Bublebee Gobys?

[CPQ]

Hey,

I saw some of these little cuties in my lfs at the weekend so I thought I'd look them up on t'internet and find out a bit about them. but now I'm soooooo confused! everyone says different things - some people say they're freshwater and others that they're brackish. I've also heard they're semi-aggressive and fin-nippers but other people say they keep them perfectly happily in a community tank!

Anybody know anything?? help please!!

 

[Matty P]

Bumblebee gobies are brackish water fish (1.005-1.010). They need lots of hiding places as they are very territorial. They have little arguments between themselves, no fin nipping or fighting but thats what people enjoy about them. Have a look in the Brackish and oddballs section there will be more about them in there.

 

[Teelie]

Some Bumblebees are brackish but they aren't all brackish. I think many of the ones in the trade can thrive in freshwater under proper care. They should be kept in a quiet, peaceful tank though with plenty of places to hide, a sandy or smooth substrate and preferably species only IMO. They don't move fast and are slow to get food. They also do better on live or frozen foods.

 

[Matty P]

The Brachygobius xanthozona (the most common bumblebee goby) is BW but can tolerate FW. There are 9 species in total.

 

[connorsbala]

My bumblebees are kept in brackish and they thrive. I feed them live foods only,but if i forget to get some they except frozen. people say that they are hard to get feeding but mine started straight away

 

[CPQ]

Ok thanks guys.

The bumblebee goby's in my lfs are kept in freshwater. Does that mean that they're doing something wrong or that those goby's are ok in freshwater??
The reason I asked I because I'm planning on moving my betta (tank's currently cycling) and building a little miniature community around him. I'm planning to have pygmy corys and spotted rasboras and wondered whether the goby's would work in this set up?

 

[Matty P]

Just because your lfs has some BBG in FW doesn't mean they should be there.

 

[CPQ]

ok I just asked because Teelie said they're not all brackish. Wondered whether it's more likely that these ones are but arn't being kept properly or that they're a freshwater variety.

Thanks

 

[Matty P]

They are more likely to be the brackieh variety, as they are much more common than the others. I could well be wrong.

 

[CPQ]

ok, well I've had a look on the brackish forums and it says in one of the pinned threads which brackish fish are ok in tropical and bumblebee gobys don't seem to be one of them. Left a poast just to check but looks like you're right! So thanks

 

[MermaidMel]

To be honest with you, I've had them a few times, they do ok for a while in freshwater but they are better off in brackish and I recommend a species tank too.

 

[Teelie]

I think it depends more on the conditions being kept clean and the fish properly fed more than whether it is fresh or brackish as people have kept them in freshwater for years with no problems as easily as those kept in brackish.