Goby Cichlids

[Stripes04]

Hi I am looking to get a group of 5 goby cichlids. The name is Eretmodus Cyanostictus Kasanga which I have seen.

Has anyone kept goby cichlids and how are they with other cichlids. What tank size would you recommend for a group of 5-10? What sort of rock enivornment do they like to live with?

Thanks

 

[Freakgecko91]

I have a single Spathodus erythrodon burundi, used to be a pair. They are quite aggressive surprisingly, especially towards conspecifics. I would do a group of 6 in no less than a 75 personally. I had my pair in a 20 long with n. Multifasciatus and getting that tank to live in harmony took lots of rock, frustration, and sweat lol


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[Stripes04]

Thanks for that freakgecko.
The person I am looking to buy it from has 10 for 5-7cm. At the moment I have my 180 litres 40" long tank with with around 10 mixed of African cichlids. Would adding 10 of these goby cichlids with them cause havoc or will they mix in well?

The reason why I thought of taking all 10 as firstly I have never seen them for sale in my local lfs, and the seller told me once they pair up they are paired for life so it's hard to pair them up again? Lastly I have a 80 gallon tank of which they can eventually go in but at the moment I'm on the verge of building the cabinet still.

What sort of environment do they come from? Would ocean rock be fine as the only decoration?

 

[Freakgecko91]

Gobies will not mix well with lake malawi cichlids at all. I would not add them to your tank, totally different styles of aggression.

Gobies are from the surf zone of lake Tanganyika. They prefer very rocky tanks with plenty of flow. Ocean rock wouldn't be the best, although I do have some base rock in my tank, I want to switch it out as it is far too rough for my taste. Holey rock or other smoother limestone, that also can create crevices and caves is best IME.

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[Stripes04]

Do you know any names of the rocks which naturally have lots of holes and which also raises the ph?

Since it is only temporary until another 3 to 4 weeks until they will have there own space in the 80g. I could partition the tank either half way or 2/3 to the goby cichlids. I have done this in the past for a few weeks when my acei cichlid and yellow lab were holding fry and the other cichlids were not stressed on the other side. I can keep all 4 of the acei cichlids to the goby side as they are not aggressive to other cichlids at all. The cichlid of which I have now are a very calm group as in the past I have taken out all the dominant fish and this seems to work for them.

The cichlids which I have are:
4 acei cichlids 3-4.5"
2 Red zebra's 3"
1 Pseudotropheus socolofi (Albino) 1.5"
1 Yellow lab male 3.5"
1 Convict cichlid female 1.5"
1 Julidochromis 4"

I am going down to see the goby cichlids so I can see how they are with one another on space and see if this will work for them. I have plenty of decoration I can add to the tank to give them their own space.

 

[Freakgecko91]

Again, goby cichlids have a high conspecific aggression. Took forever for my male to stop beating the snot out of my female. Separating a large group into a section of a tank will typically be problematic, as they're highly territorial. Why not setup the other tank first, research them more, and stock that tank according to them?


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[Stripes04]

Again, goby cichlids have a high conspecific aggression. Took forever for my male to stop beating the snot out of my female. Separating a large group into a section of a tank will typically be problematic, as they're highly territorial. Why not setup the other tank first, research them more, and stock that tank according to them?


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Yep I understand what you are saying.

I am going down on Sunday to see them as I have never seen them in the tanks, only online. The seller did mention once they are paired up they are paired up for life. Usually the only way to pair them up is buying a group of 6 or so and waiting for a pair to form and then to move the rest out. The seller mentioned to have one confirmed pair so I might get the 2 which are already paired up?

Was yours already paired up or just 2 you purchased from a group of them?

 

[Freakgecko91]

My two were in a group of wild caught. They paired up on their own. But they were already adults. Spawned a few times but the female kept swallowing the eggs


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