Hubby Bought Me A Violet Goby

[iluvguppies]

Hi,

Had another thread going about a Dragon Goby in a severely emaciated state that I'd seen in lfs. From that thread you will know that I'd decided AGAINST buying it due to various things including having only newly cycled tanks and it requiring brackish water and me being quite inexperienced as well as not wanting to encourage the shop to buy more to replace it.

Well, today my husband has just turned up with it without telling me anything ..as a surprise. "I could see how much it upset you seeing it like that and wanted to cheer you up!". I've explained to him (and now upset him a bit) that it wasn't the sensible thing to do and I've rung the shop back but cannot return it (he got it very cheap as it was poorly and they told him it wouldn't be covered under their normal return policy) so I'm now in a positon of needing to look after it as best as I can.

It was kept (and raised) in FRESH water by the lfs...they seemed to know very little about (telling me how vicious they are, etc). I've done a lot of research about them before I came to the decision not to get it, but obviously have no firsthand experience so all help appreciated. I'm in a position that I can make my fry tank brackish if it's best even though it's been raised in freshwater (which I'm sure it still would be) but I'm assuming that I'd have to do this very slowly so it doesn't stress him. Or should I try to get him better first then change water to brackish. The fry can be moved to main tank so he's in isolation.

I do need advice on how to change it over slowly to brackish.

Please don't slate my husband, he was only trying to do the right thing for the fish and me and was not realising about all the other factors (does know anything about keeping fish).

I had told him I wasn't going to buy it because it wasn't suitable but he said he thought I didn't really mean it.

So guys n gals, PLEASE HELP. I know he will probably die but I want to do my best by him in the meantime.

Nikki

 

[nmonks]

Nikki,

Violet gobies and guppies get along very well. At SG 1.005 at 25 degrees C (about 9 grammes of marine salt mix per litre) you will produce conditions both species like. Indeed, guppies often do better in brackish water than otherwise! Violet gobies are completely non-predatory, and if properly fed, ignore even guppy fry. Feeding violet gobies isn't difficult, but they do need a mix of things. For a start, you need wet-frozen invertebrates such as bloodworms and tubifex. These will do as the staple. Once or twice a week replace these with algae wafers (like you'd give to a plec) or live brine shrimps (which they go wild for). Chopped seafood will probably be taken as well.

Alter the salinity in your aquarium slowly. To begin with, take out 25% of the water, and replace with water that has the required amount of salt.* Do the same thing next weekend, and the weekend after that, at so on. This will allow your filter to adjust.

A sandy substrate (smooth silica sand) is very helpful, but if you have gravel, at least make sure it's smooth. Hiding places are helpful.

Cheers, Neale

*For each litre in the bucket, add 9 grammes of marine salt mix; a 15 litre bucket for example would need 15 x 9 = 135 grammes.

 

[iluvguppies]

Thank you so much for your reply!

I think I got most of my info from sites you've contributed to, lol!!
Should I start making water brackish right away or when he's feeling better (although I would guess that having the right water might actually help him to feel better).
Apart from being severely skinny he looks ok.....no fungus/wounds or anything and he doesn't look as bad as I remember, maybe they fed him up a bit after my comments!. Should I keep him isolated or leave fry in there? (20-30 born about 2am this morning). I think being in with 2 other males in a tiny tank has just meant he was bullied and didn't get any of the food. That was their explanation and they didn't have a separate tank to put him. They saw it as normal, survival of the strongest from the way they spoke!
I've got dried tubifex...is that ok? Also got dried bloodworm and algae wafers. I will go and get some live/frozen food now though. Anything aelse I need right away apart from the salt? (any brand of marine salt, right?).

thnx for ur help.

Nikki

PS my gravel is very tiny smooth round grains...is that ok? When our new 220 UK gallon tank comes in mid september I intend changing to sand as substrate so that will be better but will this gravel do for now?

 

[nmonks]

Hello Nikki,

Yes, make the brackish water as soon as you have some marine salt mix. You don't need to change all the water right away, but do at least 25%, perhaps 50%, today. If you change too much at once, you have a (slight) risk of upsetting the filter bacteria.

