with a heater. Take a look at my guide which showcases some great aquarium heaters. Lastly, I would pick up a Refractometer from Amazon to keep an eye on your salinity levels. If calibrated correctly, refractometers are much more accurate compared to a hydrometer which loses accuracy due to salt buildup on the dial. Check out Different Salinity Reading Tools For Saltwater Fish Tanks to get an idea of other salinity testing devices available.
Is the Yasha Goby Reef Safe?
Yes, the Yasha Goby is reef-safe. It will not actively damage coral or consume invertebrates. However, be cautious because coral kept on your sand bed can be buried since this species of fish spends its day sifting sand in search of food. I would recommend keeping as much coral as you can on your live rock to avoid it getting buried by gobies.
Food & Diet
Yasha Shrimp Gobies are carnivorous fish and sift through sand in search of micro-organisms. The food you provide should mimic their diet in nature. The best foods for this goby are Mysis Shrimp and Brine Shrimp. Foods like Krill may be a little large for Yasha Gobies. I would also recommend feeding a protein-rich pellet food to your goby. One of my favorites is the New Life Spectrum Marine Formula.
Tank Mates
Yasha Gobies are generally very peaceful fish. They do best with other peaceful fish. They’ll do great with fish such as Anthias, Blennies, Butterflies, Clownfish, Dwarf Angels, Foxface, rock-dwelling Gobies, Tangs, and Wrasses. I would be cautious when keeping Yasha Gobies with other sand-sifting Gobies or Jawfish because they spend most of their time in and around the sand bed. The Yasha Goby should be one of the first bottom-dwelling fish added to your aquarium. They may get bullied out of their burrow by other goby species, so it’s best to introduce them first to give them a chance to establish their territory. I would not recommend keeping them with large and more aggressive fish.
In appropriately sized aquariums, Yasha Shrimp Gobies can be kept in pairs. You can distinguish a male from a female fairly easily. The males have a black spot on their pelvic fin, while females do not.
Yasha Goby and Pistol Shrimp
The Yasha Shrimp Goby will pair with a pistol shrimp. There are many different types of Pistol Shrimp available, and some pair better than others. The one many reefkeepers seem to suggest is the Candy Stripe Pistol Shrimp, which is sometimes called the Randall’s Pistol Shrimp. Tiger Pistol Shrimp pair better with larger gobies like the Watchman Goby. You’re welcome to check out the Yellow Watchman Goby – Complete Care Guide for more information on them.
Breeding
There has been success in breeding Yasha White Gobies in captivity. Many you see on sale online are captive bred. However, I do not have any information on how to breed Yasha Gobies. You can check out the success story of breeding this fish on Reef Builders by Rising Tide Conservation.
Final Notes
There are many different species of sand sifting goby available in this hobby. Some are heavy-duty sifters, like the Sleeper Gobies, and others are less so. The Yasha Goby is a great fish if you’re looking for a pop of color and a fish that will not rearrange your aquarium like other goby species.