Bella Goby (Valenciennea Bella)

Also Known As: Bella Sleeper Goby, Beautiful Sleeper Goby

Compatibility and Behavior
The Bella Goby (Valenciennea bella) lives up to its "beautiful sleeper" name. A reddish to dusty pink body carries a yellow-gold head and two vivid sapphire-blue stripes running horizontally beneath each eye, and mature males add a distinct black patch under the chin, the whole package reading almost painted against a bright sand bed. In our opinion, it is the king of Sleeper Gobies. Looks aside, it's a genuine utility fish, spending its day taking in mouthfuls of sand and expelling clean grains through its gills while it filters out copepods, amphipods, worms, and other tiny organisms, which keeps the substrate clean and aerated. It's peaceful and reef safe with corals and most inverts, and it generally ignores other fish, though it can get territorial toward other sleeper gobies or similarly shaped bottom dwellers, so it's best kept as a single specimen. As with all the sand-sifters, it can toss sand onto low-lying corals or clams, so factor its constant digging into your placement.

Aquarium Requirements
The sand bed is the heart of keeping this fish. Give it a mature tank of around 40 gallons or larger with a wide footprint and a fine, sugar-sized aragonite bed at least 2 to 3 inches deep, and keep the rock layout sparse and secure. Because it relies so heavily on a lively sand bed, a biologically established system with abundant microfauna and detritus in the upper substrate is key to long-term success. Multiple small feedings of meaty foods throughout the day, targeted down to the sand where it forages, can be greatly helpful for long-term success. A tight-fitting lid or mesh screen is essential, as it's a known jumper, particularly when startled or newly introduced. Offer frozen mysis, enriched brine, finely chopped seafood, and quality sinking pellets.

Specifications
Approximate Size: Sm/Md: 1.75–2.5", Lg: 2.5–3", XL: 3–4"
Diet: Carnivore; sifts sand for small crustaceans and worms, supplemented with frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, finely chopped seafood, and quality sinking pellets
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Care Level: Intermediate
Reef Safe: Yes
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallons
Special Considerations: Needs a mature, biologically established tank with a deep, fine "sugar-sized" sand bed of at least 2–3 inches, since it relies heavily on sand life; a known jumper that needs a gap-free lid; may be territorial toward other sleeper gobies, so best kept singly