Hector's goby

[ilektrik22]

I was wondering if anyone has any info/ experience with Hector's gobies. I bought 2 gobies and was under the impression that I had bought a different type of goby ( a carnivor, my fault, I got confused at the store), but once I got home, I realized I now have 2 Hector's gobies.

Amblyeleotris hectori

thus far I know that they will
sift the sand
read that they will graze on hair algae ( don't really have any in my tank)
but diet mainly consists of meat ( mysis, brine and stuff in sand, worms etc)

mine seem to take food that is offered, and I've seen them shifting through the sand.
My tank is a 30g tall with 20 g fuge attached. Do you think there will be enough food for them both to get adequete food ( with supplimental frozen food ) from the sand bed? and does anyone know how to sex them? I wasn't planning on this type of fish, but now that i have them i want to be sure i can provide for them.

thanks

Other tank inhabitants: 2 false clowns ( 1 inch), 2 hi-fin gobies/pistol shrimp, everyone is eating prepared food (daily) without a problem, but I know that the hi-fin's like to snack on pods everyonce in a while aswell.

 

[steve-s]

Amblygobius hectori's primary diet is alga based, benthic Crustacea and worms. They are foremost herbivores. Offering special foods that are made up mostly of marine algae will benefit them by far. It wouldn't hurt to drape a sheet of Nori on a rock near there territory once in a while as well. As long as they are accepting prepared foods and the right varieties, they will be far better off. Goboids that do not get the right diet of prepared foods and feed primarily from the sand bed will become malnourished over time.

Keep a very strict eye on your water quality. These fish will not tolerate sub-par water conditions and that's a pretty good bioload for a 30 gal (+10?). There is no sexual dimorphism in this species that I am aware.

The care of this species is very much the same as the Rainford's Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi)

 

[ilektrik22]

From everything I read I understood that they only supplimented their diet with algea. In any case I returned one as I assumed that my tank should not house 2 hector's gobies. Presently I have 5 fish

2 x1 inch clowns, 2 x hi-fin gobies and 1xhector's I will be adding 2x " blank" (not sure yet) goby eventually once my tank settles. it's a 30g with a 20g fuge attached ( really a 25g but contains 20g of water). thus far everyone is getting alon really well, the hi-fins alow the hectors in their corner ( tunnel entrance area), along with the clowns, oddly enough they kinda hang out in the front together.

When I got the Hector's he was obviously thin ( tucked in stomach) I've had him/her in my tank for 4 days now, and he/she no longer has a tucked in stomach ( still slightly but nothing compared to before, definetly look like he has gained wwight), I've offered nori and Porphyra umbilicalis as well and he won't touch the stuff, seems more interested in picking on my rock.

I feed mysis, enriched brine, crushed krill, and formula one on alternating days do I need a more herbivor type food for him or is the seaweed that I will be adding to the tank enough? I will be alternating him into the fuge occasionally once the pods and algea are established ( if i can catch him) is there any type of algea i can grow in my main tank that he would be intersted in? I don't want him living off nori, that's not alot of variety. kelp okay? now that I have him I would like to ensure that he is getting his nutritional requirements. Also how long do i keep the nori/seaweed in the tank for before pulling it out/ before it starts polluting my tank?
thanks

 

[mmkeeper]

Soak the nori in garlic that might intice him to eat.

 

[ilektrik22]

how long should I keep the nori in the tank before pulling it out? 1 h, day etc? I don't want to foul up the tank, or will it not foul up the tank?

 

[steve-s]

It will definitely foul the tank as well as significantly raising phosphate levels. Try to get a mesh plastic clip or make one yourself that does not allow the Nori et al to float/sit freely in the tank. Sandwiching it between two grated pieces of plastic will allow it to remain in the tank longer for the fish to become accustom to it. Once it starts to float freely from the apparatus holding it, remove the Nori. You can also try placing a whole portion of a gel bound herbivore formula in the same way.

