Unofficial Clown Goby Thread

[NanoLurker]

i realized today that my green clown goby is over 10 years old, i picked up a pair of them when i first set up my 6 gallon nano; about 5 years ago he became aggressive towards the smaller one until one day i found the smaller fish dead behind the tank. the tank was never anything special, used to have some rics and zoas but gradually just became FOWLR; he's proven to be rather bomb-proof. i admit my WCs are now very infrequent but when i do them i do a 100% change.

 

he's skittish, as they tend to be, but i now keep a rather "dirty" tank and he's less so (the tank is on the kitchen counter in front of a window). by dirty i mean i no longer keep the front glass spotless, i allow quite a bit of corraline algae and algae (depending on phosphate levels) to build up on the front glass. he lets you know when he wants more food by perching on a clean section of glass and looking at you. i'll miss the little bugger when he's gone even though most of the time i can't see him .

[Chew_Magna]

My little bugger. I've had him a couple weeks now. He/she perches sometimes, either here on this lobo or on my mag float. Sometimes it gets really active and swims all over the tank. Funny that I've never seen it eat, but it looks fine.

 

[andersonkc]

Hey Fellow Clown Goby Peeps -

 

I recently picked up two yellow clown gobies. Turns out one was a bully, and the other one didn't eat. A friend of mine offered to take the bullied one in and see if he can allow him to eat and such.

 

IM Nuvo 8 Gallon

 

Live Stock

Yellow Clown Goby

 

Clean Up Crew

3 nassarius

2 red legged hermits

2 blue legged hermits

multiple dwarf cerith

3 nerites

 

I feed Mysis and Rods Food (standard) - I will usually rotate them.

 

1.) How much can I feed them? I am using PE Mysis Cubes. How much of the cube should I be feeding this tank? I also feed the Duncan Corals once a week. NOM NOM

[magikarp]

i have to admit an overall love of gobies. I currently have 4 different species in my tank. Here is a pic of my Green Clown goby. I call this pic Taxi Crab

 

 

My Yellow Clown Goby does this all the time. It's weird. He seems to really like the hermit crab

 

 

Has some other uncovnentional behavior. He chases my clown which is 3 times as big, the clown submits to him.

 

He also loves people. 0 fear. He will sit in your hand if you stick it in the tank

[magikarp]

^^^ Caught him hitchhiking today

 

[--Mark--]

Here's my little guy. Sometimes gets beaten to the food by my damsel but seems healthy enough.

[Chew_Magna]

Here's my little guy. Sometimes gets beaten to the food by my damsel but seems healthy enough.

I'd keep an eye on that one, it looks like it's stomach is starting to sink in. How long have you had it?

[andersonkc]

I'd keep an eye on that one, it looks like it's stomach is starting to sink in. How long have you had it?

 

What is that a symptom of?

 

Mine appears to have a similar thing, had it for about 1.5 weeks now.

 

I feed him Mysis, as the store said they eat, but I feel he eats one and he might be choking or something as he will go for another one but look like he is trying to clear his throat.

 

Anyone has success with feeding them something other than mysis?

[metrokat]

small size new life spectrum pellets

[andersonkc]

small size new life spectrum pellets

 

Thanks Kat. I will grab some tomorrow. I am not a fan of pellets, but rather keep this little one alive.

[metrokat]

If the LFS has a bleached or cheap SPS, they like to nip at polyps.

[magikarp]

What is that a symptom of?

 

Mine appears to have a similar thing, had it for about 1.5 weeks now.

 

I feed him Mysis, as the store said they eat, but I feel he eats one and he might be choking or something as he will go for another one but look like he is trying to clear his throat.

 

Anyone has success with feeding them something other than mysis?

 

Mine took a while to start eating properly. As long as it is accepting something you should be fine.

 

At first I could only get mine to eat frozen brine. But I got some cyclopeeze flakes which he loved, ever since then he will eat any flake food as well

[--Mark--]

I'd keep an eye on that one, it looks like it's stomach is starting to sink in. How long have you had it?

 

I've had him since September. He's been eating well when the damsel doesn't steal it. I've been watching out for him.

[Chew_Magna]

What is that a symptom of?

 

Mine appears to have a similar thing, had it for about 1.5 weeks now.

 

I feed him Mysis, as the store said they eat, but I feel he eats one and he might be choking or something as he will go for another one but look like he is trying to clear his throat.

 

Anyone has success with feeding them something other than mysis?

They're notoriously difficult to get eating when introduced to a new tank. They're very small fish and need very small foods. Mine started eating only after I switched to a food with garlic in it and when I started using Kent's Garlic Extreme. Now it's a pig and readily takes to whatever I put in the tank, any frozen or flake food. It's also the only fish in my tank that'll come up and eat out of my hand.

[metrokat]

Fish in general cannot resist live foods. Baby brine shrimp would be the right sized food to try.

[Chew_Magna]

It's also the only fish in my tank that'll come up and eat out of my hand.

Speaking of that, the bastard robbed me of a piece of silverside I was trying to feed my nems! Ripped it right out of my hand!

[evanski]

? for the Clown Goby Club...

 

Do they ALL eat SPS polys, or is it limited to the YCG and Citrons?

 

Is it ALL SPS, or just Acros? Any luck with Birdsnest, Monti-caps, encrusting montis, etc.?

[Coco66]

Never seen my two nip on my SPS.

[andersonkc]

I have a few Nassarius snails and if they are on the glass with their antenna out, my YCG will attack them, bite the antenna. Snail falls 10 inches, but all is back to normal after that. This is just after it ate a few mysis shrimp.

 

Sign that he is really hungry?

 

I am going to try Cyclopeeze next. It doesn't eat pellets.

[Chew_Magna]

I have a few Nassarius snails and if they are on the glass with their antenna out, my YCG will attack them, bite the antenna. Snail falls 10 inches, but all is back to normal after that. This is just after it ate a few mysis shrimp.

 

Sign that he is really hungry?

 

I am going to try Cyclopeeze next. It doesn't eat pellets.

Fish are always "hungry", they're reactive feeders which means they'll try to feed if they think they see food. Being full or actually hungry has nothing to do with it.

[oldskoolwayz]

bump

[Toybuddha]

Such a cool little fish!

 

Yellow Clown Gobie by Toy Buddha, on Flickr

[Dryland]

I've been considering getting a GCG to add to my 8g tank. I already have a yellow watchman goby however, and am concerned about compatibility. What do you guys think?

[BigRed10]

Should be fine, clown gobies rarely hang out on the sand bed IME they prefer rocks/coral/glass to perch on. Mine is rarely away from his shrooms and rics unless it's feeding time.

[Toybuddha]

Have seen mine eating polyps twice now. He bit off a polyp from my sunset monti. Taking him back to the LFS this weekend.