adding a neon goby

[Reef Bass]

How likely is it that introducing a neon goby to a 100g with Chevron Tang, Black Spot Foxface Rabbit Fish, Melanurus wrasse, Flame Hawkfish and Royal Gramma will result in one of the occupants making an expensive snack of him?

Any chance they will recognize him as a potentially helper cleaner? Or just today's lunch?

Thanks.

 

[snorvich]

Worst possibility is the red flame hawk fish. The rest, IMO, no issue.

 

[AuburnTiger1]

Are you wanting him for cleaning purposes or for looks if it's for cleaning there are better option but if for looks then go for it his biggest threat though is the hawkish.

 

[Dmorty217]

They are short lived fish, 1.5-2yrs and like some cleaner wrasse will harass fish

 

[AuburnTiger1]

The cleaner shrimp is probably the best choice then due to it being hardy and not aggressive and it will clean your fish.

 

[TheAngelfish]

When one of my fish try to be cleaned by the gobies all that they do is climb on the fish and sit there. Useless for cleaning

 

[Reef Bass]

Thank you all for your responses. Much appreciated.

I was fantasizing about a colorful little cleaner. TheAngelfish, your comment cracked me up.

I can see where a cleaner shrimp would be a more effective cleaner. I've had them before. My issue with the shrimp is that they love to plunder the gut sacks of my lps after I feed them. Fish are usually asleep at that time.

I find it interesting that the flame hawk is the most likely to take offense at the goby's presence. He seems so chill, but maybe it's because he's currently the smallest fish in the tank. Or shortest anyway.

Thanks again gentlemen. Impulse purchase at least temporarily suppressed.

 

[Dmorty217]

Thank you all for your responses. Much appreciated.

I was fantasizing about a colorful little cleaner. TheAngelfish, your comment cracked me up.

I can see where a cleaner shrimp would be a more effective cleaner. I've had them before. My issue with the shrimp is that they love to plunder the gut sacks of my lps after I feed them. Fish are usually asleep at that time.

I find it interesting that the flame hawk is the most likely to take offense at the goby's presence. He seems so chill, but maybe it's because he's currently the smallest fish in the tank. Or shortest anyway.

Thanks again gentlemen. Impulse purchase at least temporarily suppressed.

Keep in mind that cleaner shrimp do nothing to rid a fish of disease, same with the goby and wrasse. They will pick at and possibly provide some relief to the fish but most of the time the cleaner fish will only spread disease

 

[shesacharmer]

I got a Neon Goby mail order for my 75 gallon mixed reef. It was so small it was literally hard to find in my tank. I had to put mesh over my overflow and it still disappeared within a week. I don't believe any of it's tank mates ate it but I'll be darned if I can find it. I replaced it with a larger one from the LFS and within a day it jammed it's head into a rock hole and couldn't back out. No more Neon Gobies for me.

 

[Reef Bass]

Dmorty217, good point about cleaners possibly spreading disease.

shesacharmer, sorry to hear about your experiences with them.

 

[snorvich]

Dmorty217, good point about cleaners possibly spreading disease.

They do not spread "disease" but they do not eat parasites. The issue with the red flame hawk is not aggression. Hawkfish are ambush predators that eat shrimp and small fish.

 

[Reef Bass]

Thanks for specifying the motive for the flame hawk. Makes sense.