The Tangaroa shrimp goby is a small fish with a lot to love. Its milky body is sprinkled with dozens of bright orange to red polka-dots. Even its eyes and lips are covered in colorful freckles. Its first dorsal fin is a tall over-sized spike that is as high as its body is long and colored a striking contrasting black. Males and females are visually identical. It grows up to 2 inches; we recommend an aquarium 10 gallons or larger.

Shrimp gobies go by many names including prawn gobies and watchman gobies. They may be kept on their own just fine in an aquarium; however it is especially fascinating to pair them with a pistol shrimp. The goby will form a strong bond with the shrimp and mutually benefit each other. The hard-working shrimp will excavate a burrow under the sand for them to live in, consisting of several tunnels, entrances and exits. The sharp-eyed goby stands guard at one of the entrances and keeps an eye out for threats. As the shrimp goes about maintaining the tunnel and searching for food it keeps one antennae on the goby. If the goby sees danger it flicks its tail, signaling to the shrimp to make a hasty retreat. The goby may follow quickly if the danger is threatening enough. At nighttime or when a tunnel is not being used the shrimp will block it off with shells and small rocks. It is important to provide deep sand of at least three inches and plenty of shells and crushed coral of various sizes so the shrimp has enough building material to create a stable dwelling. Rocks should be placed on the aquarium glass and sand poured around them to eliminate the danger of a cave-in when the shrimp excavates.

We recommend a shrimp and its goby partner be added to the aquarium at the same time; it is best if they are placed in a net together and gently lowered to the aquarium bottom. There are three common types of pistol shrimp that pair with gobies; the Tiger, Fine Striped, and Candy Cane pistol shrimp.

Unless they are a pair shrimp gobies tend to be quite territorial with each other- if more than one is to be kept in the same aquarium we recommend space enough to accommodate at least 24 inches between burrows. They are typically peaceful with all other types of fish.

We recommend the tank be securely covered as sand dwelling gobies may be prone to jumping from open top aquaria.

Sand gobies are primarily carnivores and their diet should include plenty of high quality meaty items, marine algae, Spirulina, and frozen Mysis shrimp. It is preferable to feed more than once a day and to let some food land on the bottom of the aquarium. Frozen food is best, however in time they usually learn to eat dry foods.

As one of the largest families of fish there are near countless varieties of gobies which inhabit every different niche on the reef. They are coral safe and typically quite active and friendly with other fish. They have the ability to change sex to form pairs, although they don't always do so. Most gobies are imported from the Philippines.

Gobies are diminutive fish typically with elongated bodies, and as such we do not recommend any aggressive or large-mouthed fish to be kept with them; this includes all groupers, snappers, sweetlips, soapfish, lionfish, eels, goatfish, anglers/frogfish, leaf fish, etc.

FREE SHIPPING OVER $119!*

- does not apply to livestock -

$11.99 FLAT RATE FOR LESS THAN $119.00 - CANADA WIDE!

*EXCEPTIONS:

• Any heavy or bulky items will incur a 100% charge of the actual shipping cost (valid for both Canada and the US). Heavy bulky items include (but are not limited to): salt, dry rock, sand, chillers, sumps, aquariums, stands, and some filter media.
• Frozen or perishable food can only be shipped via UPS Express. We have discounted the express shipping of these items to help the hobbyist out.
• Livestock is covered by a different shipping policy. To view the policy and further information regarding shipping livestock, click here.

GENERAL NOTES:

• We always make our best effort to ship your order via the carrier chosen during the check-out process; however, for some multi-piece shipments and/or remote destinations, we must reserve the right to use another carrier at our discretion (and without prior notice). If you require notice of any changes made to the carrier, please mention it in the special instructions during check-out.
• Upon request, we will ship your dry goods as per your specifications (courier, airlines, on your account, etc.).
• Quoted rates are the carriers live discounted shipping rates after adjusting for any/all shipping promotions.

Return Policy — Aquarium Equipment & Supplies

• All returns and/or exchanges must be made within 30 days of receipt of product.
• Before returning or exchanging any goods, you must contact J&L Aquatics to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA). Items returned without prior authorization will be declined.
• Returned items must be unused, in original packaging, in as-new condition, and in perfect sellable condition. All returns are subject to inspection upon receipt.
• A 15% restocking fee applies to all online returns. This fee includes the cost of outbound shipping.
• Customer is responsible for return shipping costs on standard returns.
• Order cancellations made before shipping are not subject to a restocking fee.

Non-Returnable Items

• Special order items
• Clearance / final sale items
• Open box items

Regular sale items (non-clearance) are returnable within the 30-day return window, subject to our standard return conditions.

Defective, Warranty & DOA Items

• If you receive an item that is defective, not working, or dead on arrival (DOA), please contact us as soon as possible.
• Confirmed defective and warranty returns have no restocking fee and no Affirm fee. Customer does not pay return shipping — J&L Aquatics will provide a prepaid return label.
• All defective claims are subject to inspection. Items showing signs of customer damage, improper installation, or misuse are not covered under warranty.

Carrier Damage & Lost in Transit

• If your order arrives damaged by the carrier or is lost in transit, please contact us right away with:Photos of the damaged product (if applicable)Photos of the damaged box/packaging (if applicable)A description of the issue
• Important — Do not throw out any packaging! Please keep all original packaging, boxes, and packing materials. These are required to process your claim. Discarding packaging may affect our ability to resolve your claim.

High-Value Items ($100+)

• For items valued at $100 or more, customers must provide a return tracking number before a replacement will be shipped.

Affirm & Financing Orders

• Affirm or similar financing orders that are cancelled or returned in-store are subject to a 5% service charge. This covers the processing fee charged to us by the financing provider.
• The Affirm service charge does not apply to confirmed defective or warranty returns.