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I'm back in the hobby! Query re stocking, mixing sand gobies
12/9/18 Amblygobius phalaena: Tank Too Small? - 04/08/08 Hello WWM-ers! <<Greetings!>> I have a 24 gallon JBJ nano cube and I do not have a refugium. I do 10% water changes every week and the water quality is usually excellent. I have a common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), an orchid Dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani), some turbo snails (6-7), a red legged hermit crab, and some pink xenia. While I was away this weekend my father bought me a male Amblygobius phalaena. <<I too have one of these, a great fish…excellent substrate stirrer/sifter, which is necessary to the long-term health of this fish >> He is about 4 inches. <<Will get larger…about 6" overall>> He looks fantastic, is surprisingly outgoing, and has been feeding voraciously for the past two days. <<Yup>> Over this short amount of time he has almost completely eradicated the filamentous algae in my tank, which I felt was somewhat abundant. <<Neat>> However, my research over the past few days have me concerned that my tank is too small and not mature enough for a fish with this kind of appetite. <<Mmm…the appetite can be supplemented…but yes, a mature larger system; with a deep bed of sugar-fine sand, would be a more appropriate environment. In addition, he has been biting occasionally at my Caulerpa. Does this mean that he is running out of food? <<Maybe just searching for food organisms…how much/what types of foods do you feed? Is my tank simply too small for this kind of fish? <<Probably…especially so if you don't have an appropriate substrate for this fish>> Can I keep him and start feeding him mysis or brine shrimp, or should I simply take him back to my LFS before his health declines? <<Meaty foods will be heartily accepted…and even New Life Spectrum pellets ( a "very good" dietary supplement for ALL your fishes). But the issue of environment must be considered. Ideally the fish should be in a larger tank, but if you have a fine-sand substrate and can keep it fed well the fish will probably be fine (but this pretty much "fills you up" re any more additions). Though if the purpose of the sand bed is nitrification…once A. phalaena starts digging in a tank this size, it can render a DSB a moot point>> Thanks so much in advance! <<Happy to share. EricR>>
Amblygobius semicinctus or phalaena 8/23/06 Hi there WWM crew, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! I'm emailing about a new fish I procured at the LFS, and wanted to find more information about it. Doing my research through the WWM website, I've found that the "Dragon Goby" they labeled is actually a "Banded Goby", or Amblygobius semicinctus/phalaena (not sure because the pictures between the two look really similar). <Are very similar in appearance, utility> As for now, I know that these hovering gobies eat filamentous algae, but mostly copepods, Mysis shrimp, and other small crustaceans, am I correct? <Yep> I would like to know what to actually feed it, in order to make sure it stays healthy. <Mmm, usually not much of an issue... these gobies readily accept most all foods> So far, it looks like it has done a fine job cleaning the sand-bed. I just want to make sure it doesn't starve for any reason. My last diamond goby had territorial issues with an aggressive Kole tang, and starved to death. This banded goby has actually gotten along quite well with the Kole tang. So, to sum up, I'd like to know what foods I may feed it. Thanks! Alex <I'd use mostly defrosted/frozen meaty foods of small-enough size, and a baster (plastic) to "blow" these down toward the goby... about the same place, times daily. Bob Fenner> Which Sand-Sifting Goby? 6/19/06 Hello help crew, <<Vincent>> The sand in my sand bed is roughly 1mm to 1.5mm sized. What kind of goby will fit to that? Thanks, Vincent <<Most all of the sand-sifting/sleeper gobies will do fine. My favorite is Amblygobius phalaena... Regards, EricR>>
Why are my fish dying in QT? 2/1/06 Well I just had another fish die in QT. A Randall's goby. It was 4 weeks along. It died over night. <This is too long to quarantine Amblygobius... or most small gobies, blennies... the stress, starvation is way worse than the small risk of disease introduction after a week or two> My QT setup is a 20G with 2 Aquaclear HOB filters; a 30G and a 20G. So I have lots of filtration. I set the bacteria population with BioSpira. I have used this in the past with good results. Tank has been used for 3 fish now and was bleached out in between fish. Well rinsed out. Other 3 fish lived and are in the display. Temp control through a titanium htr with controller. Separate digital thermometer to keep tabs. I also have a ph probe constantly on to monitor ph. Lighting by a 96W VHO. Couple pieces of PVC for caves. Using Copper Power proactively just for the last 2 fish. <Not always a wise precaution...