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Redigobius balteatus, S.E. Asian stream, amphidromous goby
sys. 10/5/09
Hello!
<Hello,>
After searching for several years, I found Redigobius balteatus in my
LFS.
I'm thrilled!
<A very nicely little fish.>
I am thinking about relocating the fish in my 20 gallon long and putting
them in there and tweaking the tank to be a South Asian coastal stream
and have read Neale Monks' article.
<Cool.>
My tank already has a lot of Cryptocoryne wendtii with gravel substrate.
I would like to change it to silica sand. Would the Crypts do okay in
sand, and if not how should I keep their area in gravel and change the
rest to sand?
<Crypts do just fine in sand. If you can place a bit of a plant-friendly
substrate underneath the sand, and separate the two with a gravel tidy,
then so much the better. But otherwise, keep the Crypts in their pots,
stick the pots in the sand, and feed the Crypts directly with good
quality fertiliser pellets every month or two.>
I am going to get shells for the gobies, what is the type on the front
cover of Neale's book?
<I think those are Apple Snail (Pomacea spp.) shells, but you would get
similar results using "escargot" snails (Helix pomatia) that you can buy
from deluxe food stores. Here in England at least, the escargot come in
a tin packaged with a dozen empty shells in a plastic box. You can eat
the escargot (very delicious, if garlicky) and save the shells for your
gobies.
An alternative that works just as well is to use oyster shells. Again,
buy these from a grocery store. Eat the oysters raw or steamed (or, if
you don't like them, chop them up and freeze them for use as fish food).
Grab
some silicone sealant, and glue a few oyster shells together to build an
oyster reef, a very authentic brackish water habitat. Google "oyster
reef" to see some pictures. So long as the two valves of the oyster
shell stay
attached, you'll find these shells make very attractive hiding places
for gobies. If wedged in the sand, gobies will also dig burrows
underneath the oyster shells.>
Besides driftwood and rocks, what other aquascaping materials would be
good?
<The main thing is to *avoid* adding anything too "marine" like big
conch shells or fake corals, since these ruin the effect completely.
Instead, concentrate on things that might have been washed down the
river. Driftwood is good, but so are mangrove roots and big water-worn
cobblestones. A few shells used sparingly are fine, but try to use ones
authentic to brackish water habitats, such as oysters, rather than
anything you'd see on a reef.>
Would leafs, coconuts, smaller crushed shells like the ones in the link
below work?
http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/seaflor.html
<Used very sparingly: too much will raise the pH dramatically, and this
will not be helpful for your plants. If in doubt, leave shells out other
than the ones used as fish caves. Coconut shells work well, usually
halved,
with small holes made in them for fish to swim in and out. Java moss
attaches to them very well, making them look even prettier.>
For the first time I saw Crypt spirals (I believe Cryptocoryne spiralis)
would those belong in this biotope, and what about Vallisneria?
<Both of these should be fine up to SG 1.003. The only truly brackish
water Crypt is Cryptocoryne ciliata, which will tolerate a higher
salinity quite well. But most hardy Crypts are fine to SG 1.003 at 25
degrees C.>
Any thoughts or advice? Redigobius balteatus seem like a charming fish.
<They are indeed. Much like Bumblebees in maintenance, and they mix well
with most small midwater fish. Wrestling halfbeaks for example would be
lovely companions, since the two species would pose no threat to one
another, and would be feeding at totally different levels of the
aquarium.
If the tank had a large sandy area, one of the brackish water flatfish
might also be used, since again, these don't feed during the daytime and
they don't take food from the surface, so wouldn't compete with either
halfbeaks or gobies.>
Cheers,
Michelle
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redigobius balteatus
Hi Neale, thanks for your reply! I will look for Oysters next time I go
to the grocery store.
<Cool.>
I'll keep my eye out for Wrestling halfbeaks, how many could go in a
twenty long?
<I'd get a group of 5-6, they're not very big. Around 5 cm/2 inches
seems typical. Try and get more females than males though. They're
called *Wrestling* halfbeaks for a reason!>
Also, for tankmates I read in an article you wrote that Heterandria
formosa could go with them, what temperature should a tank with the
gobies and Hets be kept at?
<These fish are pretty tolerant, and up to 25 C/77 F should be fine.
They do prefer cooler conditions though, so on reflection, if you can
get Micropoecilia picta instead, that would probably be a better
choice.>
I've never had a sand substrate before, what sort of maintenance does it
need?
<Minimal. Because dirt can't sink into sand, it's easier to see and
remove.
A decent filter should suck up most of the dirt in a tank populated with
small fish like these. Adding a few Melanoides livebearer snails, Amano
shrimps or Cherry shrimps would help, as these little invertebrates will
do a good job of picking up crumbs of food.>
Would the fish be okay if I kept the gravel instead of going to sand?
<They'd be okay with sand, but gobies do behave more naturally, and are
more fun to watch, with sand. Plants also tend to do somewhat better.>
Are there any drawbacks to sand?
<None in small tanks with small fish. With big fish, there's a lot of
silt, mostly things like faeces and uneaten food, and this doesn't get
hidden in the same way as it does in gravel. (Note, gravel isn't
cleaner, it's just
the bits of dirt sink into the gravel, so you can't see them.) Big fish
also tend to swoosh sand into filter inlets if the filter inlet is too
low down. But apart from sand being more difficult to clean at purchase,
once in use, it's lovely stuff. Do see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebindex/nicebottoms.htm
Note that some sands sold for use in aquaria, such as Tahitian Moon
Sand, aren't suitable for use with burrowing or bottom dwelling fish.
The Carib Sea web site explains this nicely, but I can't speak for all
manufacturers.>
My water parameters are: ph 8, KH 7, GH 19. Would the Redigobius
balteatus be fine if kept in straight tapwater?
