clown gobies

[gunslingerone9]

was wondering if anyone has ever came across any info about breeding clown gobies. I have a pair in my 30g reef and they stay away from each other until night time when i turn off my 10k lights and leave my actinics on for an hour. they kind of chase each other and one will do a little dance in front of the other one. this will go on for about 20 minutes then the go their seperate ways. it does not happen every night but at least a couple times a week. i also know they they can change sexes but after that i am at a loss. any help would be great. oh yeah they are green clown gobies.

[Luis A M]

Good subject:) Clown gobies of the genus Gobiosoma (meaning goby bodied=shaped) are very nice and interesting to watch.
While they pluck the polips of a piece of acropora branch to make their nest,the damage is limited to a small piece of the coral.
They are said to be able to change sex,which is unusual for gobies.I have not seen that.They fight until two get mated,like most gobies.Then they live close together in peace.
They are good breeders and they spawn every 7 days.The eggs hatch in the 5th night.Larvae hatch very small and look like "typical"fish larvae,not the "mosquito larvae" look of Gobiosoma-Elacatinus-Cryptocentrus.
I found that eggs are difficult to spot in a full lit reef tank.They are white and need a dark background t contrast.See this pic where a G.okinawae male is surrounded by tiny eggs.Those backgrounded by the fish are easier to see.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/540/44505G_okin.jpg
But they can be seen better under low light conditions:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/540/44505G_okin_w_eggs_2.jpg

[Juck]

Here's a pic of a nest from my clown gobies. They stayed close to their acro most of the time,, though they liked to zip around the tank and perch on other things,,, unfortunately they both ultimately perched on a large carpet anemone,, I was unlucky enough to be watching the tank both times.

I never attempted to raise the fry,,, but I saw them hatch a couple of times,,, really tiny ,, straight into the mouths of my Pajama cardinals.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/50355Clowngoby.jpg

Clown gobies are the most delightful of fish,,, bags of character,,, IMO no reef tank is complete without a pair (unless you have a big-arse Haddoni).

[Luis A M]

[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7284142#post7284142 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
[B]Good subject:) Clown gobies of the genus Gobiosoma (meaning goby bodied=shaped)
Bad goof here!:sad1: I should have written:"Clown gobies of the genus Gobiodon (meaning goby toothed or toothed goby)
Juck, your picture is very good,a view from the top! :) That´s a ready to hatch spawn,eyes can be seen,awesome!.
Forgot to say that they can live well without the Acropora and will spawn on any available substrate like a tile or flower pot.Or just on the tank´s wall as can be seen here:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/44505eggs.jpg

[David M]

First let me say that I am all for captive breeding, no matter what the species. I have some real oddballs myself that I hope to eventually succeed with. BUT having been on this road for 5 years now two things I have learned the hard way, breeding is both expensive and time consuming :rolleyes: I have looked at those gobies many times and considered setting up some pairs but when I consider the time, space and work involved it just doesn't make sense, they simply aren't worth anything. They wholsale for about $2.95 in LA, as a breeder I'd be lucky to get $1.50.

Not trying to be discouraging, just making sure you are aware of what you are getting into. I say go for it as a hobbyist but be prepared to bear the costs, it will probably not be "profitable" :(

[Luis A M]

Sure David,the same happens with damsels,or peppermint shrimps.
But even if we welcome some cash from selling our babies,most of us are doing this for the fun of it,not for the money.
And working with larvae more difficult than clowns,we get trained to then try other species as well,including the expensive ones:cool:
See the zillions of FW hobby breeders out there;they take hard pains and expenses to raise species that they won´t be able to sell!

[ediaz]

Well with a specie like this that nobody currently has in production I think it will command a higher price around 8-9 wholesale regardless of the WC price.

I remenber we sold TR G. loreto for about $45 a piece and they kept asking for more, months before that I was selling WC for $1 a piece. I think WC RG are 6 dollars wholesale here.

Ed

[David M]

People come to my house and see the juvie bangaii's, they get excited and ask "how much for those?". I tell them $50 each, they look at me like I'm insane. Perhaps, but until I have more than I can handle that is what my time & effort invested to raise them is valued at. :smokin: Maybe the cb gobies will command a higher price than their wc counterparts, I certainly hope so, but my experience has been that the wc price sets the standard. It's really a matter of educating the consumer I think, and I am confident it will happen or I wouldn't be breeding at anything but a hobby scale :D

[gunslingerone9]

hey thanks for the input i know that in se michigan they were going for 5 or 6 dollars wholesale and here in illinois i am pretty sure its a dollar or 2 more. david and luis i thank you for the info. but i also want to throw this by you, possum wrasse? i think they are real fun and interesting fish and they are not as small and are fairly a little more money. i am very interested in breeding and want to know some input on where to start and if the possum wrasse would be ok and if you have ever read anything about them breeding in captivity. and since cbs are so cheap if using them as a start (test dummies, although shrimp are by far my fav.) if that we help in the whole tank raised and breeding experience. thanks gunslingerone9

[Krypticol]

I'm picking up a few green clown gobies this weekend to begin down the long path to breeding, This will be for personal enjoyment, education, benefitting the hobby and if I sell or trade a few fish, then that's cool to.
Anyone with any solid info on the larval foods, times etc would be a great help, the info and pics above were awesome, thanks much guys...I'll be sure to share the process as it develops....
Thank you all! Have a great day!

