Hector Goby

[jojoe972]

I was wanting to get one of these guys but every site says differently about the gallons for these guys. I have a 14g biocube. Ive seen 10 gallon minimum to 30 gallon minimum? What your likes and dislikes of these guys?

[urbaneks]

I would say that it really depends on the rest of your bio load. With the clown, neon goby and firefish I would say that you are maxed out in a 14g tank.

[jojoe972]

oh i forgot to say that im taking the neon goby back because he wont eat anything I give him...... I want to remove the firefish too but how can you catch that damn thing!!!!

[justinT]

Yeah i'm totally disappointed in my firefish too- he's beautiful, but only pops his head out to grab a bite or two. but I could never catch him so OH WELL!

 

My hector stays out swimming all over all the time, not shy at ALL. He's a good/easy feeder too. Stays really small but very flashy. They have a funny frown face too. Oh and they swim backwards sometimes-weird.

[Bill Nye]

Ive always liked hectors/rainford gobies but I hear they are very hit or miss in captivity. Whenever I see them at the LFS they are always the skinniest fish in the tank. I have heard people with large tanks say theirs doesn't accept prepared foods and havent fed it since they got it a year ago. It might need alot of hair algae and other crap to stay healthy long term.

[jojoe972]

justint..... I hope my hector has a personality like yours!!! Yea my firefish is ok but still really skiddish in my tank. No aggression just a scared fish and I cant catch him because I only have one net. With two I think I would have a better chance!!!

 

Bill nye I have seen some like that but others I have not. There is a LFS over in dallas that are jerks but they always get in decent fish but are pricey. Last time I went looking for that guy they had them but they were 3 times the size they are suppose to be. It was nuts they said they had never seen them that size before either. Nice and plump but too big for my tank. My other LFS that I go to reguarly get them in now and again and they are not skinny at all. I will be asking them to feed the tank before I take one to make sure that the little guy eats.

 

justint..... what does your hector like to eat?

[lakshwadeep]

I had a rainford's that didn't accept introduced foods, and it disappeared while I was on vacation after maybe 6 months. One unique thing about them is that they're omnivores that make "filamentous" (hair) algae a large part of their diet. However, don't buy one to deal with a hair algae problem; my rainford's only grazed on the algae and never made a huge dent on it.

 

Here's some info:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/3/fish

http://www.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publish_db/Bul...25/no25004.html

[jojoe972]

ahh ok i gotcha

[jojoe972]

How often do you guys feed your hector every other day or once a day? I have a nano so I fed every other day

[Zo0k365]

I suggest that if you buy one, you buy a tank raised. The survival rate is greatly increased. I think bluezoo has really nice tank raised rainford gobies.

[taandsam]

I have had my Rainsfordi (sp?) for a little over a year now. He's really cute sifting sand all the time...sometimes right on my corals. I recently heard that they need to have zooplankton in their diet. Mine seems to be doing ok, just not near as fat or chubby as my other fish. Does anyone know if the zooplankton thing is for real or have I been misled?

[jojoe972]

Well I have a hector not a rainford. The rainford's for some reason seem to be less hardy than the hector but I believe mine is not wild. I wonder if anyone else has had experience with zooplankton. Hopefully someone responds on it.

[justinT]

My hector eats anything and everything. I alternate my foods, sometimes mysis, frozen brine, and he LOVES the frozen blackworms (I think thats what they're called-I look it up when I get home). I never realy heard of them as difficult feeders before...is that true?

 

He 'sifts' the sand as well...not true sand sifting but he picks up a few pieces, crunches it around and it gets spit out behind his gills. Not as much volume of sandsifting as a 'true' sandsifter, but he does drop pieces on the clam mantle and any fragged corals on the bottom.

[justinT]

The food he loves are bloodworms- red mosquito larvae. I bought them at petco. It says for freshwater on the package but food is food.