Any brand of marine salt mix is fine. The main thing is not to use "tonic salt" or "aquarium salt" of the type used in freshwater aquaria.

Leave the fry where they are. He might eat a few if he's ravenous, but ordinarily they ignore them, and lots of people find their mollies and guppies breed just fine with violet gobies.

Dried foods *might* be taken but I doubt it. Wet-frozen is the ideal. If you have some mussels or prawns in the freezer, chop a little of these up and see what happens. Wormy things are what dragon gobies like best, especially bloodworms.

Cheers, Neale

 

[iluvguppies]

thnx. Will go get all that now...should I add more plant cover or cave? Tank is planted (moslty fake although I would buy real at the moment), but not thickly.

THnx in advance, sorry to be a pain.!

Nikki

 

[nmonks]

A long, hollow ornament or even a length of PVC tubing will work wonders, giving these burrowing fish something they can feel secure in. If you go to a DIY centre and have some PVC cut to the right length, you'll find that a very cheap way to create a nice burrow. Doesn't look like much to be sure, but these gobies seem to like them!

Cheers, Neale

 

[iluvguppies]

Hi,

He seems to have settled in ok. I will be performing a 25% w/c this evening and adding marine salt at the rate you've suggested. Next week I will do the same and so on. This weekend I will buy a test kit for salinity so That I know when the right conditions have been met. Am I right in thinking that then I just need to replace the salt removed during a water change and it will stay constant (eg if I do 30L w/c I need to add approx 270g marine salt to the 30L bucket of dechlor water before it goes back into the tank)..is this correct?

I wasn't able to buy live food...it doesn't come in til tomorrow, so I got some frozen bloodworm and daphnia (lots of little cubes). How much and how often should I be feeding him? He's about 7 inches long.

He appreciates the hidey hole, lol. My kids are fascinated by him and I must say I feel the same. Now I need to work out what other fish are suitable for this environment (for when the big tank gets here). My only snagging point is that I adore corydoras, but am I right in thinking that there are no type of corys suitable for brackish water? If as I suspect there aren't, can you please suggest anything similar as they have such character.

We've named him/her already..."bones" due to his/her condition!


Many thanks for all your help so far

Nikki

PS How do I tell if "Bones" is male or female?

 

[indigoj]

Can't add much but just wanted to say good luck! Hope he recovers for you.

 

[nmonks]

Am I right in thinking that then I just need to replace the salt removed during a water change and it will stay constant (eg if I do 30L w/c I need to add approx 270g marine salt to the 30L bucket of dechlor water before it goes back into the tank).

Correct. Top up evaporation with plain water, do water changes with brackish water.

How much and how often should I be feeding him? He's about 7 inches long.

Half a cube per day, 4-5 days per week, should be ample. Rest of the time provide algae wafers or chopped seafood. Live food is a treat, but hardly essential.

My only snagging point is that I adore corydoras, but am I right in thinking that there are no type of corys suitable for brackish water?

Few catfish in the trade are genuinely happy in brackish water. Those that are brackish water species tend to be large, like the shark catfish. At catfish related to Corydoras, Hoplosternum littorale, is tolerant of brackish water, but it's big, messy, and a greedy feeder, and I suspect you'd find it the wrong fish for this community. You'd be better off with nerite snails and algae shrimps if you want "cleaner uppers" for the tank. Have a look over my Brackish FAQ for some more ideas of small fish you might keep.

Cheers, Neale

 

[iluvguppies]

Thanks Neale,

My other half is bringing home some sand tonight so we can change the substrate over asap. As this situation isn't ideal and it is a VERY NEWLY cycled tank (only finished 3days ago). After ammonia and nitrites holding at 0 for the last 3 days (I wasn't intending to get any more fish for at least 2-3weeks), I'm concerned about nitrites, etc rising again as compared to the fish I have in the tank he is huge and I'm worried the bacteria won't cope and I'm aware that these fish are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites in the water?

