Opinion on Clown Gobies (Gobiodon sp.)?

[Zionas]

With the recent downsizing of my (planned) tank, I am looking into a diminutive fish to add some color and personality. I stumbled upon these gobies and find them really cute, so I would love to know more about them before making a decision to get one or more.

1. Are they generally easy to keep and feed? What foods?

2. Do they really need live foods to initiate a feeding response or even on a regular basis?

3. Are they prone to any diseases / maladies?

4. How long can they live for?

5. Is G. Okinawae or G. Histrio hardier?

6. What about keeping them in pairs or mixing species?

7. Is it too much of a risk to get them online? My LFS does not have them in stock but I've read many arrive emaciated.

8. Will they be compatible with my other planned stock? Should I opt for 1 or 2?

-x2 Ocellaris Clownfish (CB)
-x1 Royal Gramma
-x1 Fireball Angelfish
-x1 Starry Blenny
-x1 YWG + Tiger Pistol Shrimp
-x1 Azure Damsel
-x2 PJ Cardinals


Should I add them as the first fish?


Would love to hear from you guys. If they're hard and / or incompatible with my other planned stock I'll just leave it as it is.

 

[Myles]

If you get a healthy one they are easy and long lived. The caveat is that according to Scott Michael they frequently come in with parasites which I can attest to from personal experience. I've had two: one came in healthy and lived many years and the other did not make it out of quarantine.
If I were you I would hold off until you are good at recognizing disease issues and dealing with them and until you have a method of quarantining new arrivals that you are comfortable with.
Myles

 

[Zionas]

Thanks. How long did the healthy one live for? Are they hard to get eating?

 

[Sk8r]

Eating is a rare problem: some fish eat green stuff, some fish eat red stuff, some fish eat red and some green. If a fish arrives not eating anything after a shipping fast, that fish often has other more serious problems, but give them a few hours in the tank to calm down and get their appetite back before flooding them with food which could elevate their risk of ammonia in a qt tank. The more serious issues are parasites and disease, and a magnifying glass and frequent observation are your best helps. This fish is not the hardiest, and I'd say wait for more experience and a stable tank before adding one, like about 6-8 weeks of stability and no water issues. I've been keeping serious saltwater since the 1980's and never have had a new fish turn down food.

 

[Zionas]

Thanks. Think I’ll be giving these fish a pass for now. Unrelated, but is this stocking order for the rest of my stocking list okay? (I have reduced to 8 fish for less bioload)

First Additions- 2 Pajama Cardinals + Yellow Watchman Goby (With Tiger Pistol to be added a week after) + Royal Gramma / Starry Blenny if available

Second Additions- 2 Ocellaris Clowns

Third Additions- Royal Gramma + Starry Blenny (or whichever fish was not added in the first batch)

Fourth Addition- African Flameback Angel


Thanks!

 

[Sk8r]

I'd skip the tiger pistol. Mine grew up and killed the watchman, then several other fish. I practically had to unbuild the reef to get him out.

 

[Zionas]

Alright. Thanks. What about the rest of the list?

 

[Sk8r]

Everybody's ok, but I'd go for the blue chromis rather than the azure: a little nippy if given a target---probably, however, just fine , but not as visible or bright as the chromis, which is a very pale blue and very active. Matater of taste, really. Your gramma can get nippy, too, but it's mostly show. I have one that never bothers anybody. My stocking list is below.

 

[Myles]

The healthy goby lived 5 years and was easy to feed and care for.
I think I mentioned this before but the flameback angels while beautiful have a reputation for being highly aggressive.
Myles

 

[Zionas]

The Blue Chromis is an Atlantic species and not available where O am (Asia). Here we usually only get the Blue / Green Chromis C. viridis. Would that work? My only concern then would be susceptibility to uronema but is it really as bad as people say?

I’ve ditched the Azure Damsel and I’ll reconsider the Flameback Angel.