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View Full Version : Bumble Bee Goby (Brachygobius xanthozona)

Dixie
03-21-2009, 04:10 PM
I just got some of these and put them in with my guppies. I did some reading up on them before I bought them. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with them and if there is a better "folder" to ask in.
Rue
03-21-2009, 04:17 PM
They are a brackish fish. They won't live very long in freshwater.

If you want to keep them you'll have to get them into an appropriate environment quickly.
Dixie
03-21-2009, 04:32 PM
Hi Rue,
Thanks for the quick reply. Have you tried them? From what I've read there are two forms of them, one that needs brackish water and one that does ok in freshwater. One has more perfect stripes than the other. I'm not sure which mine are though. I also read one person say that the salinity they need is very "weak" and if it's to high or to low they hide alot and are less active. I haven't added any salt to mine and so far (about 5 days) and they seem to be doing fine. If they start slowing down or showing signs of stress, I'll move them to another tank with salt.
Rue
03-21-2009, 04:44 PM
No...I've never had a brackish set-up of my own (but I know people who do! ).

If there are 2 varieties of that species, I'm unaware of it. You may well be right.

At least you're keeping an eye on things.

Does the store you purchased them from have no info. about them?
Red
03-21-2009, 04:56 PM
Its kind of a 50/50 thing with them in freshwater. When someone says they won't live long in freshwater and will die means that they have heard from a very short number of resources. Like people say guppies need salt and do much better in salt. I have kept them in both fresh an brackish setups. If you buy three of them and put them in freshwater aspect for you to loose at least one most of the time two. When you put them in brackish water, aspect to loose none. That happen because the fish is prone to being sick without salt because there bodies are worried about adapting then fighting off sickness or whatnot.
Dixie
03-21-2009, 04:57 PM
Well that's just what I've read online. I bought them at Walmart so no info there lol. I'm sure they weren't in brackish water there and really can't remember what they were in with other than snails. I've read people keep them with guppies and some have trouble with them nipping the guppy fins while others don't.
Dixie
03-21-2009, 05:13 PM
Hi Red,
Thanks for the reply. I've had my guppies for about 3 weeks now and just found out that they like a little salt in the water too. I haven't lost any of mine but figured if the gobies started acting like they needed salt, salt wouldn't hurt the guppies either. Now the snail I have in with them is another story. I did have one ghost shrimp in with them too until I added the gobies. They like live food. I have 2 guppies that will be having babies soon and I'm sure they will be goby food. Eventually I want to seperate my guppies into pairs and breed them but these babies will be food.
Red
03-21-2009, 05:14 PM
Dixie, they dont need salt in the water (guppies)
Dixie
03-21-2009, 06:32 PM
Oh I know guppies don't need salt and I really don't think my gobies do either. I was just saying if the gobies started acting stressed from being in freshwater I might try adding a little salt as I've just recently read that guppies can be brackish fish.
Rue
03-21-2009, 07:53 PM
... When someone says they won't live long in freshwater and will die means that they have heard from a very short number of resources. ...

Fine. My info. is primarily anecdotal. Regardless...no freshwater successes...

I have no way of knowing a confirmed cause of why they died...but one common denominator is FW...
Dixie
03-22-2009, 12:26 AM
This is one of the places I got some info. about them....
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
Here it says they are brackish but if you scroll down to the bottom and read what people have to say about keeping them, some say they do fine in freshwater.
Dixie
03-23-2009, 09:06 PM
Well the gobies got moved to another tank today. They were really nipping the tails of my guppies. I hope they grow back. Don't know if i should add any Melafix to the guppies or not. I change over 50% of their water every couple days but think I'll do daily water changes for a week or so and see if that helps. Anyone with any other advice to offer?