Description

Scientific Name: Valenciennea wardii
Common Names: Ward’s Sleeper Goby, Tiger Sleeper Goby, Broadbarred Glider Goby
Maximum Length: 6″
Minimum Aquarium Size: 55 Gallons
Aquarium Suitability: Generally Durable and Hardy
Diet: Carnivorous; sifts sand for small invertebrates like copepods and worms. Supplement with finely chopped meaty foods such as frozen mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, krill, and enriched pellets; feed multiple times daily (3-4 times) to support natural foraging.
Reef Safe: Yes, with caution
Temperament: Peaceful; compatible with non-aggressive tankmates but may show territoriality toward similar gobies or bottom-dwellers.
Captive Care: The Ward’s Sleeper Goby delights with its methodical sand-sifting and burrow-digging, transforming your tank’s substrate into an active, natural scene straight from lagoon reefs. Suitable for intermediate hobbyists, it needs a fine sand bed (1-2 mm grains, at least 2-3 inches deep) for feeding and burrowing, plus live rock overhangs for shelter. Best kept in pairs to reflect their lifelong bonding; quarantine new arrivals for 2–4 weeks to prevent ich, and secure the lid against jumps.

Fun Facts:

• Sand Sifter Specialist: Valenciennea wardii picks up mouthfuls of sand and expels it through its gills to extract edible matter, helping to aerate and clean your tank’s substrate.
• Lifelong Partners: In the wild, these gobies often mate for life, and pairs can form in captivity, adding a social dynamic to your aquarium.
• Burrow Builders: They construct protective burrows under rocks or in sand, occasionally rearranging the substrate, which keeps the bottom layer lively and well-maintained.
• Indo-Pacific Rarity: Native to scattered Indo-Pacific locales, from lagoons to deep silty slopes up to 88 meters, this goby adapts to aquariums mimicking sandy reef edges