Bumble Bee Goby

[Jozlyn]

I'm just curious to know why it's suggested that if you have Bumble Bee Goby that you need to keep more than one? I have three and they have nothing whatsover to do with each other, they occasionaly see each other, but they all completely ignore one and another as if the others don't exist!

They're my favourite fish in my tank, they have such gorgeous personalities, the way they bob and buzz around

 

[Jozlyn]

Ummm, anyone?

 

[sophos9]

As far as I know you should not keep these on their own, 3 and upwards is good and their behaviour is amusing, they rarely like their neighbours, do become territorial and do end up moving around.

I've been looking into them as I want to keep some...

 

[AMS]

They're social little creatures and enjoy the company of others. Although quite territorial, they like to hang around each other.

 

[nmonks]

It's more for fun than anything else, though as AMS says, they do choose to spend time interacting with one another given the chance. But they are otherwise territorial rather than schooling fish, with the exception of the "schooling bumblebee goby" Brachygobius aggregatus that does indeed live in groups. Anyway, when you keep them in groups, they hop about the tank chasing one another, staring at each other, and if you're lucky, spawning (though raising the babies is a chore).

Cheers, Neale

 

[Fella]

I kept one on his own for a few years. I tried to get him some other BBG tankmates, but sadly never had any success in acclimating them.

They're great fish, deserve a lot more attention than they're granted.

 

[sophos9]

Is it true that BBG's can only live in Brackish?

 

[nmonks]

No, several species live in freshwater in the wild. But they are certainly easier to keep in brackish water. Similar to mollies and figure-8 puffers in this regard.

Neale

Is it true that BBG's can only live in Brackish?

 

[bymauldin]

I have been looking at this fish for a long time. I'm just curious...would these fish do okay in a 10 gal species tank? I'm cycling my tank now and trying to find out what's best for my set up. Though I'd really really like to have some of these.

 

[nmonks]

A ten gallon tank would hold ten BBGs without the least problems, and arranged with some rocks and Java ferns and Java moss could be made very attractive and tolerant of low-end brackish water (I'd suggest SG 1.003) if you wanted to go that way. BBGs aren't especially sensitive to ammonium or nitrite (gobies are generally quite hardy, being adapted to shallow, often temporary or variable, waters). So assuming the tank is at least halfway cycled, you could add 3 BBGs one week, 3 more the next, and so on until you have the population you want. BBGs are most fun in large groups -- they spend all their time bickering and fighting over caves (seashells or apple snail shells are ideal).

Cheers, Neale

 

[bymauldin]

Wow! That many, huh? I'm torn between the goby and the puffer. I don't know what I should get. What's your opinion on the matter? Since I have a small tank and can't really have a lot of fish I want a fish that has personality. I've heard from several people that both of these do. I know puffers aren't normally good in a community tank but could one coexist with a bumblebee goby? Or is a 10 gal too small to try to combine the 2? Again, I'd just like to have my tank planned out by the time it's finished cycling...

 

[nmonks]

It depends on what you want. The BBGs will be easy to keep, colourful, and compatible with a variety of invertebrates you might want to add such as red-nose shrimp (which do better in brackish than in fresh) or Amano shrimp (which tolerate a little salt in the water quite well). Nerite snails like olive nerites and zebra nerites would look cool in there too, and would eat the algae. One puffer in a 10-gallon is do-able and would be fun in its way, but you can't add invertebrates and in so small a tank I wouldn't risk tankmates.

Cheers, Neale

What's your opinion on the matter? Since I have a small tank and can't really have a lot of fish I want a fish that has personality. I've heard from several people that both of these do.

 

[bymauldin]

Okay. Thanks. So, when setting up a tank for BBG's is it more important that they have a lot of room to swim around on the tank bottom or is it more important that you have lots of caves and things to hide under/hide in? Right now I have two fairly large caves, and two little terra cotta pots. I also have probably 6 or 7 plants. There is still open room on the bottom, just not a whole lot of it. Would this work?

 

[nmonks]

The latter. With few exceptions, gobies never swim far from cover, so there idea of a perfect aquarium would be filled with plants and caves from top to bottom. They like being able to "hop" from one spot to another, rather than swimming in the open.

Cheers, Neale

for BBG's is it more important that they have a lot of room to swim around on the tank bottom or is it more important that you have lots of caves and things to hide under/hide in?

 

[DarkEntity]

Wow! That many, huh? I'm torn between the goby and the puffer. I don't know what I should get. What's your opinion on the matter? Since I have a small tank and can't really have a lot of fish I want a fish that has personality. I've heard from several people that both of these do. I know puffers aren't normally good in a community tank but could one coexist with a bumblebee goby? Or is a 10 gal too small to try to combine the 2? Again, I'd just like to have my tank planned out by the time it's finished cycling...

10gall is really too small for any Puffers except for Dwarf Puffers which are freshwater. Even then you are looking at 2 Dwarf Puffers 3 at an absolute max. They maybe small but can be very aggressive and nippy