Calling all Gobby experts!

[flydan]

Hey,
I've been researching fish that I will be adding to a reef tank and a couple books say that gobby fish don't live long. A couple of years on average and then they croak from old age. True or False?
I was thinking of a Neon or Blue-cheek but if they die so quickly I might have to change my plans.
Thanks,
Dan'l

 

[goofieones]

Don't know how they live, but otherwise they are cool little fish and hardy. I would defintley suggest getting one.

 

[flydan]

Hey,
I have also seen that they are cool little fishes and recommended for reef tanks. I just want to know if they truely are so short lived. Has anyone had one live for more than a couple years?
Thanks again,
Dan'l

 

[flydan]

Hello?

 

[mr . salty]

To be quite honest,If it lives for two years,I'd call that 30 dollars well spent.Most fish you buy for your aquarium has a shortened life span,as compared to living in the ocean.Remember,You are buying a $30 fish,Not a $1,000 parrot that will live longer than you.

 

[flydan]

Hey,
That's a nice answer. "Oh, we are all killing these fish slowly anyway. Enjoy your fish while it lasts."
Not really what I wanted to hear, but thanks anyway.
Take care,
Dan'l

 

[mr . salty]

Ok then,How about THEY LIVE FOR 20 YEARS. Is that what you WANTED to hear.Sorry but the truth is that all fish DIE.Some sooner than others.But most die usually within a couple years.Even under perfect tank conditions....If we only told people what they WANTED TO HEAR,we would not be doing any good to anyone.Especially the fish we keep.

 

[bluegill]

i would recommend keeping turtles. they live potentially much much longer. i always wound up eating mine in stews though. specially them big ol' snappers (with potatoes, carrots, and onions. just watch for the gall bladder when ya clean em. ruins the meat.).
gobies just don't taste the same... but then again i may have just not prepared them correctly. hellll, the old lady sure can't cook for $h!t. wretched hillbilly.
anyways... if you can, catch the goby in its snatch-your-ale environment. then its not such a waste of abraham lincolns iffin it dies.
i'm lucky, as i live by lake michigan. but sw fish is reeeeeal hard to find out there. ever once in a while a see that one shark swimming circles - goes by salty.
g'luck.

 

[mr . salty]

I dont swim very much any more,I got the fishing boat running.BLUEGILL,Give me a call and we'll go out and catch some big ones some day.The salmon and lake trout tast alot better than GOBIES...

 

[flydan]

OK wiseguys! All I was trying to say is that I read that gobbies are "more" shortlived than other fish in the hobby and I want to know if that is the case for all gobbies. Then Mr Salty says that fish live longer in the wild and that we are basically dooming these little guys to an early grave. I have also heard the same is true for anenomies. In the wild they can live to be 100 years old, like a turtle , but they seldom live more than a few years in captivity.
I really do think they are cool fishes and I would like to have one live a "normal" life span.
'nuff said.
Dan'l

 

[botp2k1]

FlyDan, I believe the following do have a short live span; neon goby, Cortez red head goby. I do not know about the rest of the family. I do know the catalina comes from cooler temps and do not fair well in our regular higher temp tanks. So stay away from the catalina's. The neon and red head have about a 1 to 2 year lifespan. So you are right, they will not live long, but still long enough for you to enjoy their company.
I do not have a problem spending $20 or so for fish that live 1 to 2 years, $30, $40, now that is too much for me. I do hope you reconsider the neon if the price was reasonable.