View Full Version : freshwater goby suggestion
DoctaQ
05-05-2009, 5:40 PM
im looking for a freshwater goby for a 20 long that is fairly peaceful and will not jump
i have a bunch of dwarf cories khulis and ember tetras. i wanna be able to have shrimp in this tank so nothing too mean!
beblondie
05-05-2009, 5:47 PM
You do realize that small inverts like many of the shrimp species are a natural food for
many fish.So you are also looking for a smallish Goby.Lemme cruise my library and i'll see what i can find.Just remember they may be hard to find without ordering online and they could be expensive too-Anne
DoctaQ
05-05-2009, 5:50 PM
i guess id be ok with non shrimp safe goby, ember and dwarf cory safe is more important
melissadotson
05-05-2009, 5:52 PM
i have a few bubble bee gobies in my 55 gal.tank along with several other species of fish and ghost shrimp...they are very peaceful... ijust love them cause they are so darn CUTE..!!!!!!! and they are not very expensive... but they are the only freshwater ( brackish water ) gobies that my local fish store carries...
jpappy789
05-05-2009, 5:56 PM
http://www.franksaquarium.com/goby.htm
;)
Dwarf Puffers
05-05-2009, 6:08 PM
Stiphodons, bumblebees, or darters. Darters are quite similar to gobies ;) But say goodbye to any shrimp babies. Even kuhlis might eat them all.
angyles
05-05-2009, 6:44 PM
bumblebees really do prefer light brackish. they may tolerate freshwater, but keep in mind it's not ideal. they prefer a specific gravity of around 1.005 which is certainly NOT freshwater. A nice freshwater goby is the desert goby. It's native to fresh water, IME it's pretty peaceful, and pretty attractive.
Dwarf Puffers
05-05-2009, 6:52 PM
bumblebees really do prefer light brackish. they may tolerate freshwater, but keep in mind it's not ideal. they prefer a specific gravity of around 1.005 which is certainly NOT freshwater. A nice freshwater goby is the desert goby. It's native to fresh water, IME it's pretty peaceful, and pretty attractive.
There are 9 proposed species of bumblebees, certain ones do better in fresh or brackish.
cam191919
05-05-2009, 8:30 PM
like DP said, darters are just like gobies, i have one in a 20 long and hes a very interesting little guy
Gobioides
05-05-2009, 10:29 PM
There are 9 proposed species of bumblebees, certain ones do better in fresh or brackish.
And only a few actually found in the trade. The most common species you'll find is Brachygobius doriae. You can pretty much take that to the bank considering I was told that by Helen Larson, a fish taxonomist. B. doriae is a brackish species. Even if you do have one of the rarer species, you have virtually no way of telling exactly what species or whether or not it needs salt. The only safe thing to do is to keep them in low-end brackish, regardless of what species you have.
On to the actual topic. Darters are a lot like gobies. Only problem is that they might get too big to keep with shrimp. Stiphodon gobies are generally non-carnivorous and stay somewhere in the area of 3". The main thing they eat is algae. I don't know the exact specifics of Stiphodon care, but I've read that most species come from streams with lots of flowing water. They might be better off if you had that kind of movement, and that may not be best for the other animals.
Desert gobies reach about 3" too. The main difference is they eat whatever fits in their mouths, and they have big mouths. Your tetras could be put at risk.
There is also the white cheeked goby, Rhinogobius duospilus. It reaches about 2" but is known to come from fast-flowing, cool, very well oxygenated streams. Being subtropical, they probably aren't compatible with your fish. They might also eat smaller fish/shrimp.
Perhaps you'd be interested in gudgeons, the gobies' close relatives? They look more like a regular fish but are still goby-like. You may be able to find small ones that don't eat small fish and shrimp. Peacock gudgeons come to mind...
biggdadyapisto
05-05-2009, 10:33 PM
go to www.invertzfactory.com (http://www.invertzfactory.com) the have a few nice small non shrimp eating gobys like indo rock goby and the red neon goby.
awesome prices and cheap shipping.
Gobioides
05-05-2009, 10:54 PM
Invertzfactory's red neon goby is just a Stiphodon. It may do better in a subtropical tank with a lot of water movement, just like the Rhinogobius.
The Indo rock goby is a species of Sicyopterus. Sicyopterus are basically giant Stiphodon gobies. Their care is basically identical, and they too come from subtropical streams.
If I were you, I'd get some peacock gudgeons. They're very colorful and stay small enough to not eat your other fish.
DoctaQ
05-06-2009, 1:49 PM
aw man those guys are pretty nice but theyre so darn expensive
i have kept rhinogobius in warmer tanks, they seemed ok even around 78
i do tend to keep my tank at about 75 now
that might be the way im gonna go
do you think they would be none too happy at 75?
Inka4040
05-06-2009, 8:24 PM
Just got some sicyopteus from Invertz today. Both sicys and stips will willingly feed on algae wafers in my experience, as well as being very willing to explore other foods. It's the actual make up of their mouths that makes it difficult for them to eat things they can't rasp on. I can't really see them predating on all but the smallest shrimp. They do appreciate a lot of flow and numerous grazing surfaces though.
Gobioides
05-06-2009, 8:27 PM
I'm not sure if 75 is too high or not. It might be, or it could just be the high end of what they'll tolerate. In general I'd say high 60's to low 70's for subtropical species.