Bumblebee Gobies, Figure 8 Puffers

[ohhmgeitsbri]

i have a newly cycled 29 gallon tank with nothing in it

i have been interested in bumblebee goby and Figure 8 puffers and want to know if they can live together? i have had a lot of mix reviews and would really like to know?

if so can i have 5-6 gobies and 2 puffers in my 29 gallon?

also: what substate should i use ( sand, gravel, i also have really soft river rocks substate) ?
what plants can i use in brakish water?
what kind of snails to figure 8 puffers like best?

thank you for your help!

 

[jennybugs]

My 2 F8 puffers live in a 140L tank with 9 bbg's quite happily I'd say your choice would be fine in a tank your size as it's more or less the same as mine

I have silver sand as substrate and have made lots of caves from slate and pebbles for the gobies to hide amoung.

If your lighting is good and strong then plants like valis or hygrophila will be good. I have silk plants and moss balls with some anubias dotted about as my lighting isn't strong enough to get valis etc to grow well, but I'm planning an upgrade.

In this section, Neale Monks (nmonks) gives out some great advice about brackish planting and livestock and I learned loads from his advice (his brackish water book is a must have imho).

If you have your marine salt at the ready and research about the filtration needs of F8 puffers etc you'll do well with them.

Snails wise mine eat whatever snails they can crunch up and I also get mussels and clams in their shells from the LFS and crush them just lightly before feeding. Then the puffs have to crunch through the shells to get to the meat inside, although they wouldn't be able to crunch the shells up if the are unbashed.

HTH

 

[Infidel_Uk]

handy tips as ever from jenny

thanks !

 

[ohhmgeitsbri]

thank you

 

[ohhmgeitsbri]

where did you buy your bbgs and f8p.?

my mom and dad dont like me to buy online but ill think i will have to because ive tried 2 lps, and 3 diffrent petcos and have found none. and ive been so sad because i really want to set up my tank!!


also what salinty do you keep your tank at?

 

[jennybugs]

I got all mine from Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green. Amwell Aquatics in Epping also had F8 puffers in - not sure about the gobies though.

Don't know where you are, but TFF are good...
Tropical fish finder
gobies here

I keep mine in a fluctuating SG from 1.003 to 1.005 or a little less at times

 

[ohhmgeitsbri]

well i live in mass. haha but thanks anwaysss

 

[myenigmaself]

I've had 14 bumblebee gobies living with 4 figure 8 puffers for several months now with no incidents. The gobies aren't at all afraid of the puffers and I think it confuses the puffers. I've even seen one goby steal a bloodworm out of a puffer's mouth, even though the puffer is easily 20x the size of the goby. Great tank-mates!

Edit: oh yeah, and mine were all special orders through LFS. I found it a lot easier to get the puffers than the gobies.