Bottom Picking Fish

[reefbyremote]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Lots of options for me which is great.

[naesco]

I suspect your goby (which is challenging to keep) has similar live foods needs as a mandarin and you need to take care of its needs first before you add anything to the tank.
It appears it is starving so you need to add some of the refugium live rock which is teeming with pods to your main tank. You may also try catching the pods and transferring them.

It takes six months or so to get your pod population up and running in your main tank and for that reason it is not recommended you add a mandarin before that time as the pod population cannot keep up for the mandarins demand for food.
You can also try to see if it will eat frozen mysis etc. but that is doubtful.

I also suspect that the algae/diatom problem is a result of water conditions in a new tank which can be dealt with by consistant water changes and slowing down the fish additions to your tank.
Good Luck.

[reefbyremote]

I added pods from the refugium and tried brine and mysis shrimp but the goby was not interested and did not make it. I have to chalk up this disappointing event to experience having taken the advice to add him to churn my sand. Needless to say no gobies for a few months... and more research before buying a fish on a single recommendation.