Violet Gobies

[pahansen]

Okay. I've been trying to do a bunch of reading on violet gobies, and here's what I've found out:

- They need a tank size of at least 80 gallons. They need a tank that's at least 55 gallons.

- They grow to be 24" long. They grow to be 20" long. They really only grow to be about 15" long in captivity.

- They require brackish water. They are typically found in brackinsh water, but can be slowly acclimitized to fresh or salt water. They are naturally found in all types of water -- fresh, brackish, and salt -- but tend to prefer brackish water.

- They will eat small fish and shrimp, so don't keep them together. They are filter feeders and are very unlikely to eat any but the tiniest shrimp (like brine shrimp) or fish eggs -- your fish are safe.

- They are predators. They are very peaceful and won't harm other fish.

- They require a high pH. They are adaptable to most pH levels, as long as they are not too acidic. They have been successfully kept in tanks with pH ranging from 6.5 to 8.5.

- They should be kept in a sandy substrate. They should be kept in gravel. They should not be kept in a tank with more than 1/4" of gravel. They can be successfully kept in either, as they will filter out the substrate anyways.

- They are very fragile fish. They are very hardy fish.

- They are very picky about their environment. They have an amazing ability to adapt to a range of environments, assuming they are acclimated to the new environment slowly.

Is it any wonder that we keep getting a ton of posts about this fish? Even the seemingly good information frequently conflicts! Could those of you who have successfully (or unsuccessfully!) kept a violet goby please post and share your experiences?

And has anyone ever successfully kept this fish in freshwater conditions? I'm talking about you personally, not someone you were told about at the LFS or a friend of a friend. And I'm referring specifically about the G. broussonettii here, not G. peruanus.

[EDIT: It would appear to me that most people who've kept a violet goby in freshwater have just misidentified the peruanus.]

Thanks in advance for the info. These poor fish deserve to have the record set straight!
-- Pamela

 

[CFC]

Gobioides broussonettii should be kept in brackish water though will "survive" in hard alkeline freshwater, if the water becomes soft or acidic the fish will show visable signs of stress.
Wild fish can grow to over 20 inches though 12 to 15 inches is more likely in captivity.
They are filter feeders and will struggle to swallow anything much larger than a new born guppy fry, i have successfully kept mine with river/ghost shrimp with none of the adults ever being eaten, their planktonic larvae however provided a great source of nutrition for the goby.
A sand substrate is prefferable as G.broussonettii likes to burrow and sift mouthfulls of sand for food, fine gravel would be "ok" but not ideal.
They are a hardy fish as long as you make sure they are getting food, once a week feedings of freeze dried plankton will ensure that your goby eats something and regular feedings with small live or frozen foods like daphnia bloodworm and cyclops nauplii will keep it in top condition, desperate gobies will suck on algea wafers and catfish pellets.