adding small gobies with bigger fish

[andrewkw]

Is it even possible? I have a yasha goby in QT. I can add him to my garden eel tank if he won't work in my 180. I'm scared my fish will eat him. I remember years ago trying to add red spot cardinals and my fish just ate them up. Even fairy wrasses that never eat anything bigger then PE went nuts for them and then didn't eat again for a couple of days.

Now The fish I am concerned about are Bangaii cardinals, Chromis, Chevron and Achilles tang. The chevron could swallow him whole. The other option is my 90 gallon garden eel tank where he would be safe for sure.

 

[tc2007]

Aren't all tangs herbivorous? Also the Bangaai and chromis are too small for any type of goby I think. If the goby is sick and almost dying they may pick up on the flesh but that's different.

 

[Betta132]

Is it a very small goby? Yashas are reasonably small, so I might be a bit concerned about the cardinals...
Personally, I'd put him with the eels. That way you know he'll be safe, plus you can see how he interacts with them.

 

[SoloChromis]

Aren't all tangs herbivorous? Also the Bangaai and chromis are too small for any type of goby I think. If the goby is sick and almost dying they may pick up on the flesh but that's different.

I knew a guy with a tank loaded with large tangs (sohal, hippo, desjardini etc.) and when he introduced a bunch of peppermint shrimp to remedy an aptasia issue he was having, his tangs gulped down most of the shrimp before they even hit the bottom. I also had an ocellaris clown swallow a bumblebee shrimp, and have known several people that have had cardinals eat their shrimp (even cleaners!). Bottom line is this - if something fits in a fish's mouth, thats usually where it will end up, no matter the species.

 

[snorvich]

I would not trust cardinals.

 

[tc2007]

I am actually surprised that a goby should be put with an Eel and not tangs and cardinals (Live Aquaria lists tangs = Herbivore and Eel = Carnivore). But then I am new to reefs and learn something new everyday.

 

[SoloChromis]

I would not trust cardinals.

I second this. I have personally witnessed banggais, pajamas, flames (*especially* flames), and orangelined cardinals gobble up ornamental shrimp, including cleaners. The longspine/ghost/blue-eye cardinals I would say are the safest (besides of course the red spots). They're more docile, not only with conspecifics, but also other small fish/inverts.

 

[Betta132]

I am actually surprised that a goby should be put with an Eel and not tangs and cardinals (Live Aquaria lists tangs = Herbivore and Eel = Carnivore). But then I am new to reefs and learn something new everyday.

Garden eels aren't real eels. They're really thin, thinner than pencils, and they only eat really small foods. They live in short tunnels in the sand, and they eat little bugs and such. They're more like pipefish than eels. Technically they're carnivorous, but they're only dangerous if you're a bug.
I'd definitely be suspicious of the cardinals. They have big mouths, and big-mouth fish eat anything they can fit in there.

 

[andrewkw]

I guess the garden eel tank it is. He's on the last tank transfer so in a few days he can go in. Maybe later I will try a clown goby or other goby. I just don't want to risk the yasha. I've wanted one for a long time. He's been eating well in QT and should fit in nice in the garden eel tank which is basically a big fuge.

 

[tc2007]

Garden eels aren't real eels. They're really thin, thinner than pencils, and they only eat really small foods. They live in short tunnels in the sand, and they eat little bugs and such. They're more like pipefish than eels. Technically they're carnivorous, but they're only dangerous if you're a bug.
I'd definitely be suspicious of the cardinals. They have big mouths, and big-mouth fish eat anything they can fit in there.

Oh. I missed the "Garden" part.

 

[Betta132]

Clown gobies taste NASTY, the cardinals should leave them alone.
For the tank with the cardinals, try a watchman goby, they get reasonably large. Yellows get 3" long, striped watchmen can get almost 6" long. If you get a watchman, definitely get a tiger pistol shrimp to go with it, they're awesome.
For those who don't believe the striped watchman thing, I've seen them in person. My LFS has two of them in stock right now, and they're over 5" long. Huge. Not sure where they got those, or if 'striped' is even their real name, that's just what the SW guy calls them. They're grey-ish and have vertical brown bands. I'd get one if I had a bigger tank.