Goby (And Chalk Bass) Compatibility Question

[Tiki God]

Hey RC!

I am currently cycling my (first! ) 40 breeder, and I am looking around at what type of fish I'd like. I'm interested in some of the smaller gobies, and I was wondering if I could add several different species and if they'd get along?

I've heard with larger gobies they can become territorial, but at my LFS I have seen several different species of tiny gobies together. I was thinking something like:

-Yellow Clown Goby's

-Engineer Goby's

-Court Jester Goby's

Just goby's along that line, the super tiny ones. Those aren't the only species I'd like, but I'm just curious as to keeping several small gobies together.

--

Also, I LOVE Chalk Basslets, would they be able to eat the gobies? The gobies supposedly have poisonous mucus coats, which deters many fish from eating them, but would it be ok?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Nina51]

there is a sticky thread in the "new to hobby forum" where steve (snorvich) answers these questions. i would suggest posting there as steve is awesome when it comes to this sort of thing and he's very quick to answer questions.

you can also use this chart where you can determine compatibility but while i look there, i also get steve's input before i make a decision.

http://www.marinecompatibilityguide.com/

 

[johnike]

Stay away from the Engineer Gobies. They get quite large and destructive.
The Court Jester (Rainford) is one of my favorite fish in the whole tank.
I also have a pair of Randalls, a Steinitz, and an Orangespot that all groove together. One can never have enough Gobies!

 

[Tiki God]

there is a sticky thread in the "new to hobby forum" where steve (snorvich) answers these questions. i would suggest posting there as steve is awesome when it comes to this sort of thing and he's very quick to answer questions.

you can also use this chart where you can determine compatibility but while i look there, i also get steve's input before i make a decision.

http://www.marinecompatibilityguide.com/

I did mention it there, he was saying that he would be careful with such small fish and chalk bass. I was just seeing what some others said And thanks for the link! It'll help a lot

Stay away from the Engineer Gobies. They get quite large and destructive.
The Court Jester (Rainford) is one of my favorite fish in the whole tank.
I also have a pair of Randalls, a Steinitz, and an Orangespot that all groove together. One can never have enough Gobies!

Sweet! I didn't realize the engineer goby's final size haha I'll steer clear of those :thumbsup: I think I might end up with a mix of goby's, they're such unique fish!

 

[johnike]

Pistol shrimps are terrific with them.

 

[Betta132]

Get a watchman goby and a pistol shrimp. They're incredible to watch. The goby will probably puff his gills out and defend his den from anything, and he'll probably bite at anything that looks like another goby, but a 40 breeder should have enough space for him and others.
Hector's gobies are adorable, but they need algae to nibble on and it's best to find one that will eat other foods.
Clown gobies are tiny fellows that taste nasty to other fish. They don't look like gobies, they look like teardrops with tails.
Given the space, I think you' be fine with several goby species, perhaps even two watchman goby/shrimp pairs.

I would avoid the chalk bass with anything smaller than a watchman goby... They're gulpers. They'll also eat your shrimp, if you add any.

 

[Tiki God]

Get a watchman goby and a pistol shrimp. They're incredible to watch. The goby will probably puff his gills out and defend his den from anything, and he'll probably bite at anything that looks like another goby, but a 40 breeder should have enough space for him and others.
Hector's gobies are adorable, but they need algae to nibble on and it's best to find one that will eat other foods.
Clown gobies are tiny fellows that taste nasty to other fish. They don't look like gobies, they look like teardrops with tails.
Given the space, I think you' be fine with several goby species, perhaps even two watchman goby/shrimp pairs.

I would avoid the chalk bass with anything smaller than a watchman goby... They're gulpers. They'll also eat your shrimp, if you add any.

Thanks for the response!

I was looking at the Hector's Goby earlier today, I'm super interested in them!

By shrimp, does that mean they would eat peppermints?

 

[johnike]

Most likely.

 

[Tiki God]

Well that sucks, I might have to rethink chalk basslets.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

+1 pistol/goby pairs are fun to watch, make sure you have plenty of small rubble & snail shells for building & forget keeping any corals on the sandbed

You could skip the chalk bass & go with a gold assessor, they're less aggressive & should leave your shrimp alone

 

[Tiki God]

I think I might end up with pistol/goby pair. Thanks for the help guys! (PS, Your signature is awesome Fish Biscuit! :thumbsup: )

 

[accordsirh22]

Well that sucks, I might have to rethink chalk basslets.

i wouldnt, they are awesome fish. and even do well/best when kept in groups of 4 of more. very entertaining to watch. i love mine

 

[Tiki God]

i wouldnt, they are awesome fish. and even do well/best when kept in groups of 4 of more. very entertaining to watch. i love mine

I would love them, but if they're going to eat peps and small gobies, they probably aren't the best inhabitants. What do you have with yours?

 

[ramseynb]

Liveaquaria says chalk bass get a max size of 3". I find it hard to believe they'd be able to eat anything other than the smallest fish.

Regarding engineer gobies, they're great fish. They are sand sifters though so it can be a pain if you have corals on the sand bed. Other than that, they're not "destructive". They do get pretty big though. They're shy fish and typically just have their head sticking out from under a rock.

 

[Tiki God]

That's what I was thinking, but a clown goby might be possible. I wasn't 100% sure on the shrimp though.

I think I'm going to pass on the engineer goby, they get 12+" and my tank is a 40 breeder! LOL It'd be a third of my tank size!

 

[accordsirh22]

I would love them, but if they're going to eat peps and small gobies, they probably aren't the best inhabitants. What do you have with yours?

clowns, cardinals, bar goby (dartfish), flame angel, yellow coris wrasse, tilefish, diamond goby

mine are fully grown, and like stated, i cant imagine them eating anything larger than the smallest of other fish. clown gobies eeeeeh, maybe smaller ones, but i think they would have a difficult time with larger ones. if they could even get to them since clown gobies hide 99% of the time anyways

 

[Tiki God]

I think I'll reconsider a clown goby. I'll find small basslets, and "large" clown goby's Do you have any shrimp in that tank?