<Not really, they really do appreciate a bit of salt. SG 1.003, about 5
grammes marine salt mix per litre, would do a great job and cost very
little. Why risk it when keeping such rare fish? Do see the section on
this
species in Naomi Delventhal's chapter in my Brackish Water Fishes book.
Most hardy plants would tolerate this well. Do see here for some
suggestions of reliable plants:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/brpltsnealeart.htm
There's some more on my Brackish Water FAQ, here:
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/FAQ/2d.html
>
Thanks for your help!
Michelle
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redigobius balteatus, sys. 10/8/09
Hi Neale,
<Michelle,>
I found some play sand; there was an open bag and the sand felt soft to
the touch, but looking at it seemed like the grains might be round. I
just don't want the gobies to get hurt with the sand.
<Indeed. As I say, I always buy smooth silver (silica) sand from the
garden centre because I *know* this is safe. If you think the play sand
is also safe, then go for it. But I obviously can't offer any kind of
assurance.>
With minimal plants (if the crypts don't do well I will switch over to
java fern) how deep should the sand layer be?
<If you have Crypts, then the substrate needs to be at least a couple of
inches deep. With Crypts, I'd highly recommend putting them in those
plastic pots with rock wool, and then feeding them monthly or every
other
month a suitable pellet fertiliser. While I have never had any problems
keeping Crypts in sandy tanks, they do have big root systems and seem to
enjoy the soil I put underneath the sand. If you aren't going to do
that,
at least make a pellet of fertiliser available to them. Without the
Crypts and just floating plants or plants attached to bogwood, use as
little sand as you need. Enough to cover the glass and shore up any
rocks or bogwood is all you need. An inch should be fine.>
At the grocery store I found clams with shells but no oysters; I am
going to check another few out and see if I can find them.
<Good luck! You might also ask at any pet stores that sell marine fish.
Often they have a few empty shells from marine invertebrates that died.
A big head of coral would look silly, but turbo snail shells would do
the trick nicely. Likewise, empty Apple snail shells from pet stores
that sell
these snails.>
Cheers,
Michelle
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redigobius balteatus, sys. 10/15/09
Hi Neale,
<Michelle,>
I decided I wanted to keep my fish in the 20 gallon and the gobies are
not compatible with any of my fish... so I have ordered another fish
tank. I am seeding filters right to move over to the new tank.
<Very good.>
The new tank is 40 gallons. I am thinking about getting 2 100 watt
heaters for it instead of 1 200 watt heater.
<OK.>
Instead of doing crypts because they need so much substrate I am
thinking about planting Vallisneria instead. Would that work with an
inch of substrate?
<Possibly. I'm not sure I see any advantage to having one inch of
substrate rather than two. If you want the shallowest possible bed of
sand, then skip rooted plants altogether, and use epiphytes and floating
plants instead.>
Instead of putting soil below the sand can I use root tabs to feed them?
<Yes.>
I read your article on substrate, would play sand wash out the color in
the gobies?
<Initially perhaps bright sand can wash out the colour of your fish, but
once the sand ages, and especially once you provide some floating plants
or large leafed plants for shade, it's less of an issue.>
No one carries oysters, but I can have them special ordered. Getting
hinged oyster or clam shells is looking to be problematic, at the
grocery stores they tell me to crack behind the shell splitting it in
half. They say getting oysters and clams to open is very hard. :(
<Steam the live clams or oysters. When they're cooked, pull out the meat
and add to whatever you want, e.g., marinara sauce. Then clean the
shells, perhaps by using an old toothbrush to scrape away any traces of
meat. Small amounts of meat aren't a big deal, and obviously things like
snails and shrimps will quickly clean shells up very nicely.>
Thanks for your continued help!
Michelle
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redigobius balteatus, sys. - 11/07/09
Hi Neale, how are you?
<I am well, thanks for asking Michelle.>
For various reasons it is taking a little bit longer to get the tank up
and going but it is on track. Couple questions if you don't mind:
<By all means.>
The oyster shells are rather sharp, should they be filed down?
<No need.>
Also, when I looked up Oyster Reef on the net I see pictures of hundreds
of oysters together forming one long massive bed. Can you find pictures
of more like I should be aiming for when gluing them together?
<What you're seeing is what you're after! You can be creative here. The
idea is to glue the shells with the part call the umbo (the "hinge")
inwards, and the gape (the "opening") outwards. Think of it like a bunch
of
flowers made from oyster shells, so you're going to end up with
something that has lots of openings pointing in lots of different
directions.>
Is there a floating plant that will work in brackish water?
<At low salinities, up to SG 1.003, which should be fine for Redigobius
balteatus, Indian Fern does just fine. Hornwort also tolerates low-end
brackish conditions rather well.>
Should I move my seeded filters and set up the plants and get the fish
in the tank when it is just fresh water and then adapt them to brackish,
or can it be brackish from the start?
<I'd set the thing up as a freshwater tank, and then raise the salinity
to SG 1.003 across a week, in a series of small water changes. Filter
bacteria are usually fine, but plants can sometimes be a bit funny about
being moved from one tank to another, even without changes in water
chemistry. The fish will fine in freshwater for a few days.>
Thanks for your help!
Michelle
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Redigobius balteatus, sys. 11/17/09
Hi Neale,
I'm going to get the sand tomorrow. I read that pool filter sand is
better in aquariums than play sand, do you have any thoughts on that?
Thanks!
Michelle
<Hi Michelle. Generally I suggest people stick with smooth silica
("silver") sand from garden centres. This is cheap, definitely
non-toxic, and works great in fish tanks. While you can use other sands,
there's always a risk unless categorically stated safe for use in
aquaria. Cheers, Neale.>
re: Redigobius balteatus
After a bunch more searching I found the answer to my question on WWM
and I am going to pass on the pool filter sand.
