yesterday i went to the LPS to look around, and i was surprised to see a single tiny beautiful bumblebee goby in the guppy tank. I liked it so much i almost bought it, but i dont currently have anywhere to put it exept my brothers guppy tank. I know bumblebee gobies are brackish water, but it was in fresh water. I would like to set up a tank for it, but i dont know all that much about the care needed for them (exept they are brackish fish that rarely exept any food but live food) I would like to hear advice from someone who has kept these fish before- should i try it?
bumblebee goby
- Thread starter nmrsco
- Start date
tanker
Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
It is brackish and would do better with a little salt. It is not a difficult fish to raise but yes needs live food.
Not all species of BBG are brackish, but it's hard to tell them apart.
Feeding them is definitely the most difficult part. Mine likes live food as well as frozen bloodworms.
Feeding them is definitely the most difficult part. Mine likes live food as well as frozen bloodworms.
The three I have were marketed by my LFS as brackish fish and were kept in a brackish tank at the store. They are adorable but can be impossibly difficult to feed. I haven't had stellar success with either live or frozen food with the three I have. They positively will not take dry food of any sort. They will accept something for a while then suddenly start refusing it, even if it's live, wriggling and smack dab in front of their grumpy little faces. Even when they like something, they take their time eating. Definitely not a fish to keep with other fish--they'll be starved out. Not to say you shouldn't try keeping them; just be forewarned. At a minimum you'll need a separate filtered tank with a heater, marine salt, a hydrometer, a live food source and a lot of patience.
I've had success getting difficult to feed BBGs to start going for frozen daphnia and bloodworms, put in the water together. Maybe it's the combination of scents but they seemed to love it.
Try putting the food in where there's good water movement. My BBGs take interest in anything that moves, even flakes.
I have a group of 8 in mid-brackish, sg about 1.010. They eat frozen bloodworms, mysis and brine shrimp no problem. They've been in there almost a year now and are doing very well.
thanks for the help. i went back today to possibly pick him up, unfortunately he was sold. i would love to keep one or more in the future though, so thanks again