This video shows the Catalina Goby in it's natural habitat. They are quite small and look more orange with the light that is being used. Note how quickly they dart around. They are found in pairs or harems of one male to 2 to 7 females. Note the Spiny Sea Urchin in the background? They will take refuse in the urchins spines when threatened. They also can change from female to male and back again!
The Catalina Goby can only be successfully kept in a tank that is 58˚F to a max of 71˚F. Keeping them at 64˚F is optimal and will help keep them healthy and alive. They are a cold water marine fish, which dies at temperatures above 71˚F within a few months or less. The reason behind this is due to their need for high levels of oxygen that only COLD water can provide for them. With temperatures above the cited high end, the Catalina Goby or Bluebanded Goby has a hard time breathing and eventually will become ill and die. They may be found in warmer waters, but this is temporary for them, since they migrate into colder waters after a short time. If a human was found outside in 110˚F, for a short time, would that mean they would LIVE under those conditions indefinitely? Just a thought to consider before buying this fish.
This is a great example of the habitat the Bridled or Colon-tail Goby is found in. It is curious, though wary of the diver, making quick darts and stops, typical of a goby. You can see the DISTINCT ":" colon shape in brownish black at the base of the tail, and if you freeze the video, you can see that mid-eye bar that runs horizontally from the eye to the beginning of the pectoral fin. This is a pale version, lacking the brown "X" markings on the body, but has orange, tan and iridescent blue and white spotting! They only reach 3" so they are great in a nano, and happy in larger tanks as well, as long as the tank mates are peaceful, or not paid attention to by upper level swimmers.
This male Golden Headed Sleeper Goby, V. strigata, is a perfect example of how they eat and the challenges aquarists face. As you can see by the indented belly, this goby probably has internal worms and may be getting treated by the aquarist. No matter how much they are fed, the parasite will eventually kill them. Sadly, up to 85% of these fish are infected and should be treated upon purchase. Make sure they are eating in the store before buying since the medication needs to be soaked in food and fed to them. They do best in a tank that is 150 gallons or more; however in smaller tanks, they should be fed 4 times a day.
This short and sweet video is an excellent example of a male and female pair of Golden Headed Sleeper Gobies. You can see the male is the one with the elongated 2nd dorsal spine and the female's first dorsal is short. They both look well fed and do not have concave bellies. Some aquarists in an attempt to prevent sand storms use rougher substrate, however this impedes their ability to feed an substrates like crushed coral will lacerate their mouths and gills. Provide them with bits of reef rubble, small rocks and large but broken up shells to build their house with. In a 150 gallon tank, feed 2ce a day, however in a minimum tank size of 75 gallons, they will need to be fed 4 times a day since the "live" sand in this sized tank will eventually be decimated and they are huge eaters!
This lengthy video is perfect, because it shows the Pink-Speckled Shrimpgoby (Cryptocentrus leptocephalus), and the Alpheus shrimp (Tiger Pistol Shrimp) doing what they do best. At one point the shrimp hides as the goby checks out a clown fish that is getting to close. Not until the goby returns does the shrimp come back out and start to excavate again! They can be housed as a pair in a tank as small as 20 gallons, however if other fish are wanted, then 40 gallons would be needed. Adding two species from this genus, Cryptocentrus, can be done in a tank that is at least 4' long, with lots of hiding places and if both are the same size and added at the same time. Since these gobies are seen alone in the wild, and not paired up as males and females, it may be best not to attempt this in captivity unless the tank is very large. These gobies only live a few years and grow to just under 5."
This video shows what kinds of tankmates will become dinner for your Pink Speckled Shrimpgoby! Small hermit crabs and small shrimp like sexy shrimp are in danger. These fish grow to 4.7" and do great in a semi-aggressive tank. Aggressive fish are too much for them. If housing with an Alpheus sp. shrimp, try the Tiger Shrimp and make sure there aren't any other fish or creatures that will harm this blind shrimp! Had to laugh thinking about what that big hermit crab at 1:42 was thinking.... "little bobbie, where are you?" as little Bobbie hangs out of the goby's mouth!
Although a little blurry, in many shots you can see the eggs on the roof of the PVC. Neon Gobies are easy to breed in captivity. Spawning every 10 to 12 days, many times the larvae from several clutches can be raised together until they settle out of being larvae in a 20 gallon long tank. They only attain around 2" in length and by 3 cm or about 5 to 6 months from hatching, they are ready to start their own families! If removing the eggs from the male, have a gentle stream of small bubbles blowing across to top of the clutch. They have been known to live 5 to 10 years in captivity.
This Neon Goby was obviously enlisted during the quarantine period for this Powder Brown Tang. Notice how the tank flares it's fins and stays still. This signals the goby to clean and while the tang periodically moves forward, it quickly backs up again and wants to continue to be cleaned! Neon Gobies do well in tanks as small as 10 gallons up to .... well, ocean size! They will pair up and easily breed in captivity as well! Make sure you have tiny rotifers hanging around!