> I seem to have this issue with fish getting in distress at about the 3-4 week mark. <... opinions vary (to put this euphemistically)... but I am a big fan of two week limits here...> I do WC every week and siphon out every couple days. My problems seem to coincide with algae growth starting. The past 3 fish that lived flasher wrasse, laboutei wrasse and royal Gramma) also seemed to be in some distress about this time. I did 100% WC and they pulled through. The fish start hanging out at the top of the tank near the most water turbulence. This time the goby went back down and seemed to be ok. Not breathing heavily. No visible spots etc. He did stop eating that I could see about a week ago. He's never been a big eater but he could have eaten when I wasn't looking. He did eat earlier in the QT. My theory is oxygen deprivation and the fish are having trouble breathing. I do scrub the algae out but seems if anything to make it worse. I have added an airstone in the past not this time) but doesn't seem to help. Since the fish die overnight I'm thinking this lends more credence to the O2 theory since with lights out the algae won't be contributing O2. But I'm not sure what would be sucking up the O2? The water while not as crystal clear as starting wasn't too bad. I had done a 30% WC day before and cleaned out the filters. I never measured any NH3, temp 78C ph 8.3 SG 1.026. I have done lots of reading on QT and the things that seem to trip up are ph, SG, NH3 due to inadequate biological filter. I have not run across any accounts of the fish having issues breathing without visible signs. Not at the 4 week mark. Any ideas? I'm tired of losing fish. I lost others when my QT was a 10G in similar fashion. This is the first I've lost since moving up but all the fish seemed to have trouble 3-4 wks in. Sorry for the long email. Thanks, Phil <No worries... please see my articles on quarantine... especially for the sorts of fishes you list, two weeks is about the "magical breaking point" for getting more value than damage. Bob Fenner> Finicky Ranford Goby... Sorry, I think that my computer just sent my email when I tried to break it up into two paragraphs; here is the second part. <Oops..> The Rainford goby has now been in a 10 gallon quarantine tank for six days and will not eat. I have tried frozen brine and Mysis shrimp, formula two frozen and flakes, even Angel Formula, and it won't touch anything. I also put a Tupperware of sand into the quarantine tank to see if it would sift that. The live rock from the main tank are too big to fit in the quarantine tank. Is there anything else I can do for the fish? I was thinking of biting the bullet, dipping it, and adding it into the main tank, which (and back to the lack of foresight in my suggestion) does not yet have a refugium as I am still saving money for a small CPR hang on model. Please help, and again, thanks for your time. Rob <Well, Rob- I'd be inclined to add some pieces of live rock from your display or another established system into the quarantine tank for him to forage one. In addition, you could purchase some life amphipods from a number of e-tailers (Indo Pacific Sea Farms comes to mind) and feed these live foods to get him going. Don't give up just yet, and try to defer releasing the fish into the display tank until he is finished with the quarantine period. Don't give up! Regards, Scott F.> Brackish (?) goby for a Canadian I'm living in Canada and looking to purchase some brackish water gobies for my tank. I own a 30 gallon tank and looking to buy a butterfly goby and one I saw on Google known as the.....Amblygobius semicinctus. If you have any of these fishes or know where I could get them. <Mmm, we don't sell livestock... and this fish, genus is better kept in full seawater. Bob Fenner> Amblygobius hectori Dear WWM crew, <Narayan> Happy holidays! Thank you for another year of sound advice and an awesome website. My fish have ich! The ocellaris clown and orchid Dottyback are in a 10G hospital tank, and the display will be fallow until march. But, the gears are turning and I want to use this opportunity to restock the tank differently. First the setup today: 72G display, 4.5" DSB, full of worms, 80lb live rock full of crustaceans, one 1600 gph Tunze stream and two 600gph Seio pumps for circulation. I'd say the surface area of the exposed DSB is about 2.5 to 3 sq feet, with the live rock occupying 2 to 2.5 sq feet of area as an island in the center. Improvements: By the end of the fallow period a 15G refugium with 4" DSB will be added. <Okay... even a bigger