Rainford Goby (Koumansetta Rainfordi)

Also Known As: Court Jester Goby, Old Glory Goby

Compatibility and Behavior
The Rainford Goby (Koumansetta rainfordi) earns its "court jester" nickname honestly. A pale tan body is crossed snout to tail by multiple bright orange horizontal lines, with small white spots near the dorsal fin and a distinctive yellow-edged black eyespot on the rear dorsal, the whole outfit adding up to a costume that really pops in a nano reef. It's a peaceful, reef safe fish and a functional one rather than a showpiece, spending much of the day hovering just above the substrate or gently sifting the upper layer of sand, grazing filamentous algae and picking out tiny inverts and detritus. Because it's small and unassuming, it can get picked on by larger or more assertive tankmates, so keep it with similarly small, calm fish.

Aquarium Requirements
This is a fish that lives and dies by the condition of the tank bottom, so the single most important requirement is a mature, established system. It needs a tank of at least 20 to 30 gallons that's had time to develop healthy microalgae, biofilm, and a robust microfauna community on the rock and sand, since a sterile or brand-new setup simply won't feed it and is the most common way one is lost. Give it a fine, soft sand bed, which is essential so it can safely suck in and sift substrate through its gills without damaging the delicate tissue, along with plenty of live rock with crevices and small caves to retreat into and open sand to graze. A tight-fitting lid or mesh top is recommended, since it can jump when startled. Even in a good tank, supplement its grazing with fine frozen foods like mysis, brine, and cyclops, plus copepods and spirulina-based pellets or flakes, to keep its condition strong.

Specifications
Approximate Size: 0.75–1.5"
Diet: Omnivore; grazes filamentous and film algae, microfauna, and detritus, supplemented with fine frozen foods such as mysis, brine shrimp, and cyclops, plus copepods and spirulina-based pellets or flakes
Origin: Western Indo-Pacific and Western Pacific
Care Level: Moderate
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Special Considerations: Strongly dependent on natural algae and microfauna, so it needs a well-established tank rather than a new or sterile setup, with supplemental feedings to maintain condition; requires a fine, soft sand bed to sift safely; can jump, so a tight-fitting lid is recommended