They pick at the rock because that's what they accustom to. Fish must "learn" new feeding behaviors and must be allowed the time to do so along with you being persistent in the types you try. Foods in their natural habitat do not float by or come at regular intervals. This is where a QT environment comes in especially handy. The fish can be taught what/how to eat in a subdued stress free environment unhindered by community tank life. Experimenting with many various food sources becomes that much easier to clean up after as well.

Do you have any friends or local shops with hair algae on the rock?

 

[ilektrik22]

I will look into a hair algea supply,

Limone the hector's goby, did eat a little of the sea weed today, unfortunatly i left it in the tank overnight. It waas tied to an elastic so it could hang out around the feeding area ( he's figured what the front of the tank is for)

I will go to the pet store tomorrow and pick up some herbivor frozen food.

thank you

He's looking better already, but I want to ensure that he has the proper diet.

 

[steve-s]

I should have mentioned this before but be wary where the hair algae alternatives come from. Any unquarantined additions can add more problems. Be very sure the rock/algae does not come from a fish system or one that has had fish in it for 8 weeks back. If your unsure or cannot get verification, do not use it.

 

[ilektrik22]

Okay, this must seems like a silly question but why?

is it to ensure no disease etc from someones tank to mine ( haven't found anyone willing to admit they have the problem yet)? or do you mean the dried seaweed food ( I have Julian springs for him right now)

 

[steve-s]

Not a silly question and you've assumed correctly. It has everything to do with transferring parasites et al from another system. I know this is an easy assumption with the LFS but you must do the same with friends/colleagues as well. A properly informed person would not be offended I assure you. Weather their systems have a problem or not, never take the chance. The risk is simply not worth the temporarily hurt feelings otherwise.

Anything dried like the Juliun Sprung product is of no concern.

 

[ilektrik22]

Okay, will definetly do.

So one more question how would/should i go about cultivating the green hair algea? I was thinking that if i get a few rocks with it growing on it, I could cycle them in fuge to in display, but will Limone wipe the rocks clean of algea? or will it grow back ( I'm hoping it will grow back, otherwise i'm going to have ALOT of rock)

thanks
Yvonne

Or would this guy be happier living in my fuge? or will he wipeout the pods I'm trying to grow?

 

[steve-s]

You can cultivate it in a fuge but you'd have better results in a separate small tank/bucket that you can neglect to a certain degree. Low flow, suppressed pH, higher CO2, good amount of nutrient, low kelvin lighting, low flow and so on. You could take a few small rocks and then alternate them between the main and reseed in the neglected tank as needed. A bit more work but it may pay off nicely.

 

[ilektrik22]

okay I will try that, now I need a small tank, or tube, like 5 gallons enough? (these are going to have to be pretty small rocks as my main is pretty stocked with rock right now and I don't have alot of room to add stuff) I have a 5w light ( was for my HOB fuge) and a rio 800, maxijet 400, which would be better? so i should "feed" this bucket to get nitrates up? and do minimal water changes. Will the hair algea spread to the reas of my tank ( i don't think so, my little limone is a hair algea demon!) but I had to ask to make sure.

 

[steve-s]

Keep in mind this should not be a permanent or long term solution. Merely a stop gap between keeping the goby healthy and teaching it to eat prepared foods. It will eventually happen you just need persistence and patience.

Any type of strong light will work for this little science project. Don't worry about the lighting too much. Anything that produces enough light to penetrate down to the rock is good enough. Use the lower GPH powerhead (MJ400) and definitely feed the tank/bucket. Make sure you do not let cyano get a foothold over the hair algae. If you have some hair algae already all the better. Make sure you only use materials from your existing set up, no new rock, sand or other wet items.

There could be some "fall out" when adding these hair algae rocks to your main system, really depends on the nutrient levels in there. If they're very low, the HA will die off without concern.