sump/refugium if you can fit it> I just ordered an Amblygobius hectori. All the research I've done indicates that I'll have to find new homes for the clown and Dottyback to keep the goby. I'm worried about my DSB not being stirred enough and this guy will help. As for tankmates, I just want two more <3" fish. Here's my list... <Mmm, shouldn't be an issue... enough life will emerge on its own> a) Green clown goby and a flasher wrasse b) Yellow clown goby and a flasher wrasse c) A pair of Firefish. d) A pair of flasher wrasses of the same species. e) Green clown goby and yellow clown goby. What would work best for the Hector's goby? <Really, any of the above> I don't want anyone to intimidate or compete with him for resources. Will 2.5 sq feet of live sand and 80lb of live rock be enough of a food source for him? <Should be> Will my critter population be able to sustain itself against one small goby? <Likely yes> I am setting up the refugium mainly as a way to stabilize pH and for nutrient export. I don't really see how the worms in the sandbed in the refugium will feed the goby... <Take a look with a flashlight, other small light at night... this is "their time"> Thank you for your time. Narayan P.S. The tank have Xenia in it, so the occupants need to be reef safe. <All should be fine. Bob Fenner>
Parasitic Disease: Tough Treatment Choices Well, unfortunately, the passer didn't survive through Thursday night... Not sure if it was Amyloodinium or Brooklynellosis, but it was pretty fast...less than 2 days from first sign of any symptoms to death. I suppose I should have done the freshwater dip to try to verify which parasite it was. Might have made a small difference... Happened so fast... <Sorry to hear that...Scott F. following up for Marina today> My concern now is the Ranford...extreme sensitivity to copper and other meds...Do I just wait and see, let nature take it's course? (can you see me cringe?) Or is there another course of action for these little fishes? I can find so little written on treatment, that I'm stumped...the disease/parasite might kill them, but the medication will kill them too. Thanks. <Well, you could use a medication containing Formalin. The fish may have difficulties with it as well, but it may be worth the shot if it is very sick. Marina's treatment advice was right on. Unfortunately, at this point, you may be compelled to use a medication to save the fish's life. I suppose if I had to weigh the risk of losing the fish to an aggressive disease or possibly killing it with treatment, I'd rather go down "with guns blazing", as they say, and try to intervene. Knowing the potential risks, you'll be going in with your eyes wide open. Good luck! Regards, Scott F> How to do the Q/T on the Ranford >You guys (and gals) rock! Bob, when ya coming back to northern California? Recently, I got a Ranford goby( Amblygobius Ranford) for my 90 gallon soft reef. Great fish, and will find lots of pods and even some hair algae to munch on once it makes it through the quarantine period. My concern is it's survival in the quarantine tank. So far, (a little over a week) it has shown little interest in flake or frozen foods, and I'd really hate to see it starve. >>I'm sure! >While I am a firm believer in the 4 to 6 week quarantine period for ALL fishes, I have read in your goby FAQ's that some of the smaller gobies might not do well with a typical quarantine, but instead would be better with a shorter one to make sure there are no obvious problems, then right in the main tank. >>Well, I don't know that I'd shorten the q/t without trying a couple of things first. I would try siphoning water from the display from the pod-rich areas. I might try placing some cured live rock in the q/t for him to pick on. I'd also try to get a hold of some live Mysis. >Would this require a freshwater dip first? Maybe a "medical" bath with formalin or Methylene blue or something similar? >>I like to dip most fish in freshwater with Methylene blue pre and post-quarantine anyway. So the additional requirement specific to this situation doesn't really apply. However, I will add the caveat that there are some fish I don't like to dip - those that create a heavy mucus/slime coat - mandarins, cowfish/trunkfish are those that immediately come to mind. >Also, are you familiar with what are being called "tulip anemones"? Seeing them again this year on Reef Central. >>Only in reading posts about them. Not sure what they are exactly, but if they're Majanos they sure are purty! >Here's a link: http://wwwreefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=256164 >Some of the pics sure look very much like the majano anemone that we all fight with from time to time, but in a nicer color. http://www.hivemind.com/fish/pics/tulip.jpg >>Agreed. May be a nice thing as long as they don't reach plague proportions. >Thanks for all you've done for me and everyone else. The best aquatic site around! Neil >>You're most welcome. Glad we're of help. Marina Ranford questions 4/27/04 Thanks for the info, Adam. Another question regarding the Rainford. I originally had about 2 inches of sand (not live). When I snail died I did see a lot of tiny worms on it but I have no clue as to how they got there. <The best source of live sand is live rock... If you have a sand substrate, critters that have hitchhiked on your rock will move to the sand.