Thanks for the great site!
<Glad we could provide the info you were looking for. Cheers, Neale.>
Identification of this fish - 6/1/07
> Hi,
<Greetings>
> My friend bought this fish from Singapore and he is not able to identify
the fish. We searched all over the net but could not identify the correct
species of the fish. It looks like a goby to me. It will be of great help if
you can identify the fish for us.
<Either a sleeper goby, family Eleotridae, or a "true" goby, family
Gobiidae. Without seeing the pelvic fins I cannot be sure either way. In
sleepers, the pelvic fins are separate, but in gobies they are fused to form
a single "sucker". (Actually, it's more complex that this, but this
distinction will do for now.) Identification to species level is difficult
because that is now a species I have seen in the trade before. However, some
generalizations can be made. Sleepers tend to be of medium size (around
10-20 cm being typical); very territorial; and sufficiently predatory that
they should only be kept with fishes of similar size. The ideal sleeper diet
includes things like insect larvae, small crustaceans, and occasional
offerings of robust live foods such as earthworms and river shrimp. Gobies
tend to be smaller (around 5 cm being typical); territorial; and
non-predatory. Gobies almost always feed on plankton or plankton-sized
animals that they sift out of mud or otherwise obtain somehow. Brine shrimp,
daphnia, and so on work well for gobies. Water chemistry is difficult to
predict because there are truly freshwater, brackish water, and marine
species of both sleepers and gobies. However, as a baseline, keeping any
unidentified sleeper or goby in brackish water at SG 1.005 is a good idea.
That will not harm freshwater species and will be healthy for brackish water
ones. Your fish has (to me) the look of a young predatory sleeper, because
of the long snout. But as I say, without seeing the pelvic fins properly, I
cannot be sure.
> rgds
> Deepesh
<Cheers, Neale>
Re: Identification of this fish - 6/1/07
>
> Thanks a lot for your opinion on this fish. It was much appreciated.
> However, an expert on gobies has identified it as Glossogobius giuris.
<Cool. Glossogobius giuris is one of the very, VERY few big, predatory
gobies. As I said, *most* gobies are small. There are 2000 species, of which
fewer than 50 species are anything like the size of the fish you have. I
hope you have a suitable sized tank for that guy, because he's going to need
it! My advice on water chemistry stands though, and behaviour too. This fish
needs brackish water and is very territorial. Anyway, fantastic fish, and
good luck with it.>
> rgds>
> Deepesh
<Cheers, Neale> |
|
Deleted. A "lifted" (e.g. stolen) photo from the Net. |
Might have a Gobi on my hands? Desert dilemma? 1/28/07
Hi Crew,
<Doug>
You probably HATE this sort of question, first because I am nearly positive
the answer is somewhere in front of me, and lastly because I am going to ask
about a fish I have no photo of.
<...>
I am sorry for the inconvenience. I would research the answer, but my
toddler is screaming,
<See to them... write back when you can...>
and the fish is in the bag and floating. Here is the issue. I was raiding
my LFS's feeder tank for ghost shrimp, and was fortunately able to get a
few, but since invertebrates are not legal to sell in a pet store I was
forced to take all the inhabitants of the "For Charlie" (Charlie is the
resident Oscar that is too big to sell) bucket, or leave it as is. Now in
addition to some ghost shrimp and a crayfish I have what I am told is a
Gobi. Is this fish better off with Tiger Barbs/Serpae Tetras/Glowlight
Tetras, or Fancy Guppies/Neons, or would it be more humane to find somebody
with a hungry fish?
<No way to tell...>
For the time being he is in a 1 gal Betta tank by himself, 78 degrees
and under gravel filter The tank has been set up for 6 mo.s and is my seed
tank for snails.
Again sorry that I was not able to research this on my own. I really tried,
but I didn't even find a picture that resembled this fish, and there was
just SO much information!
Doug Alley
<Not possible to give you direction Doug... as this would entail just a
blind guess as to what you have... A pic next time. BobF>
FW/BW Bumblebee Goby 10/10/06
I purchased a 'freshwater' Bumblebee goby three days ago and put him in my
Endler's tank, an Eclipse 12.
<No quarantine? I just lost upwards of 8 mollies in my brackish tank because
of not quarantining a new addition for long enough...>
There are eight adult Endler's in there, along with many tiny fry. It's
heavily planted with Cabomba on top and lots of java moss
on the bottom, along with a small piece of bog wood and a fake log. I have
one tsp. of salt per gallon of water and the temperature is 75degrees.
The problem is the Bumble Bee shows no interest in eating. I had hoped he
would feast on the fry but they swim right past him and he ignores them. I
even witnessed a small fry bump against his snout as it swam by.! He isn't
shy, as now he spends much time resting on top of the moss in the middle of
the tank.
Any advice?
<This is likely not a true "freshwater"...There are two distinct species of
bumblebee gobies: Brachygobius xanthozona and Brachygobius nunus, the first
being able to better "tolerate" freshwater, the latter needing strictly
brackish (around 1.005 SG). See here for more info.:
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/McKane_Bumblebee_Gobies.html
You will have to establish a separate brackish tank for the goby, or find a
more suitable home (probably not the LFS, if they can't even correctly
identify him) for him. From what I know, Endler's livebearers can't handle
brackish water; you should slowly acclimate the bumblebee, whichever species
it is, to a more suitable salinity. See also here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracgobioids.htm
Thanks, Gregg.
<Hope I've helped. Jorie>
FW/BW Mis-mixes - 03/26/2006
First off, I just wanted to say that I love your site and you all do a great
job. I was just wondering what you thought about the mixture of fish I have
in my 90 gal tank. I currently have 2 red devils, 1 Florida gar,
<Neat fish... illegal in many States... get way big>
1 green terror, 1 tiger Oscar, a small Pleco, 1 figure eight puffer, and 1
dragon goby.
