# Bumblebee goby care?



## jeff158 (May 27, 2009)

I just saw some bumble bee gobys and i was wondering if they are hard to feed because ive been reading they wont eat anything but live food. Any help is appreciated


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

They will take decent quality frozen worms and often other soft frozen foods. Some can be trained to take pre-soaked pellets. They should really be kept in brackish water monitored with a hydrometer. They're not really difficult. Just get a bucket of instant ocean and an instant ocean hydrometer (a refractometer would be better but since brackish fish come from variable conditions the slight variation and innacuracy from the hydrometer won't matter) and keep it at about 1.015 specific gravity (it's self explanatory once you get the equipment). Filter it like a normal freshwater tank. Careful what you keep them with because they can't really defend themselves. May be a nice thing to do for a little species tank.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

There are two different species sold under the same common name. One is a true brackish species, and the other is natively freshwater, but euryhaline (tolerant of brackish). The one that is true-brackish will die if you don't keep it at least at 1.005 sg (sg ="specific-gravity"). The reasonable mid-brackish 1.015 sg that AM mentions is the general sweet-spot for most brackish species.

To tell the difference on your fish look at the bands. If at least one band is broken in appearance, you have the brackish-only species. They are all kept at the fish store in fresh-water, which is of course, bad for it. You need to bring it up slowly to low-brackish over several weeks time.

(Incidentally, I keep my brackish goby with a brackish puffer, and they get along great. Mine bumblebee gobies do NOT accept anything but blood-worms. Not even other frozen foods. I have had no luck training mine to eat any other foods.)

W


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## jeff158 (May 27, 2009)

thanks guys, also how much better is keeping them in brackish compared to fresh? and will they eat adult frozen brineshrimp?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

jeff158 said:


> thanks guys, also how much better is keeping them in brackish compared to fresh? and will they eat adult frozen brineshrimp?


Both of these questions were answered 

*There are two different species sold under the same common name. One is a true brackish species, and the other is natively freshwater, but euryhaline (tolerant of brackish). The one that is true-brackish will die if you don't keep it at least at 1.005 sg (sg ="specific-gravity"). The reasonable mid-brackish 1.015 sg that AM mentions is the general sweet-spot for most brackish species.

To tell the difference on your fish look at the bands. If at least one band is broken in appearance, you have the brackish-only species. They are all kept at the fish store in fresh-water, which is of course, bad for it. You need to bring it up slowly to low-brackish over several weeks time.

(Incidentally, I keep my brackish goby with a brackish puffer, and they get along great. Mine bumblebee gobies do NOT accept anything but blood-worms. Not even other frozen foods. I have had no luck training mine to eat any other foods.)

W*


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

For the true-brackish species:

Brackish = Alive. Fresh = Dead. 

So yeah, brackish better.

W


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## jeff158 (May 27, 2009)

ok does anyone know which variety luckys carries? i didnt get a good look last time


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

jeff158 said:


> ok does anyone know which variety luckys carries? i didnt get a good look last time


 How to tell the difference has been explained. What to feed them and what to keep them with and how to acclimate them to brackish water has been explained.     

Ask to see their order sheet and check the scientific name then double check by examining the fish and seeing if the lines are broken or not.


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

i heard crushed snails is good for them too


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Byronicle said:


> i heard crushed snails is good for them too


 I used to have these and given their feeding method and what kind of stuff they like I can totally see that.


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## jeff158 (May 27, 2009)

they eat crushed snails?? thats great for me since i have plenty! also anyone know what type they have at luckys since i didnt know how to distinguish them last time


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

FWIW, I have NEVER seen the truly freshwater tolerant species for sale in a toronto LFS. But then, the only place I have seen these for sale are Big Als, and Luckys. I have not been at Menagerie ever when they had any of these in stock. Staff at Menagerie are very good at telling you what you're buying, and you can usually get them to explain the best care for any species they stock.

W


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

jeff158 said:


> they eat crushed snails?? thats great for me since i have plenty!* also anyone know what type they have at luckys since i didnt know how to distinguish them* last time


* If at least one band is broken in appearance, you have the brackish-only species.*

There's something wrong with you.


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