> Anyway, I decided to add 2 pounds of live sand adding it at about an inch and a half for as much as it would cover. So now he forages mostly on the new sand. Is there any way to tell how 'live' the sand is and how do I know if he is getting enough without waiting till he is malnourished? <Watching for weight loss is about all you can do.> Is there a way to add crustaceans to the sand without having to grow it myself and how often would I need to make the additions? <Allowing the population to grow in a predator free environment (refugium) is the best way. Also, many aquarists allow their tanks to mature fishless in order to allow all of the crustacean populations to grow to sustainable levels before introducing predators.> Since it is not eating anything other than what it forages what are the chances of my being successful with it in such a small tank? I Know I should have asked this before I bought it but the information I had (from the seller) made it sound like it would eat prepared foods. <As I said, watch for weight loss and try a variety of prepared foods. If you have some filamentous algae growth, this will help a lot. Do consider a refugium also, not just for 'pod production, but for all of it's other benefits too! Best Regards. Adam.> In Search Of An Algae-Gobbling Goby... Hi all, <Scott F. with you today!> I contacted previously about Amblygobius Ranford, and realize that this is not the fish for me. Thanks for the advice and info. I would still like a goby, and I like the look of the Amblygobius gobies. I for article at WWM it was indicated that some species eat algae (http://www.wetwebmedia.com./amblygobius.htm ) . I have a well established 135G tank of 3 years, with a refugium . One of the reasons I am interested is I have heard that they will eat hair and other filamented algae's. (Many will. It does, however, depend on the individual...Some simply like crustacean fare...> I have normal algae growth, but my tangs just won't touch the stuff. <Annoying, I know- but some tangs may not eat all of the types of algae that occur in captive systems> Thanks Bryan <Well, Bryan- I can recommend another Amblygobius species that I have personally kept, and actually have seen eat algae: A. decussatus, the "Orange Striped Goby". Not always an easy on to find at most dealers, but worth seeking, IMO. Try Marine Center or LiveAquaria. They may get these in from time to time. Hope this helps! Regards, Scott F.> Amblygobius Ranford diet 10/10/03 I am look into getting 1-3 Amblygobius Ranford for my tank. I will well established 135G tank of 3 years. <good... but please be sure to have a mature fishless refugium too inline for plankton production> One of the reasons I am interested is I have heard that they will eat hair and other filamentous algae. Is this true or do they only eat the little guys the live in the algae? <the latter my friend. They comb the turf for microcrustaceans... hence the need for a fishless (and coral-less) zooplankton refugium> I have normal algae growth, but my tangs just won't touch the stuff. <use Diadema urchins instead. Yikes... and the though of a Rainford goby with Yellow tangs or any such bully is frightening. Do pamper this passive fish. No damsels, mean clowns, tangs, etc. Think Firefish goby peaceful type tank> I am also curious if they would be suitable in groups. Finally, I have heard conflicting reports that they always hide or are always out, and I want to know which is most generally true. <both - sort of. This goby has no association with tunnels or bolt holes like many other goby kin. They are also easily intimidated (hence no active community fishes like yellow tangs, etc)> Great looking fish, but before I buy it I want to make sure its what I'm looking for so I can enjoy watching it and it can survive long term in its new home. Thanks, Bryan <this is a very difficult fish to keep. I frankly don't think you have a prayer of succeeding with it in a mixed community fish tank. Perhaps admire it from afar my friend if you cannot set up a species tank for them. Anthony> Amblygobius Gobies Hi all. Thanks, as always, great site. I have a quick question about Amblygobius Gobies. I was wondering if any of them would be suitable for my setup. I am particularly interested in the Hector's and Rainford's gobies.