<These last two... are increasingly brackish with age, size... should they
live...>
The biggest so far is the red devil at about 7 in.
<I'll bet! Some of these are really devils!>
So far I have had the tank for about 4 months with no casualties. Everyone
seems to be getting along swimmingly. I am worried though that with this
size tank there will not be enough room for all species when they reach
their full potential.
<To put this mildly>
I have gotten so attached to them all I can't bare to let one go. (Unless
it's for their own good.)
<You need at least two more tanks... and a lake if you're going to try
raising the lepisosteid>
I do weekly water changes, vary their diet, etc.... and treat them all with
the care they deserve. What do ya think? Thanks - Steve, MI
<A brackish tank, an easier going cichlid tank.... See WWM re these species
systems, compatibility... Bob Fenner>
FW Goby ID 2/18/06
I am trying to identify my goby, I was wondering if you could tell me
what goby is more popular in the aquarium trade: a Dormitator maculatus or a
Dormitator lebretonis? Are there any other species of gobies that look like
these? I think my goby is either a Dormitator maculatus or a Dormitator
lebretonis. He has a blue spot just behind his gill on each side and a spotted
line pattern down each of his body. He is less then 2 inches in length. I have
had over 400 replies on various fish forums but no certain identification. I
have searched on google but no luck, I need to know what each species looks like
as a juvenile. If you could send me a photo of a juvenile Dormitator maculatus
or Dormitator lebretonis or any info that would be greatly appreciated. Or if
you could give me a list of popular sold freshwater or brackish water gobies
that would be great. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from
you. Eva
< Dominator maculatus is the one that is written on the most , so we can assume
that this is the most common one in the aquarium trade too. Your description is
consistent with the photos. -Chuck>
FAQ on Sleeper Gobies ... Butis butis ID, beh. 4/26/06
Hi,
<Hello there>
I was just browsing around your site and noticed there was someone on the
sleeper goby FAQ enquiring about information with regards to a bony-snouted gudgeon, the other common names duckbill sleeper and crazy fish
were also mentioned. This fish is Butis butis, the person asking wasn't sure because of the colouration, Butis butis can
change colouration to match it's environment so its quite variable and most likely was the source of confusion. They're an ambush predator that generally
feed on small fish and crustaceans, and will generally only take live food. They're from the tropical Indo-Pacific region and found in fresh
water right through to marine conditions (low to mid range brackish seems to be optimal). They like lots of overhanging cover to hide
and ambush fish from, I find that mine is particularly fond of branches, it spends most of its time upside down clinging to the
underneath of the branches in my tank watching the small fish swimming past,
waiting to pounce.
I'm guessing the information request is somewhat dated now so this information
probably wont be a huge help the person who was asking but maybe it will help someone in future if you can update the FAQ.
If you have any further questions about this amazing fish I'd be more than happy
to help out.
Regards
Kari.
<Thank you much for this input. Will post along with... Bob Fenner>
Peacock Gudgeons - Feeding Fry - 12/18/2005
Hello,
<Hi, Jocelyn! Sabrina with you, today. I apologize for the delay in response -
responded on your thread on our forums, as well, some days ago.>
I was wondering if you knew whether or not Tateurndina ocellicaudus (Peacock
Gudgeon) fry would take frozen rotifer food?
<Mm, I think it unlikely. I would use newly hatched baby brine shrimp.>
My peacock gudgeons spawned on Saturday, and now that the babies are developing
but not hatched, I need to find food for them ASAP. A little late to think of it
I know, but I thought getting microworms would be easier than it actually is.
<Indeed. BBS is your best bet, here.>
So now I'm trying to find alternate solutions. If you have any suggestions I'd
really appreciate a response.
<What are you feeding the adults? I had tremendous success with mine and
Spectrum marine pelleted food. Apparently, they rarely take prepared foods, and
when they do, VERY rarely spawn on prepared foods - I fed mine Spectrum
exclusively (tried many others, as well) and (much to my dismay) the fish bred
like clockwork. They were in a tank at work - I was trying to get them NOT to
spawn! Fish will do as they intend, I suppose. Beautiful animals, aren't
they? Almost like a killifish.>
Thank you, -Jocelyn
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Sleeper Goby, Zero Info - 11/03/2005
My sleeper goby is vertical in the tank. He seldom moves his tail. The other
fish in the 75 gal. tank are all well. It is almost as if he is standing still.
<First.... please.... everyone reading: capitalize beginnings of sentences,
names.... Second.... Keith, there is just not nearly enough information here to
go off. Please start by reading some of the articles and FAQs already archived
on the site, about water quality, health and disease, gobies....>
Thank you. Keith Stimac
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
<<Thank you for fixing, Sabrina. Marina>>
Bichir and Large Marbled (Sleeper) Sand Goby...Can they be friends? 8/15/05
I have a 55gal tank with a large (17+in) Marbled (sleeper) Sand Goby in it.
He has been in it for years spending time with just his feeder fish friends, and
nothing else. I recently purchased an Ornate Bichir and have him in his own
30gal tank. He too just has the company of feeder friends. Is it possible for
the two to co-exist when the Bichir gets a little bigger( in the 55gal of
course)? If so how big should he get before I try it. He is about 9" now.
<Mmm, possibly... the goby, being in too small a volume, only kept with intended
food fishes, may attempt to eat the Bichir. Bob Fenner>
Goby ID 7/13/05
Hello there,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I just bought a goby. The store said it was a Blue Gudgeon Goby. When I look it
up on internet and click on a site the picture doesn't look like the one I just
got. It has a few blue stripes on its head and neck and blue spots on its tail
both sides. Could you please tell me the exact name on this goby? Thanks Cody
<Try looking up purple spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda mogurnda or Mogurnda
adspersa. ~PP>
Breeding The Marbled Goby
Dear Bob,
<Edgar>
I have tons of questions about marbled goby since it caught my attention that
seems nobody can breed them in captivity.
