Officially an oddball keeper

[andywg]

Would just like to share this with you lovely peeps (especially the Minions who originally suggested keeping our spare tank as a DP tank some months ago)

Well, today we were in Shotgate Aquatics and saw seven DPs in a tank and thought, hmm, that 35 gallon os almost empty (except the guppies which have ben moved to a sump tank and the community depending on sex).

Sooo, we are now the proud surrogate parents of seven DPs, and they are quite cool to watch cruising round in a big group (maybe once the plants are settled in we'll add another one or two). It's weird but they really do ignore the BNs.

Now, if only I could find some of the FW Bumble Bee Gobies rounds here...

 

[Dwarfs]

I'd love a huge tank filled with DPs and FW BBGs Good luck with you'res

 

[andywg]

Well, the tank is certainly not huge at 4 feet long and 35ish gallons, but it is a fair size for DPs and FW BBGs.

Thanks for the luck, the DPs seem to have settled in, they certainly enjoyed their first meal of live daphnia and bloodworms (jumbo and ordinary).

EDIT - One day I will learn to spell after drinking, and then I really will be dangerous...

 

[SirMinion]

Well done Andy! you won't regret it, Dps are full of character!

 

[Jason_S]

congratulations...puffers are awesome fish. I've had an arrowhead puffer for almost a year now and I just love him/her. I also recently acquired 6 Carinotetraodon irrubesco though I've lost 1. These guys were very small and incorrectly being kept in brackish water. I'm hoping to slowly acclimate them back down to fresh without any more losses. I've also added salt to my 10 gallon that I'll soon add a Green spotted puffer to...of course this will only be temporary until I set up a 20-29 for it at which time the 10 will go to a figure 8. I'm also considering converting my 75 gallon to a marine puffer tank. B)

be very careful...as you can see puffers are very addicting

 

[andywg]

Thanks Sir (and Lady) for the original idea in a thread a while back

Have you seen any more of the FW BBGs recently? I've got my LFS checking at his wholesalers but they're pretty rare

I must admit I'm trully glad I've got these fellas, and once the plants have taken off a bit better in the tank and maybe an extra cave or two I'll add a couple more DPs.

And puffers certainly are contagious...I wonder how long before I get some slightly larger ones... .

 

[Paul_MTS]

Nice one, I think we need some pictures though!!

I'll have to find out what BBG's we stock. I'ved never seen one die so I'd say that a hint we got the FW ones.

 

[andywg]

Paul, the below by CFC came from an earlier post on DPs and BBGs,

Brachygobius doriae is a brackish fish that will have a severly shorterned lifespan in freshwater, the idea that they are a freshwater fish comes from that adults will spawn in FW and juviniles will live the first parts of their lives there before heading down to brackish areas.

The bumblebee gobie that can be kept in FW for life is Hypogymnobius xanthozona (which can also be kept in brckish water), the two can be told apart as the dark bands on the body do not go completely around on B.doriae so there is a thin gold line on the underside of the fish, the band form a complete ring on H.xanthozona.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I'll have to have a closer look at them, see if the stripes go all the way round!!

 

[cometcattle]

Paul, the below by CFC came from an earlier post on DPs and BBGs,

Brachygobius doriae is a brackish fish that will have a severly shorterned lifespan in freshwater, the idea that they are a freshwater fish comes from that adults will spawn in FW and juviniles will live the first parts of their lives there before heading down to brackish areas.

The bumblebee gobie that can be kept in FW for life is Hypogymnobius xanthozona (which can also be kept in brckish water), the two can be told apart as the dark bands on the body do not go completely around on B.doriae so there is a thin gold line on the underside of the fish, the band form a complete ring on H.xanthozona.

This post should be pinned.

Congrats! Got any pics?

 

[chris_1127]

according to mongabay b. doriae can be kept successfully in freshwater also, although it prefers light brackish. I would imagine though that like brackish puffers the lack of salt might make them more susceptible to disease/fungus. I have xanthoxona that are doing great in freshwater - they really are great fish to watch, especially daphnia hunting!!

I picked up a couple of doriae recently that i am keeping in freshwater at the mo - they are doing fine however the fish left in the shop still in freshwater are looking quite "fuzzy" now. My doraes are going in brackish when i get my new puffers and take the tank theyre in up to light brackish.

The doraes are quite a bit bigger than the xanthozonas, and the xanthozonas have a small half-stripe 3/4 of the way down their backs that the doriaes dont have. the doriaes are also quite a bit darker coloured. Not sure about the xanthoxonas, but in the doriaes the females tend to look a bit more orange-y than the males

 

[Jason_S]

well I now have a 1" green spotted puffer acclimating to the 10 gallon. once I get my 29 re-sealed the GSP will go into a 20 to grow up for a while then eventually to a larger tank. once the GSP moves out a F8 will move into the 10. I just love puffers. B)