<both are fine specimens> I have a lot of "critters" in my live sand and live rock for them to feed on, but I'm worried that they might eventually deplete the food supply and slowly starve.<yes, this is also a concern of mine but if you upgraded your refugium to about 20 gallons you should be fine> Is there any rule of thumb for keeping these fish? <Just keep one> Here's my setup 75 gallon reef system 3" course sand bed live rock (don't know exact amount) 1 Blue Tang 2 Ocellaris Clowns 2 Firefish gobies 2 Maxima Clams Some corals (won't bother to list them here unless you think it's important for these fish 1 Skunk Cleaner shrimp 1 Peppermint shrimp Small Refugium (about 4 gallons) Thanks<all sounds good, but I would upgrade the refugium before I purchased the goby, Good Luck, IanB> Gobies and Jawfish >Hey Guys, >>And gals. Marina here. >Is it alright to have a Blue Spotted Jawfish and a Amblygobius phalaena Goby >>Do you mean "Amblygobius"? Check this link for information--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/amblygobius.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/amblygobiusfaqs.htm >in a 135g together? There will also be a Purple Tang, Ocellaris Clown, Flame Hawk, Blue Hippo and possibly another Tang. Also, can gobies of different species be kept together in a system this size (Amblygobius Phalaena and Mahidolia mystacina)? >>To the best of my own knowledge, care should be taken with animals that occupy the same niche, or have very close taxonomy. I would exercise care, and not try to mix similar species. Look here for a bit of information on the shrimp gobies (which I think would do alright with the Jawfish or the A. phalaena) http://www.wetwebmedia.com/shrimpgobies.htm >Last questions, are Copper banded Butterflies truly reef safe? >>Generally, yes, though there are always stories of some that may get a bit nippy with some types of corals. Keep them well-fed and I would expect few problems. >And I have read and heard that they will eat Aiptasia Anemones, is that true, and would they eat an Anemone like a Curlicue or a Bubble Tip Rose Anemone? >>I've heard the same as well, it's not an "always" kind of thing. Also, to the best of my knowledge curly-cue's are an Aiptasia, I've never heard of a Copperband getting nippy with the larger anemones (especially if it's being hosted by clowns). >Thanks for your time, Nick Shushkewitch >>You're welcome, Marina.
Amblygobius phalaena As ever, thanks for a great service. From reading your site I have learned more in the past month than I did after several years in the hobby. If I can't find what I am looking for, I end up learning much more in the hunt! <Me too... I suspect this is a common "benefit/liability" of the way the content is arranged... by design> I have an Amblygobius phalaena -- I note that it has numerous "common" names -- and I am worried that he might be losing out at feeding time. <Yes and very common as well> Would the addition of Nori be helpful in his case? <Mmm, possibly... having photographed this species a few times in the wild, it is associated with environments that have macro-algae and vascular plants in abundance> He shares the tank with a Long-nosed hawk, Fire fish, watchman goby, and blue damsel. He does wonders for the sand but I am not certain that there is enough life for him there. He does manage to get food at the daily feeding but he is a bit shy and only gets the food that is carried to him in the current. I have to admit that he is quickly becoming one of my favorites. <Maybe try some live foods... perhaps Mysid shrimp... consider adding a refugium, a DSB somewhere in the whole arrangement, more live rock... to generate more readily available, palatable food stuffs...> For reference: 58gal Oceanic 50lbs Live sand 70lbs of rock(35 live, 35 dead reef rock) no nitrates, phosphates pH 8.1/8.3 dKH 11 Calcium 400ppm SeaLife Systems Pro Series 300 Wet/Dry Plus Skimmer I feed a variety of frozen foods at least once a day. <Do consider the above... live food source augmentation> Thanks for your time. I know that your response will be an invaluable addition to my continuing education. Have a great weekend. Lee <Have a great life/time my friend. Bob Fenner> Please Help (Marine fish i.d.) Hi Bob, Thank you for all your advice in the past but I have a new question. I was given a fish from a friend who is moving. I believe the fish is a Blenny or a Goby but I'm not sure and neither is my local pet store. Could you please Identify him for me. <This is an Amblygobius species... see this part of our site: http://wetwebmedia.com/amblygobius.htm> Second over the last 2 weeks he has