[mwp]

Krypt, had I known this was in your plans I would've sent you some SS strain rotifers with those slug eggs...granted they'd be lost in the mail too :) Good luck!

Matt

[Krypticol]

yea no sense in having more lost in the mail system, i feel bad for whomever finds that box someday all stinking and nasty...:-)
Maybe as time goes on will make a deal for some of the ss-strain,
as I'm just starting the "try to make a pair" phase, I don't quite need them yet. I'll hit you off when I have a solid pair.
Have a great day everyone!!!!!!!!

[gunslingerone9]

good luck you guys

[Krypticol]

2 good looking green clown gobies in their temporary home.
They seem healthy, and active, exploring and perching. Can't say i've seen them eat, but I haven't been in their constantly todaY.
water params all checked out good and I acclimated real well,
took the guy at the lfs with my help almost 2 hours to catch them from a 55 gallon tall. that was a project. I afraid they will take some time to relax after that. or maybe it was more traumatic to me...if I was them I'd be freaked out. once the whole system is all set and i have them where i willkeep them for actual breeding stage I'll start a thread on it.
Any advice or oppinions on a specific tank design/setup speifically for breeding these would be appreciated. I am absorb all the info I can find. Thanks and have a great day!

[damer]

luis,

the photo with the eggs on the tank glass, is that a "typical" broodstock tank? if so, what size is it?

regards


damien

[Luis A M]

10 gal,shared with a pair of ocellaris.

[aomont]

Hi Luis, too bad for us in soccer... :(

Is this a BREEDING pair of ocellaris ? If so, didn't they bothers the gobies ?

Anderson.

[damer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7669473#post7669473 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
10 gal,shared with a pair of ocellaris.

thanks for that,

approx. how long is the larvae stage? assuming you give them rots first, how old are they when you can increase thier food size, ie baby brine.

[Luis A M]

Never been that far.:( Search my thred.
Other gobies start with bs at about 15 dah

[damer]

i have read your thread on the clown goby's louis, i had hoped you may have had some success by now.

given that ediaz said they are not hard to rear, i though there would be more information out there.

oh well, maybe one day i can put the info. out there!!!

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7669504#post7669504 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aomont
Hi Luis, too bad for us in soccer... :(

Is this a BREEDING pair of ocellaris ? If so, didn't they bothers the gobies ?

Anderson.
O futebol foi ruin mesmo:mad2:
Pensei que voce fose US citizen morando no Rio.O seu ingles e otimo!:lol:
It is a non breeding mated pairs,like most of mine:mad: There is also a CB YT damsel there!.These tiny fellows defend their nesting ground fairly well!

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7677952#post7677952 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by damer
i have read your thread on the clown goby's louis, i had hoped you may have had some success by now.

given that ediaz said they are not hard to rear, i though there would be more information out there.

oh well, maybe one day i can put the info. out there!!!
Something weird with them:confused: They live for some time but don´t grow.Will keep trying,anyway.

[aomont]

O futebol foi ruin mesmo
Pensei que voce fose US citizen morando no Rio.O seu ingles e otimo!
It is a non breeding mated pairs,like most of mine There is also a CB YT damsel there!.These tiny fellows defend their nesting ground fairly well!

Agora só daqui a 4 anos... Ainda torci para assistir Brasil x Argentina. ;)

I was thinking how far can one go with a multiple species breeding tank. Has it worked for you or other members here ? It would be a way to save space as long as no competition is possible.

Anderson.

[ediaz]

I have my first batch after 10 years at 15 days as today, still on brachionus plicatilis form day one. They look small for artemia still.

Ed

[damer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7683265#post7683265 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ediaz
I have my first batch after 10 years at 15 days as today,


mmm, ok.:rolleyes:

maybe i need to think about something else.

its hard here in aus. there are only a few people raising fish on a largeish scale. (i am not one of them) and clownfish are soon going to bottom out so much that it is not worth the effort (black occelaris are almost there) . i have read that this has happened in the U.S. previously with a variety of species.

there are a few people, like me, wanting to try other things.

we are just a long way away from the demand of fish in the U.S. and its hard to get some of the fish that you guys can seem to have readily available. i get lists from 4 fish wholeslaers, and havent seen a royal gramma or orchid dottyback for months. and a black cap , well at AU$150 wholesale i have seen twice in 2 years.

oh well maybe one day.

sorry about my offtopic rant.

regards
damien

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7681113#post7681113 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aomont
I was thinking how far can one go with a multiple species breeding tank. Has it worked for you or other members here ? It would be a way to save space as long as no competition is possible.

Anderson.

"Greed is stronger than Prudence":D
While the "one pair,one tank"scheme is best,hobbyists don´t have the tanks/space of commercial breeders.
A mixed breeding tank must be arranged with unrelated/non competitive species.
i.e.:ocellaris,damsels,gobies (or blennies),shrimps,for a 10 gal.