Can they be breed in aquarium ?
<As far as I know, Oxyeleotris marmorata has been in captivity:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5376&genusname=Oxyeleotris&speciesname=marmorata
This is an important food/aquaculture species in S.E. Asia>
what's the different between male and female ?
<Perhaps a difference in girth during gonad maturation?>
do they breed like gudgeon ?
<I suspect you are correct here>
how come I couldn't find this information on the net?
<It may be "proprietary"... a business secret... or likely, a matter of
scientific, rather than hobbyist interest... You might try a large/college
library search:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/litsrchart.htm>
I've search all over the place and now I plea for your help.
Edgar Tjai.
<Perhaps you will be the one to do this, write it up... Bob Fenner>
Freshwater fish identifications, ChuckR
Hi there
I need to identify two fish to find out more about them.
The one was called a "black widow" in the shop I bought it from. Its shape is
very similar to a silver dollar. It is mostly black on the top half of
its body and the tail is silver. Aprox 2cm long. I've looked everywhere for
information on this fish but can not get anything, except black widow tetra,
which I do not think it is. (saw a picture somewhere)
< The black skirt tetra is sometimes called the black widow tetra. If this is
not your fish then you will need to provide more info like a photo.>
The other fish is definitely a goby, no doubt about that. It is white with black
spots, and a small black "stripe" at the back of its top fin. The
sizes are aprox 3 & 5cm each. The shop owner said its a spotted goby and that
the female is the bigger one of the two, but alas, I can find no
information/pictures on what it actually is. It is a very shay fish.
<Look at photos of the knight goby (Stigmatogobius sadanundio ). Males have
longer fins.>
Both are freshwater fish. I've got two male guppies in the tank and sometime
during today, the one lost half of its tail fin.
I doubt that it will be the "black widow" because they've been sharing a tank
for 2 months now.
< The gobies are capable of biting the tail of smaller fish thinking that they
are food.-Chuck>
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Jaco
Ps. If it is a stupid question or I can find the info somewhere else, please
tell me so.
Freshwater fish identifications, BobF
Hi there
I need to identify two fish to find out more about them.
The one was called a "black widow" in the shop I bought it from. Its shape is
very similar to a silver dollar. It is mostly black on the top half of
its body and the tail is silver. Aprox 2cm long. I've looked everywhere for
information on this fish but can not get anything, except black widow tetra,
which I do not think it is. (saw a picture somewhere)
<Likely a Black Skirt Tetra... there are varieties, differences within this
species:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characins2/a/blackwidow.htm>
The other fish is definitely a goby, no doubt about that. It is white with black
spots, and a small black "stripe" at the back of its top fin. The
sizes are aprox 3 & 5 cm each. The shop owner said its a spotted goby and that
the female is the bigger one of the two, but alas, I can find no
information/pictures on what it actually is. It is a very shy fish.
<Maybe a knight goby:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracgobioids.htm>
Both are freshwater fish. I've got two male guppies in the tank and sometime
during today, the one lost half of its tail fin.
<Could be from either of the above>
I doubt that it will be the "black widow" because they've been sharing a tank
for 2 months now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Jaco
Ps. If it is a stupid question or I can find the info somewhere else, please
tell me so.
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner who encourages you to investigate before you buy
livestock>
Feeding Peacock Gudgeons - 12/15/2004
Hi,
<Ahoy thar, matey!>
I have four peacock gudgeons, but I am having trouble feeding them.
<Not exactly uncommon. These can be finicky feeders.>
They are in a tank with about 25 Neons. At feeding time, the Neons go crazy,
scaring the poor gudgeons away.
<This is very definitely a problem. You may find that the two species simply
are not compatible.>
Any suggestions about how I can get some food to the gudgeons?
<Well, first off, the gudgeons may simply refuse prepared foods. It can be a
touch tricky to get them to take anything other than live foods, at first. I
got my pair onto Spectrum marine pellets rather quickly; it took them a few days
to understand that it was food, but once they tasted it, they ate with
gusto. On top of that, they have been breeding like clockwork on just the
spectrum. Definitely offer them a very high quality food, or start them with
live foods if all else fails. Some ideas to keep the Neons at bay - feed the
Neons a floating food on one side of the tank, and the gudgeons a sinking food
on the opposite side (Spectrum sinks, by the way). If necessary, divide the
tank. Best option of all is to remove the gudgeons to their own tank - but be
aware that if you have a male and female, they will establish dominance over the
other two gudgeons and possibly cause some harm. These are beautiful fish, and
well worth the bit of effort it may take to get them eating. Good luck with
them.>
Thanks, Nate
<Wishing you and your gudgeons well, -Sabrina>
Bulging Dragon
Hi, I was recently on your web page and noticed that you have a lot of info
on dragon gobies. Well I bought one about 4 weeks and it is doing really good,
he eats, swims along the bottom and has no apparent health problems. He is in a
20 gallon community tank and when I bought him I noticed a bulge and it did not
hinder him and it is still their and it has only gotten a little bigger. So I
was wondering if you could tell me what this bulge could be, how long dragon
fish live and any possible way to breed them.
Thank you for your time,
Stephanie
<Hi, Don here. Hard to say what it is by the simple description you are giving.
