Court Jester/Rainford Goby is not a beginner species

Sk8r

Staff member
RC Mod
You guys do a magnificent job of providing information and guidance on a huge number of species: reefkeeping is made much easier by your tables and informative descriptions, and you save many people from bad decisions.

Let me point out, however, that you have the Rainford Goby classified as a "beginner fish". Not so. Very difficult species and needs a mature tank, possibly a fuge.

I've been at aquatics for more than 40 years, and I find this little fellow a bit of a challenge. His feeding is erratic: eats something at the base of hair algae, but not the hair algae; wanders over to sand sift twice, fine sand only; then goes and has a nibble at a patch of cyano, eats a couple of mouthfuls. Pecks at rock after invisibles, possibly chasing pods. Then goes over and eats for a moment off glass filament algae. Will swim through a cloud of Cyclopeeze to go eat something invisible at the base of growing algae. He does this from before lights come on, by room light, until the last light in the tank is gone.

I lost one in a very clean sps setup. I deliberated dirtied-up this tank to take this tiny guy on, and I am succeeding: he's getting fat, and he's faring very well.

He is Not Compatible with wrasses: I suspect his wrasselike movements attract hostility. I lost one to a Filamented Fairy Wrasse.

I'd suggest he ought to be noted as a "mature tank" species, eating a variety of filamentous pest algae and micro-life. I somewhat suspect, but have no means to prove, that he might be suited to a planted seahorse tank. Most beginners with a new tank would find it difficult to provide his requirements and he is likely to starve to death.
 
Sk8r,

Thank you for your wonderful compliments. We appreciate the information and your concern for the Court Jester Goby. We will forward this information and your suggestions to the proper department for further review and consideration.

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith
 
SK8r
Thanks for the great heads up info, i for one greatly appreciate it, Im glad he is also thriveing in your tank, we love to hear about happy critters in our house, lol and to DFS,and Live Aquaria You folks are 1 of only 2 places we order from and trust with our business these days, Keep up the fantastic work folks, you are doing a great job ,

Randy M
 
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