Bumble Bee Gobies

[Lurch]

My Bumble Bee Goby has become quite fat as several web pages say they do when the female is ready to lay eggs. It also says that they lay the eggs in a cave or shelter and the male guards them. Does this mean that I should not seperate them when I think she is going to lay her eggs to stop other fish from getting to them?

Also, are all egg layers eggs not fertilised till after they are laid and the male then fertilises them?

[Goldie]

Ok Lurch I am quoting from a book here as I have never actually breed them myself.

"The male changes in colour, the yellow bands become a deep orange. The sexes need not be separated, but should be well conditioned on freeze-dried or live foods.

The spawning group of five, two females and three males, works best. The breeding tank should be 10 - 15 gallons, large for such small fish, and well planted. The water should only be about 4 inches in depth and should be kept at a constant temperature of 78 F. There should be rocks forming caves or a small flowerpot placed on its side.

Territories are chosen. The male, swims very excitedly and begins preparing the spawning area by sweeping over it with his body. The female will swim upside down, attaching the eggs to the underside of the flowerpot. the male loops up and fertilizes them. The eggs are laid over a period of four to six days, rather than a few hours.

When 100 - 150 eggs are deposited, the female is driven off and she should be removed. The male assumes the role of the very protective parent, attaching himself to the wall in the center of the cluster, industriously fanning the eggs.

Hatching is determined by the temperature. If kept at 75 F hatching will take place in five to six days. The eggs are large and sensitive to fungus; to protect them drops of 5% aqueous solution of methylene blue per gallon of water. The fry are free swimming in two to three days and should be started on Infusoria and new hatched brine shrimp."

Well there you are - hope that you can clean something from that and good luck.

[Matthew]

I,ve heard that it is relatively easy to get to the egg laying stage, but that it is incredibly dificult to keep fry alive. Good luck to you.

[cuviceps]

They may be fat from too much food eg, whiteworms I have found do this do them. How are you sexing them? Is there a definite way to sex them?

Do you add salt to your tank? As they are brackish this may help. I had a friend who got them to lay eggs but never a hatching. Good luck if you have success let me know - I have been trying for a while with no luck.

Cheers Damon.

[ajbroome]

Lurch said...

>... are all egg layers eggs not fertilised till after they

> are layed and the male then fertilises them?

That's the case in the vast majority of fish. There are

exceptions though but not usually with species typically

kept in aquaria.

Andrew.

[Lurch]

Thanks for the help.

I'm pretty sure she is fat with eggs as the others in the tank are less than half the thickness of her and the fat all seems to be at the right place for eggs. Also she has gotten this big before and then pretty quicky became regular goby size.

The main problem I can think of is how can I stop Horse-faced loaches and Clown loaches getting to the eggs as they are quite a bit bigger than a little goby.

[Ira]

You might be able to try and put a tank divider in. Otherwise, you could put all the other fish in another tank or put the gobies in another tank.