 

[ilektrik22]

the rock will have to be new to my system, as I have never had green hair algea...I've been lucky with that atleat. But It will be from someones pre-established system, I will be sure to ask if everything is in order in their tank. Hopefully they will be honest. Or should I pull some rock from my main and put it in the bucked with low light etc. will that start to grow green hair algea eventually on it's own?

Another goby related question.

I just recently changed the power heads in my system.

My return from my sump is at 300gph ( it's a mag 3 but almost at the same hight as the display so very little gravity to overcome). In the back left corner pointing to the center of the front glass.

and I added a seio M520 on right side pointing towards the left ( behind my rock wall) i'm getting really nice current and it seems to be a bit random, my corals are loving it but my gobies are looking angry at me.

Will they adjust to the flow or is this to much for them? ( 2 hi-fins, 1 hector's)

I tried feeding the Hi-fins with my seaquirt ( target feed them, they like to put there entire mouth over the opening and I just squirt the food right down the hatchet) but to no avail today. I had to turn my sump off so they could come out of there hole ( there hole is on the bottom front right side of the tank) will they eventually be able to feed with the new flow? They seem nervous about coming out? Will they adjust to this?

The hector's goby on the other hand is staying in the back of the rock wall, I added some finer sand from my sump for him to dig through and he was doing it but is no longer in the front where he use to feed of the rocks ( and nori). Will he be able to adjust to this?

They have such fine dins ( and big) that they just don't seem like strong swimmers.

My corals are loving it but i'm not sure about the fishies

thanks Steve
( oh on a side not I picked up some cheatos for my fuge from a local reefer, and it wasn't till I saw a chunk of hair algea floating through my tank that I realized that it was in the cheatos, well Limone the hector's goby was ALL over that!)I also picked up some formula 2 flakes for him and saw him pick one up ( way after feeding time) off the rocks, so were starting to make some progress!)

 

[steve-s]

Since you've added an unquarantined item to the display I would nix the idea of a separate algae system and just concentrate on what you have in the fuge. As I said, it was not a permanent solution anyway.

The fish will adjust to the flow as long as it's not too overpowering. Your tank is tall so that makes it even more important to have good strong water flow for proper gas exchange and prevent dead spots/foods from settling. The MAG has a miserable return rate with any kind of head pressure so your about 250ish GPH there and TAMM does not make a RIO M520 so I'll assume that's a M620 which would be a diffused 620 GPH. That puts you at the higher side of the flow but nothing I'd be concerned about. It might just take a bit of adjusting flow direction. Be cautious not to create circular flow, you want to keep the flow turbulent, not laminar. If you need to turn off the power heads to feed so be it, place them on the same power bar for easy switching. Just don't sacrifice good flow for momentary convenience.

 

[ilektrik22]

Your right it's a M620 Seio ( was reading it upside-down and through the glass!)

they did better today with feeding time( the came out and battled the current)

I think I will be turning off the sump return for feeding, it seems to have more effect of the current then the seio( which is pointed at the rock wall the disperse flow more)

thank for all the help!

Yvonne

here's a pic of him

 

[steve-s]

Nice looking fish. Are the spots on the tail really there or is that sand?

 

[ilektrik22]

Steve you scared me SO BADLY!!!

he's tail glimmers white when he moves, so I've been starting at him ( making him extreamly uncomfortable) for the last ten minutes. I'm almost 100% sure that that is just sand in the backround. It was hard to tell with the glimmering, constant tail moving and eating ( and spiting out) sand.

but yeah he is pretty cute. Extreamly timid though, my hi-fins are much less frightened. He's not afraid of any of the other fish just me.

Does he look to skinny?

 

[steve-s]

Does he look to skinny?

The fish is a little thinner than I'd like to see but nothing I would be alarmed about. Once you get it on a primarily herbivore diet that should quickly change. Do not however assume because it's eating foods of some sort it's going to do well. It must get a mainly herbivore diet. A mainly meat diet will eventually starve the fish of necessary nutrition.