Gobies

[Ltspd]

Can you mix gobies in a reef tank. For example a neon and a engineer gobie?

[Neal359]

i would like to know that now that also but i have a mated pair of watchmen gobies

[Bughead]

Yes. I've had all sorts of different gobies together, bar gobies, sandsifters, firefish. They get along fine. Probably because I never had two of different varieties that filled the same niche, ie. two different kinds of sandsifters. But that might work, too.

[chromis]

are engineer gobies the ones that look like little eels?

[DJ88]

You may want to watch with two watchman gobies Neal. My g/f's goes nose to nose with her bi-color blenny and anything that gets too close regularly. Keep in mind that is her fish. All fish have different personalities.

[Ltspd]

Thanks guys, I wanted to check first before I purchased the neon gobie. I really want a engineer gobie. Yes they are the ones that look like a eel when adults. A friend of mine has 2 in his tank (360g) and they are so cool. You can see his tank and that gobie in the MACNA ad in aquarium fish magazine. (july 2001, pg 55)

[Bughead]

I have 5 engineer gobies (convict blennies) Pholidichthys leucotaenia who are each 8" adults. They are absolutely wonderful fish. And marvelous architects. They live in the left hand third of the tank under a rock complex. They constantly build and rearrange the sand.

As youngsters, they were open water swimmers and were out frequently in the daytime. Now they stay in their apartments during the day, acting rather like eels, and come out to swim around when only the actinics are on or all the lights are off.

They are the reason my tank is overstocked. I got them when they were only 2 inches long and the lfs guy insisted I should have a group. He gave me a nice discount for buying all five of them. So now I sort of wish I had only 3, but I'm so attached to these guys I can't bear the thought of taking any out.

I think you should consider getting at least 2 though. You don't have to worry about mating them up or anything. They get along with each other and every other kind of fish in the tank. Super cool fish.

[ConnieH]

Does that photo look like this, Paul? ;)

[Bughead]

That's a picture of an adult. As juveniles they are black with silver stripes and look very much like young coral cats minus the whiskers. With adulthood the stripes turn into very interesting patterns more like giraff spots. I can almost tell my five fish apart because the patterns are all slightly different. (Besides, one has scoliosis. His tail is sloped downward and has sort of notches, like maybe it was broken when he was a fry. He's one of the gang and nobody holds it against him, tho. )

[Ltspd]

Thats it Connie, guess you know the picture well;)