Will my citrus goby eat my crab or fight with it?

Question

i looked and they are compatibil but i heard the citrus goby might eat my crab so i haven't bought the goby yet. Is it okay to have them together? Also will the shell grow on my crab? ALso will live rock and sand grow coral and what do the rock and sand do?

Answer 1

Most gobies are carnivores, and the yellow clown goby is further subcategorized as a planktivore. Given their small size, their diet consists mainly of mesoplankton. They are opportunistic feeders, not hunters. The typical eating behavior is to wait for food to come into range, at which point they dart out to grab it and then immediately return to their roost.

Thus your crab should be safe and it's shell will grow if it's not a hermit crab. Hermits need a supply of new shells in differing sizes so as they grow, they can choose an appropriate shell.

Your live rock probably will not grow coral unless you spend a great deal on super premium rock. Most will grow some coralline algae and maybe a sponge or two. The live rock and sand can help biological filtration in the tank by introducing colonies of nitrifying bacteria. These help with the cycling of a new tank and also keeping tank parameters healthy for fish.