But it is never wise to bring home a pet that you know is not healthy. In fact
even fish that look healthy should be put in a QT tank for a month before they
go in your tank. Now that I got that off my chest, is the bulge localized, like
a small marble under the skin, or a more general swelling? A marble like bulge
could be a tumor which you can do nothing for. A more general swelling would
point to an internal infection of some sort. It could be bacterial, protozoan,
or even worms. Since I believe these are all wild caught fish, it could be
anything. Another possibility is incorrect water conditions. These are brackish
fish. They would do well with other salt loving fish, like Mollies. Keeping them
in freshwater will cause health problems. Not sure of life spam and I do not
think they have been bred in captivity. Did not see any breeding info in my
brief search.>
Violet Goby Aggression
Hi, I just have a question that I've been wondering about for awhile. I
have two violet gobies that are both 11" long (they started out at about
three inches long a year ago) in a 50 gallon tank along with a clown knife
fish, a fire eel, spiny eel, and ropefish. I'm moving the other fish to a
130 gallon in a week or so and turn the 50 gallon into a brackish water
setup. The nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are all at zero and I add salt
after every water change (25% once a week with a gravel vac). When I first
got my dragonfish they were completely friendly and stayed together all the
time. They still stay side-by-side constantly and act as if there aren't
even any other fish in the tank (they stay to themselves) but,
occasionally, they bite at each other. They'll be motionless one moment,
then one will suddenly start pulling on the others tail or bite his body.
Their bodies don't actually get damaged, but their tails and fins get a bit
ragged. I figured that they do this because they might both be males and
have become territorial once they matured, but then wouldn't they stay at
their own areas of the tank instead of cuddling? Are they maybe male and
female and this is some kind of a mating ritual or something? They also
love digging into the gravel to make caves and dens, so maybe they're trying
to create nests? I was just wondering if maybe you had some answers.
< There are no known external differences between the sexes and they have never
been spawned in captivity. They are territorial and well known for their ability
to bury themselves in soft sand. Your observations may be a courtship dance
leading to spawning or just two males settling a dispute over turf.-Chuck>
Thanks.
Dayton
Freshwater Jawfish???
hi there,
<Hello>
i recently read in the TFH magazine about the Jawfish. i found it's decorating
behaviour very interesting. this little fish would be just a reason for me to
set up a saltwater tank if i would have the possibility. my favourite place in
the house is in the armchair next to the fish tank where i watch the fish while
reading or just to switch off my mind.
<I can/do relate>
i am keeping freshwater fish/ coldwater species. even though i am living in
Queensland/ Australia i do not heat the tank or the room the tank is in. the
result is that the water temperature drops to ~14 degrees in winter because it
gets quite chilly here during the night. on the other side in summer the water
can get around 32 degrees easily. i keep a bristlenose pair together with a
school of 5 duboulayi rainbows which we find in our surrounding waterways, a
"left-over" goldfish and 5 bitterling with their mussel in a 4 feet/~170l
(42gallon) tank. my fish are doing fine for years. they are growing and breeding
although i don't try to hatch the eggs and show their best colour.
<Likely partly due to the thermal fluctuation...>
so far i found out that the Jawfish belong to the gobies and in that family
there are marine and freshwater fish. is there anything similar in behaviour to
the yellow-headed Jawfish for the freshwater aquarium?
cheers
Silvia
<Mmm, strictly speaking, all "Jaws" are marine:
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=366
but as you point out, there are fish groups, namely the Blennioids and Gobioids
that have freshwater and brackish members that do display many Jawfish behaviors
(digging, burrowing... though not mouth-brooding). You might direct your
attention to some of these found there in Australia. There are a few good
reference works on native fishes around you... as well as resources like
Fishbase.org that can be searched by region and water type. Bob Fenner>
Mogurnda mogurnda!
Hi- I'm trying to find information on a particular type of goby called a
mogurnda, mogurnda. I need to know the Latin name for this fish.
<Hope this isn't shocking.... The Latin name is (genus/species).... Mogurnda
mogurnda!! Really. I'm not kidding. Here's the Fishbase info. on this fish: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=22759&genusname=Mogurnda&speciesname=mogurnda
>
He has very unusual eyes- kind of a bluish-green. I was told he comes from S.
America.
<This species, no. Most freshwater and brackish gudgeons/gobies are from
Australia and New Guinea, some from Asia.... A handful of South American
Gobioids, like Dormitator maculatus, do show up in the hobby>
Thank you. Lisa Griffin
<Any time, Lisa! Wishing you and your goby pal well, -Sabrina>
Jade goby illness
<Hi Laurie, Pufferpunk here>
Good morning crew. I happened upon your site this morning looking for
information on the jade goby. I am getting sorta desperate. I have a 150 gl
with two (2) 450 Fluval media filters. Natural gravel and plastic plants. I
have put lava rock, slate and lots of interesting rocks (cleaned well before
adding) to the tank over time. It houses a variety of Africans and includes a
rope fish, a fire eel, a spiny eel (hand feed - I love that) and a jade
goby. The goby seems to have constant eye problems. It started on his fins and
I suspected high ammonia as he spends a lot of time on the bottom, but that is
not the problem.
<How long has this tank been set up? What are your ammonia & nitrates? For
healthy fish, they both should be 0.>
My eels and pleco are fine. Only the goby. It seems to get better with
treatment, but then reoccurs and is now pretty bad. Mostly just one
eye. Typical cloudy eye as appears with typical fungus/infection. I can not
seem to get it cleared up. I have treated the tank several times with an
antibacterial tea tree extract that usually works well on any fin rot or wounds
in the past.
<Are you using Melafix? That is what I would recommend. Also lots of water
changes, until you have 0 ammonia & nitrites.>
All my fish are fine except the goby. I would really like to find something or
method to treat and get him well. I love my sleeper and hate to see him
suffer. Need some advice on what to treat in this large tank that will not
affect my eels.
