New to BW need advice

[Puffernewbee]

Bumlebee gobies may not be the best tankmate because of the following info from the violet gobie profile from this website.

They grow quite large, almost up to two feet in length, but are peaceful and will only harm fish small enough to eat.

Bumblebees are only about 1.5 inches long as adults and would share the bottom of the tank. Can you say "Lunch"?

 

[josephish]

brackish

the mollys need alot of algae in thier diet their diet consists of almost all algea. i suggest buying algae flakes or algae wafers(the kind you feed plecos). the molly has always been in my brackish tanks for a couple reasons(cheap fish to start a tank up and their babies provide a source of food for some brackish fish) most gobies diets consist of live food...worms,insects,and baby fish. make sure you have plenty of plants for the babies to hide in. plastic and grass matts(ive even used that plastic grass used in easter baskets floating on the top several inches thick for the babies to hide in). i would try feeding the violet/dragon goby chopped earthworm"make sure its still wriggling to intice its feeding response". the only live plant ive tried was the java fern. the java fern worked well for me and it is truely a brackish plant as long as its just slightly brackish(1 tablespoon / gal). that is the salt ratio i have used and did well with. i read tons of books and asked tons of fish store/keepers and that was the salinity i decided on. use the hydrometer too to keep the salinity in check(especially in the summer when you habve more evaporation) good luck the brackish tank does have interesting fish options. oh i have kept up to 3 bumble bee gobies in the same tank no problem they even bred for me . good luck

 

[Lady G]

Bumlebee gobies may not be the best tankmate because of the following info from the violet gobie profile from this website.

They grow quite large, almost up to two feet in length, but are peaceful and will only harm fish small enough to eat.

Bumblebees are only about 1.5 inches long as adults and would share the bottom of the tank. Can you say "Lunch"?

I was also recently informed how they are peaceful exept toward their own species and well the BBG IS a goby so sadly I am taking them off the list too :sad:
As far as him getting big once he is bigger he will have to go into a different tank, and his size now I'm not sure he could eat one just because I've read (one thing that seems to be on each site) that they have big mouths but very small throats so it is difficult for them to swallow bigger things they seem to mainly "filter" feed. I do put earthworms in the tank, and I have many small ghost shrimp (less now).

Thank you for the insight!

Gin

 

[Lady G]

the mollys need alot of algae in thier diet their diet consists of almost all algea. i suggest buying algae flakes or algae wafers(the kind you feed plecos). the molly has always been in my brackish tanks for a couple reasons(cheap fish to start a tank up and their babies provide a source of food for some brackish fish) most gobies diets consist of live food...worms,insects,and baby fish. make sure you have plenty of plants for the babies to hide in. plastic and grass matts(ive even used that plastic grass used in easter baskets floating on the top several inches thick for the babies to hide in). i would try feeding the violet/dragon goby chopped earthworm"make sure its still wriggling to intice its feeding response". the only live plant ive tried was the java fern. the java fern worked well for me and it is truely a brackish plant as long as its just slightly brackish(1 tablespoon / gal). that is the salt ratio i have used and did well with. i read tons of books and asked tons of fish store/keepers and that was the salinity i decided on. use the hydrometer too to keep the salinity in check(especially in the summer when you habve more evaporation) good luck the brackish tank does have interesting fish options. oh i have kept up to 3 bumble bee gobies in the same tank no problem they even bred for me . good luck

I had the same thought in mind when I picked mollies (the baby's), I don't want to sound mean but hey it's nature right? We are suppose to try and make the most natural environment right :huh:
I am afraid to get the bumble bee's now I don't want them to be killed they are 1 of the 2 favorite BW fish I found 2nd being the Orange Chromide since I am eleminating the BBG I think I will get the Chromide though, but darn it I really was wanting the BBG :rant:
Oh well, everything so far has happend for a reason so I'm sure there is some reason I shouldn't be able to get the BBGs. But once I have to move the Dragon I AM GETTING THE BBGs :clap:

Gin

 

[TKOS]

Well keep up the research to create the best tank you can. At least you are learning this stuff before you have a tank full of incompatable fish.

 

[Lady G]

Well after my first tank I learned a BIG lesson!! I knew nothing about fish keeping (all you have to do is feed them and clean the tank from time to time) right?! I let my son pick out the fish, he went by what the LFS said would do fine in a 30g, did you know 3 balas, 2 columbians, a RTB shark, 2 irridesents AND 2 dwarf gouramis are great tank mates for a 30g? OH and those are all "kinda brackish" BTW, so all you need to do is add 1 TBS of aquarium salt/10g and they will be fine Gotta love the LFS :Angel: . Needless to say the columbians didn't last long, found new homes for the irridesents and am upgrading to a 55g for now for the bala's (best I could do at the time) .

I kinda want to stay away from the 30%-50% WC every other day with this tank .

Thank God for Aquaria Central :clap: or I'd have a tank full of dead fish!!

Thanks guys I and my fish owe you thier lives

 

[TKOS]

Good luck. We all learn the hard way. For me it was some very poor bettas, but knowledge is power and we pass it on when we get the chance.

 

[Lady G]

Yeah I'm thinking of gettin a sperm whale, in a 20/gal FW tank the LFS said it would work!!!

No, really I think my mates are going to be: Orange Chromide & mollies? Still searching on the Chromide though.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

Gin

 

[Lady G]

caribian sea gravel/sand

I will be setting up my tand VERY soon just waiting on 2 more things, and I was just wondering if I should add carib. sea gravel or sand to my tank?

I will be using "playsand" and maybe eco-complete as a substrate but should I mix in some of the carib. sea stuff? I will be housing:

Violet Goby
pair or pairs of Orange Chromide(still researching these)
sailfin Mollies

Now I want to use sand because the Goby needs it to burrow in and so I thought the sand (carib.sea) or would the rock be better? If I do not need it then I would rather go with all "playsand" and eco-complete.

The tank will be slightly planted (going to give some a try) even though most say they have no luck with plants I still have to at least try :joke:

my readings are if you need to know:

nitRites-0
Ammonia-0
nitrAtes-20
GH-300
pH-between-6.2-6.8 (the color is somewhere between?)

 

[Jayhawk]

I think caribsea makes a small grained, sandlike aragonite substrate, and it sounds like your pH is on the low side, so it sounds like a good idea to me to mix some in.

Or, you can get a small bag, fill a filter media bag with it, and plop it in your filter which will help the pH go up, too.

Eric