Bumblebee gobies feeding

[zenkatydid]

I have recently purchased two bumblebee gobies and am having trouble getting them to eat. At least one of them has already chowed down on a shrimp about the same size as him (who'da thunk??) but other than that, they seem disinterested in prepared foods unless it floats right past their mouths. I have heard they enjoy live food, and don't mind doing this as a treat, but would like to get an every-day food down. They don't feed at the surface, nor if food has hit the bottom... what is there that will float around? Any other ideas? (I am tempted to "go fishing" with food and dangle it past their heads )

 

[7Enigma]

Something like a freeze-dried cube of food (blood worms or tubifex worms). These float for quite a long time. What I do is use a small cup, scoop up the cube with tank water and pour it in quickly. The cube sinks down about 6" into the tank and then comes right back to the surface since it floats. It gives the less interested fish something to "kill", will never sink to the bottom and just rot, and as its slowly breaking down from the dunking, some of the less-aggressive fish can get some food.

This is a nice way to not have to supply live food often.

 

[lmw80]

My bumblebee also enjoys frozen bloodworms. I take the frozen cube in my hand and swirl it around the water...makes the bloodworms look like they are moving - he gobbles it right up!

 

[zenkatydid]

i guess my problem is that the gobies are the only fish in the tank (apart from a cae who generally doesn't go after food) so it's really difficult not to overfeed. maybe swirling the cube around so that a few fall off, then giving the bulk of it to my loaches would work. i'll try that, thanks

 

[Gillie]

Live Blackworms work very well and if they hit the bottom it gives the gobies something to hunt, which is very neat to watch.

 

[coldmachineUK]

You need something that sinks rather than floats: BBGs are bottom dwelling fish primarily. They'll swim through all levels of the water column, but it's the bottom where they'll rest and spend most of their time.

Mine don't take prepared foods either: they sniff (heh, can fish sniff?) at the flakes the others are munching away on, and let it go by.
I feed bloodworm and brineshrimp twice a week, and that's essentially what they'll eat. I've had them about 7 months now and this seems to have kept them going. They're looking healthy, bright colours etc., and don't seem to be starving!
I will/should probably up feeding of frozen food like this to 3 times a week really...

But the point is that you don't need to feed frozen/live food like this every day to them if you're worried about overfeeding. Why not feed every other day? They'll do just fine. I agree with you that sharing the cube between that tank and another is also a solution.