become very skinny. I have a aggregate bed which he sifts often. Should I be feeding him a specialty diet. I did have one person say he thought it was a dragon fish (I'm not sure what he is) <Please read through the article cited above and related FAQs posted with it> Any help would be appreciated Thanks Jason P.S. Please excuse the Tang for hamming it up (he loves his picture taken) <I understand, believe me. Bob Fenner> Rainford's Goby I have a very nice 72 gal. bow front reef tank that is doing very well except for two Rainford's Gobies I put in a couple of weeks ago. The water chemistry is normal, all of my corals and other livestock are living blissfully, but I can't get the Rainford's to eat anything and they are getting pretty skinny. I have tried live brine shrimp, new hatch brine shrimp and frozen Mysis shrimp, all to no avail. They nibble at the substrate now and then to 'sift' it. They seem content in every other respect, they just won't eat. Any suggestions? Do Rainford's have some special diet? >> Thank you for writing. These gobies (genus Amblygobius) are some of my favorite fishes for reef tanks... but they do need a good deal of "interstitial fauna" to keep them fat and happy. Most folks supply this in-the-gravel food by having robust live rock in a well-aged set-up... but how to provide it in the short term? You do have (of course, because you state this IS a reef tank) live rock... Do you have another system or a sump/refugium area where you can either move the Rainford's Gobies to or move some of the sand to them? A few weeks ago, I was in Fiji collecting these fish... by simply setting a net on the bottom, stirring the bottom with my hand, and after going back to the surface for a breath of air, coming back and "pushing" the gobies et al. into the net with my hands... They eat worms, crustaceans, etc. that reside in the substrate... Bob Fenner Sandsifter gobies Dear Mr. Fenner, I'm furious over misinformation that cost 2 fishes their lives. My 100 gallon tank has not quite live sand (inoculated with copepods, baby bristle and spaghetti worms and tiny white sand stars, but not nearly enough to get a good start in my large tank), and covered with brown algae and diatoms, do to poor circulation at that time. I really wanted something that would clean the sand. Aquacon (www.aquacon.com) had the perfect solution. They said the banded bullet goby (Amblygobius phalaena) would keep the sand sparkling clean by sifting and eating all the algae. I bought 2 and for 6 weeks the tank looked like a winter wonderland. Then they died within a week of each other. I called Aquacon to order more and the lady tried to dissuade me saying the banded gobies were short lived. I got 2 more anyway, one didn't survive the shipping. That was almost a month ago. Two days ago I bought 2 beautiful yellow-head sleeper gobies. They'd been at the LFS for over a week, and since I trust this store and I was in a hurry I broke my cardinal rule of asking to see the fish eat first. These guys went into my 40 gallon tank and began sifting sand immediately, even though the huge royal Gramma was irritated at having to share his tank. I'm mad at myself for not doing my homework first, but I might not have learned as much had I done so. I went to your book (my salt water bible), and found that sleeper gobies indeed sift the sand, but not for algae, but for meat. It dawned on me that my poor banded gobies were short lived because they starved to death! No wonder they're short lived--DUH! So I took some frozen (thawed) brine shrimp plus and bloodworms and mixed them in the sand where the fishes are currently sifting. I don't like this very well, as I'm fighting a nitrate problem (wet/dry system) in the big tank, but it has a large sand star to help clean detritus. The little tank has less good filtration, but I want these gobies to live and prosper. This morning I was thrilled to see the banded goby eating food with the rest of the fish. I feel better about him. I'll continue to do everything I can to get the yellow-heads to accept given food. Thank you for letting me vent. I know you are very busy and my little tirade doesn't need a reply unless you have advice on how to feed this sweet little pair of gobies. Sincerely, Linda Kuehn <Very sorry to hear of your losses... and I urge you to offer live brine and Mysid shrimp to these gobies (in the absence of substantial interstitial fauna) to sustain/fatten them... And to execute regularly (weekly) water changes (about 20%) really helps to maintain water quality with these bottom dwellers. Maybe decussatus should be suggested as hardier, more suitable species of gobies... Do offer the live foods several times a day. Bob Fenner> |
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