Bumblebee Gobies

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GobyMaster11276

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So, this is my first guide thingo, so this will probably be terrible. Please note, most of my info has comes from sources about Brachygobius xanthozona, with only a small amount from Brachygobius doriae, as well as from my own experience.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Gobiidae
Genus: Brachygobius
Species: Brachygobius xanthozona

Temperature: 22-26°C
pH: 7.6-8.0
Brackish water fish, needs SG 1.003-6.
Size: 4-5cm
Diet: Carnivorous, picky. Prefers live foods, usually accepts frozen foods, very few will eat flakes or pellets (though I managed to get mine to). Will not chase down food, so make sure they know it's there.
Lifespan: About three years.
GH: Moderate to hard.

Quite a few species go under the trade name of 'bumblebee goby', all of which look somewhat similar, with yellow and black bands along its thin body (which is how it got the name 'bumblebee'). They come from estuaries (the place where rivers and streams meet the ocean) in south-east Asia. They will usually hang around the bottom of a tank, and do best in a species tank (with 6-7, more if possible). That being said, bumblebees are more active in a species tank, and are more confident in a group, though they can also be kept in a community. You will need lots of hiding places for them in a tank, such as caves, rocks and of course plants, as they are quite territorial by nature.

Tank size is commonly disputed, with some saying a minimum of 19l. I guess it's up to you, but I personally used something a bit larger, 50l.

Sexing:
Male and female bumblebee gobies look similar, though males are generally more brightly coloured and thinner than females.

(Some) Tank mates
Invertebrates:
Ghost shrimp
Malaysian Trumpet Snails
Olive Nerite Snails
Zebra Nerite Snails

Fish:
Freshwater Flounders
Glass fish


Something to remember:
When doing water changes, don't add as much salt into the new water as the salinity in the tank will have gone up during the week (due to evaporation).

About Gobies:
Gobies have fused pectoral fins, meaning they can grip onto lots of surfaces, including tank walls. There are gobies in freshwater, saltwater and brackish water.

If there is anything I missed (like some important area), or you have a question, please let me know.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info! There are reliable sources which state that those fish don't need salt and also can very happily live and breed in soft water. Unfortunately they are in German:
http://www.fischreisen.de/Goldringelgrundeln.html
Interesting article. Read some of it with the help of Google Translate. I guess in the end it comes down to personal preference with that. If salt is used, freshwater can be added in the next water change to induce spawning (as they do go up river to breed naturally). Apparently it isn't that difficult, though I have no experience.
 

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