<Keep treating w/Melafix for a week after the eye clears up. I buy the stuff by
the gallon. It's made for ponds, but you can use it on regular aquariums. With
a tank that large you'll need it, unless you have a cycled hospital tank you can
doctor your goby in. You still need to clear up that ammonia, it's not good for
any of your fish. I do 50% 7-10 day water changes on all my tanks, cleaning the
gravel as I go. If they aren't used to that, you should start with 25%/day,
until you have the ammonia level at 0.>
<Good luck--Pufferpunk>
PP puffer treatment, garlic
<Pufferpunk again>
Thanks for the reply. My ammonia is 0.
<Then why did you suspect ammonia as the problem cause? Are you testing before
or after water changes?>
I have a lot of fish so monthly
gravel clean/water changes are done faithfully.
<Monthly isn't often enough.>
Yep, MelaFix is what I use.
I too use a lot. Nitrate... will look further into that. I also increased
the temp and added more salt in-between MelaFix treatments when I suspected
the eye of starting to cloud. I am thinking that a hospital tank with
higher salt content?? I have also been told to garlic soak my sleepers food
to increase immunity for future. What is your take on the garlic. Thanks .
<I've never used garlic. I've heard pros & cons on the subject. Some folks
swear by it & others think it's a waste if $$$. From what I've read, some say it
has helped w/internal & external parasites. See:
http://store.yahoo.com/inlandreef/garxtrem1oz.html. I'd increase water
changes, as cloudy eye is a sign if poor water quality--Pufferpunk>
Fishbase locked? (also goby compatibilities)
Fishbase.org is a closed site now! Whatever will I use for learning about my
fish anymore! *Overreacts* Eh, hypocrites.
<you are mistaken here, my friend... it is open and we have been using it all
night. I just tried it from the main, German and French servers. Do check
again.>
In any case, I was looking to figure out a bit more about a dragonish, aka
Gobioides broussonenti.
<read more here (follow all links at bottom too):
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=3856&genusname=Gobioides&speciesname=broussoneti
>
When I first saw the oversized goby, I figured it was an eel in any case. The
question is if these gobies are aggressive or not.
<they are not... instead they are difficult to feed/keep planktivores>
My mollies and my Tiretrack eel are flourishing in a very low end brackish
aquarium,
<you will need this or more salt for this goby>
the eel devouring blood worms like nobody's business and even growing half an
inch to an inch in only a week. What I'm wondering about is if there would be a
conflict between this 5.5" eel and a dragon eel goby which is about 6" or 7"
long and considerably wider.
<perhaps... but more importantly, the goby will be outcompeted if not
intimidated by the active feeding of the other fishes. It is an inappropriate
mix. Please resist>
The people at the store (PetCo, figures...), completely uneducated as to what
fish they even had, were not much help as to giving much info. I was the one to
re-educate them as to what they even were carrying, but still I don't know what
kind of behavior I would expect from it. In my high end brackish aquarium my two
small bumblebee gobies have the audacity to compete for food with the larger
green spotted pufferfish, which gives me the impression that a dragonish would
also be aggressive when it comes to food, and more importantly, territory.
<neither is true/correct>
There are tons of little holes and caves where the Tiretrack eel hides (Road
kill is his name btw), and apparently dragonish don't seem to like to hide
anywhere in the tanks at the store. Can I safely house this big guy or would I
just be better off getting a couple of the knight gobies that I have been eyeing
lately.
<the knight gobies are much better choices... hardy and tolerant>
P.S. I finally put in a couple of new 10,000K fluorescent bulbs to fix my plant
degradation, and now there is almost a mutagenic growth going on in there. In
only a matter of 2 days sword family plants have grown at least 2 inches and my
wisterias have gone from twigs to pine trees. Thanks for the reference to that.
<best regards, Anthony>
Gobioides broussonenti
Hi Bob, A little helpful info for you concerning the Violet Goby. The
greatest difficulty in keeping this fish is to adjust your salinity until it is
suitably "brackish". Feeding these fish is a breeze because they simply love
brine shrimp pellets. Very fascinating species, hardy and a lot of fun to
observe. They are so ugly that you cannot help but like them.
Scott Hill
A fish enthusiast!
<Outstanding! Thank you for your input. Will post... and can assure you, you
have saved many of these fishes from short, hungry stints in aquariums. Bob
Fenner>
Knight Gobies - Suddenly Dead (03/03/03)
Hi,
<Hi. Ananda here, unhappy to hear that someone had bad luck with one of her
favorite types of fish...>
I have a mystery that I am hoping that you can shed some light on.
<Will give it a shot...>
I have a 30-gal freshwater tank that has 4 dwarf Gouramis, 2 Bala sharks
(recently moved from another tank), a 2 month old rosy barb, and 2 knight gobies
(until yesterday). The tank set up is relatively new, about 1 month, but the
rocks and some of the plants came from another tank that has been running for
over a year. (No sick fish there)
<When did you move the rocks and plants? When you started the tank? Or just
recently?>
I have been feeding freeze dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, and slow sinking
pellets.
<I'm not a fan of brine shrimp, except when they're used to entice fish that
otherwise won't eat... your fish should have a bit more variety than this.>
Last night I discovered both gobies dead side by side on the bottom of the
tank. When I removed them from the water they looked as if they had been dead
for several days. Their fins were badly decomposed.
<Hmmm. Badly decomposed, or perhaps nibbled-upon?>
The mystery is that they were alive earlier in the day (I feed some brine shrimp
and watched everyone eat for a while.), and showed no signs, that I could tell,
of illness. I have closely examined all the other fish, and they all look
fine. All the fish got along well, and I never saw any evidence of the gobies
being harassed by the others.
<I am curious about your water quality -- ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH,
temperature... the gobies, being scaleless fish, were the most sensitive of the
bunch when it comes to water quality. I would do a water change immediately to
deal with any possible ammonia.>
Should I worry about the others? What would cause them to die suddenly, but not
harm the other fish?
<Ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate poisoning would affect those fish first. The
others might not be out of danger, which is why I'm suggesting a water change
ASAP. Another possibility -- the rock you took from another tank -- was it ever
in a tank that was treated with a copper-based medication? Gobies and other
scaleless fish can not tolerate copper.>
Any help you can give would be appreciated. I'm really worried about my other
fish.
<Understandably so. Do check out the various freshwater FAQs and the WetWebFotos
chat forums. --Ananda>
Laura Crouch
RE: Knight Gobies - Suddenly Dead (03/05/03)
Ananda,
Thank you so much for your input.
<Glad I could help.>
The rocks were moved when I started the new tank. (They were white and my
Pictus Cats did not like them so rather than throwing them out I decided to
recycle them.) I think you may have hit upon something with the rocks. I had
to treat for Ick about three months ago. I would never have dreamed that it
would harm anyone.
<Many things we put in our tanks have the potential to harm fish -- even those
that are designed to help fish. With any scaleless fish -- gobies, loaches,
puffers and others -- you need to be especially careful what you add to the
tank. You could probably save the rock by putting it in an empty tank with a
Polyfilter.>
I did a complete water change last night and replaced with new rocks. Everyone
else still looks happy and healthy. I am going to let the tank run for a couple
of months before I add any more fish.
<Sounds like a good idea to me.>
Thank you!
<You're welcome. --Ananda>
Knight Gobies
Hi,
I have some Knight Gobies that spawn on a regular basis. I get the eggs to
hatch, but can't keep the fry alive any more than about 2 days. I use infusoria
to feed with. Can you advise.
Thanks and God Bless, Ed
I will forward this message to a friend of ours...Dr Sallie Boggs. She is a
brilliant aquarists and grand master breeder (national accolades) with a flavor
for gobies and blennies. Best regards, Anthony>
Re: Knight Gobies
I had the same experience when my Knight gobies were breeding. Then I did
not have a culture of rotifers. Now I have rotifers I use for marine fish and no
breeding gobies. I believe the goby fry could eat the rotifers . Both gobies and
rotifers like brackish water. Rotifers can be obtained from
Reed Mariculture or Florida Aqua Farms or a friendly marine fish breeder. If you
live in Pittsburgh area you can get them from me. Sallie
Fear, Fish Behavior
I have a 5.5 gallon tank with 4 balloon mollies and two bumblebee gobies.
The Nitrite levels are good, the ammonia levels are good, I have added salt to
the water, and the pH is fine. The mollies eat fine, but the gobies just seem to
hide, and are not eating. I do feed live foods as recommended. Is there a chance
the gobies are afraid of the mollies, and thus want to keep a low profile?
Thanx. James Kim
<in such a small tank, yes... the gobies may simply be intimidated by the
activity of the more assertive fish. But admittedly, they are not gregarious
fish to begin with. Anthony>
PS How long before the gobies die?
<shouldn't let them go more than 5-7 days without food. Do move them to another
tank or trade them back, please>
mainly brackish gobies
Hi Bob!
Well, the spinning molly died a couple of days ago. She wouldn't eat,
even when I tried live black worms, so I wasn't surprised.
<Sorry to learn of your loss>
The ghost shrimp experiment is going well. They seem to be tolerating
the SGs up to 1.008 without much difficulty once they get past the
initial transition period. Some of them haven't survived the transition,
but in those cases, the gobies haven't complained about the extra
treats. Oddly enough, the candy-striped gobies aren't interested in the
shrimp, even though they are easily large enough to eat them. I had an
entertaining time watching one of my so-called "butterfly gobies" trying
to eat a ghost shrimp that was bigger than itself. The shrimp got away
for a while, and then goby was "stalking" the shrimp. Quite amusing. I
don't know what the "butterfly gobies" really are, but they definitely
aren't true gobies. They look sort of like miniaturized dwarf lionfish,
mottled brown and beige and about 1" long, and nothing like the marine
butterfly goby, Amblygobius albimaculatus. Do you know if this fish is a
sculpin, or a scorpienidae, or is it something else entirely?
<Beige mostly? Maybe Stigmatogobius: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brgobioids.htm>
LMK if a
photo would of my fish would help; I don't have a photo of them yet
since it's hard to get the digital camera to focus on them (it's a bit
*too* automated).
<Check to see if you can "turn off" the automated (focus) feature... Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Ananda
Ropes and Dragons
Robert,
I have a 45 gallon freshwater live plant setup. PH7.6 Hardness
apx10 Ammonia and nitrite at zero. I recently purchased two new rope fish
and a pleco (I think that's what it's called).
<Mmm, maybe a member of the family of mainly South American Sucker Mouth
Catfishes, Loricariidae: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/loricariids.htm>
The two rope fish died within
two days and a day later the rope that I've had for 6 months died.
<Not unusual to have new Ropes bring in disease, stress... Our coverage of this
and the related Bichirs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bichirs.htm>
Then last
night my small dragon Goby died. The ropes got the "glassy" eyes and
discoloration before they died and the Dragon lost a lot of weight and
showed a large white section on it's tail before it died. So far the other
inhabitants haven't shown any problems; they are: a larger Dragon Goby
(about 6"), two Bala Sharks, 1 Clown Loach, 1 Pleco (algae eater), and
several neon tetras. I did a 20% water change and filter maintenance after
the first two died and I've been running my Diatom XL (normally for
polishing only) a couple hours a day. Any possibilities you can offer will be
greatly appreciated.
<I would do what you have done... and add some activated carbon/powder to the
diatom>
As a side note. I have already purchased a cheapy 10 gallon setup to
use as a quarantine tank in the future.
<Good idea>
You might also be interested to know
that the fish came from Pet not so) Smart.
<Yikes...>
Thanks Again
Tom Peterson
Kissimmee, Fl
<Sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations. Steady on my friend. You're
moving in more positive directions. Bob Fenner>
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