Should I carry on testing every day and if I see a rise do a large w/c straight away? Or is there another way of handling this? Generally, how long will it take for the bacteria to grow enough to cope with this new load? My cycle was helped along by a kindly member on this site donating their mature media so I don't know if this means the bacteria can establish more quickly or if it makes no difference to this new load.

Many thnx once again and I will be checking out the sites you mentioned.

Also to indigoj thanks for ur support

Nikki

 

[nmonks]

Don't worry about the bacteria. Tough as old boots. Ever had a bacterial infection? Did it seem like bacteria were flighty, easily killed things then? No. Same with filter bacteria. While fiddly to get established, once they're there, they're fine. A salinity change from 1.000 to 1.002 is not going to bother them in the least. And going to 1.005 across a few weeks isn't going to upset them either.

If you're worried, then just use your test kits to check the water every 2-3 days, or else, just replace 25% of the water every couple of days (that's how you get fish through the cycling process).

Because you added mature media to the filter, it's probably as good as cycled already. It will adapt to a new fish within the space of a few hours. Some bacteria can double their numbers in 20 minutes! They grow very, very fast.

Cheers, Neale

 

[divegirl]

Hi Nikki....wow you have got your hands full! Bless your hubby though.....he was only trying to help I suppose

I'm a brackish newbie, have had my F8's for a couple of weeks now! Believe me if I can get the hang of salinity....anyone can And with Neale to guide you you can't go wrong! I used mature media from my other three tanks to seed the brackish one, but wasn't aware that the salt could wipe out the bacteria if you added too much salt at once [we live and learn], I have had a slight problem with ammonia, no nitrites though [?], I've been doing a 40l water change every 2-3 days [adding 300g of salt and this is keeping my salinity at 1.005. Fishes are happy and lively....eat for England and are a joy to own.

Hope all goes well with Bones

Lisa x

 

[iluvguppies]

Hi,

It just occured to me that I'm currently using a freshwater API testing kit....do I need a saltwater kit or can I continue to use the freshwater one I have. I've tested the water tonight and I'm showing nitrites less than 0.25 but not 0 anymore (instead of light marine blue it's a slightly darker blue). Ammonia is still 0. Nitrates are 10.

One of my kids got hold of the fish food last night and tipped quite a bit in. I didn't realise right away, my oldest told me (probably 10mins later) so I fished out (excuse the pun! lol) as much as I could but maybe that is the reason for the small spike or could it already be the presence of Bones ( violet goby) causing a mini spike?

On the other side, my male guppies seem scared of him...since I put him in the tank they've stayed hidden on the top level behind the filter!! Is this normal? Will they settle down? He hasn't bothered the fry at all, it's not normal behaviour for my 2 boys and that's all I can think of that's causing it...what does everyone else think??

thnx again ......off to change him onto sand now and do another w/c just to get nitrites back down...or is the test messed up by the salt I have already added??

Nikki

 

[nmonks]

do I need a saltwater kit or can I continue to use the freshwater one I have.

Your FW kit should be fine at this low salinity.

but maybe that is the reason for the small spike or could it already be the presence of Bones ( violet goby) causing a mini spike?

Likely the food; if it's 0 within 24 hours from now, then certainly the food.

On the other side, my male guppies seem scared of him...since I put him in the tank they've stayed hidden on the top level behind the filter!! Is this normal? Will they settle down?

Yes and yes.

Cheers, Neale

 

[iluvguppies]

Just changed to sand and put the fish back in. Bones seems very happy with this new substrate and he's currently "ruining" ( or in his eyes redesigning, lol) my lovely landscaping attempt by trying to dig himself a burrow in the sand and chucking it everywhere in the progress.

He seems much more settled now so it was definately worth the hassle of changing the substrate and adding the salt to the water

He's fascinating..even my hubby is sitting on the floor next to the tank watching him eat....he seems ravenous..should I be careful not to overfeed?

I will keep you all updated on his progress and take and upload some pics later on when I have some more time.

Also would he be happier with an extra airstone in? At the moment I just have my internal filter with venturi effect running.

Thanks,

Nikki