madaren goby?

goober

goober

Member
i just got a green stripped madaran goby and i would like to know more about him. what kind of inverts will go with him does he eat what my other fish eat?
i have a percular clown a farm raised red clown two yellow tail damsals and a domino. my tank has been up for 4 months i have about 20 pounds a lr and a hermit crab.my mother bought him when i was away so i dont know much about him. i tried in the fish talk but they did not give me much help
 
b_ball12_99

b_ball12_99

Member
He's right. The brine would be you best chance if you don't get it back. They usually starve slowly. If yours will eat brine you might get lucky and during feeding if you go with live brine some might make it to the rocks to hide, breed, and be eaten at a later time.
 
kappadoku

kappadoku

Member
I wont say that mine doesnt hunt for 'pods in the live rock, but I know I still see them every night. The trick to getting them to eat stuff besides your pod population is to feed just after the lights go out. Mine eats brine naupli and live black worms as well as frozen-thawed mysis. Ive seen him eat them all, and hes a plump little bugger for 6 months now. When I first got him he was kinda shy, but now hes all over the tank, all day and all night!
Good luck. Do try to do better research in the future please?
[ August 21, 2001: Message edited by: KappaDoku ]
 
sonny

sonny

Member
First of all, it is not a goby at all, it is called a Mandarin dragonet. They do need an established tank with lots of life in the live rock. These little fish don't compete well with other fish for the live copepods and amphipods in the rock. They usually starve in most tanks. Also, brine shrimp are not really that great either (assuming you could get him to eat them), as there is not really much nutrition in brine. I recommend the next time you consider a fish purchase, you ask BEFORE you buy, that way you'll know what to expect before you get the new fish in your tank. I know, we all get excited at the fish store, and it's easy to make impulse purchases... oh well. I do think your damsels will be stiff competition for the dragonet, so you might want to take them back to the fish store and trade them or something. Damsels are so aggressive anyway. Good luck,
Sonny
 
playtime

playtime

Member
Guys, lighten up a little. He said his mom got it while he was away so reading up isn't his problem this time.
mandarines are great little fish but they are right. Most people have a hard time keeping them alive including myself. I went through 4 before I found one who wasn't shy. I have had him for about 3 months and he eats alot. He will eat pods, brine, mysis, but basicly he eats whatever I put in the tank. I do feed and then turn the lights out after a few minutes so he doesn't have to compete so much. Mine is fat and very healthy. It is up to you what to do, you have gotten good advise so think about it. If you do return it, wait until you tank is better established, and try it again. They really are great fish.
Playtime
 
alianated

alianated

Member
I was going to say something to the likes of what you said play, but I only had mine a month so didnt want to speak too soon. (After all, it may die over the next 3 months)
When I went to the LFS I had the guy feed the tank, I grabbed the most aggressive feeder so that I knew he was at least willing to JUMP at brineshrimp (not just eat it)
In my tank he found a spot he likes to hang out the most, ironically, it is where the current seems to push quite a bit of whatever I feed my fish. So while my fish are grubbing at the top, my mandarin is eating too in his favorite spot. He seems to have learned that food goes there because when I feed the fish he goes to that spot and I see him eating away.
 
b_ball12_99

b_ball12_99

Member
Pods (copepodes) are small shrimp like fellows that ride in on LR, breed at a rapid rate, and are (.) big. Great food source.
 
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