Violet Goby Feeding

[Dragon cqzzzzz<]

I read on another forum that someone had fed violet gobies a diet of bloodworms, brine shrimp, cockle, prawn, daphnia, mussel, and tubifex worms. The gobies grew to between 12" and 20". I saw pictures, and those things were big. My question is, would this be a good mix for fast growth (and of course good nutrition)? If so, what quantities should they be given in? If not, what do you think would be a better diet? Apparently this person had studied gar nutrition, and I guess she applied it to the violet goby. She's no longer an active member on the forum, but if you have heard from her on any forum, please tell me. Her name is Clare, but she also later went on to assume a new identity (because clare was a name shared by her and her boyfriend/husband Karl), "The Real Clare".

[Sasquatch]

All of the food mentionned should be good for a dragon goby. Just make certain that larger items are cut up very small. Dragon gobies have a big mouth, but small throats. They'll sift the sand and filter out their food, but if it's too big, they may not be able to eat it, even if it fits in their mouths.

[Dragon cqzzzzz<]

I know all about the big mouth/small throat thing. I've been studying this species since before I got mine, and that was over two years ago. Actually, now that I think of it, that might be why he spat out the tubifex worms yesterday. First he took them from my hand and was trying to eat them, but then a minute later I came by the tank and guppies were chasing each other around with tubifex in their mouths. I mixed the Daphnia and brine shrimp in with the bloodworms, so that he'd eat them, but it kind of looked like he was spitting the brine shrimp out through his gills (that's what he does with small things he doesn't want to eat, like sand). I have yet to obtain prawn, mussel, or cockle. The girl at my LFS said she would have mussel in soon though. I read that prawn go by the name of Amano shrimp so that might make it easier to find.

[Sasquatch]

For prawn, muscle and cockle ... go to the grocery store. It's way cheaper.

Get good quality, fresh seafood. Make certain that there aren't any additives you can't pronounce or weird things that shouldn't be there and they should be fine for your fish.

We do that with our little catfish. Store bought beef heart. If we ever get though the stuff we have on hand, we'll probably buy fresh shrimp. I know that beef heart doesn't compare to prawns ... but we bought 0.81$ of it and have been feeding him for over a year.