acclimating my violet goby from fresh to saltwater

[mimi leigh]

So my new tank (80 gallon reef "want to be") has been up and running for about a month now, besides the live rock I had initially used Cycle, as recommended to jump start the bacteria, a couple weeks after that when my numbers looked good we added a small clean up crew which pretty much cleaned up the diatoms - very satisfied - numbers were still good so a couple weeks after that we went ahead and added 2 clowns *they are small and were already "housed" together & it was recommended if I wanted 2 eventually I should just go ahead and buy them together* numbers are still good any everyone is amazing - friendly to I think since they greet me when I walk up to the tank...

Anyway, while I was at the LFS, I was discussing the possiblitiy of acclimating my violet goby from our 29 gallon freshwater (I know it's too small) where he/she has lived for nearly 18 months over into the much larger and most likely more comfortable living conditions of the 80 gallon saltwater. I do not plan on doing this for a few more weeks, even tho I have researched it I'm still very nervous about it!

I know that they typically live their adult lives in brackish water very close to marine outlets and that some may live in saltwater, I know they typically travel to spawn in fresh water which is where the babies grow up *I assume this is how they find them and lable them freshwater fish!* I have read that many people keep them anywhere from fresh to brackish to saltwater tanks.

I do not want to kill this fish by any means, I only wish to make he or she more happy in the long run, as I have gravel in my freshwater and cave for him but lots of sand and live rock in the 80 gallon I just feel he will be happier in there...I have discussed the option of just setting up like a 50 or 55 gallon brackish tank but really if I do that I should give all my fish in the 29 an upgrade...to be fair...

Does anyone have expierence with this? I was told to put him in a bucket with an airstone 1/3 or so full of water from his tank, run some airline tubeing from the saltwater tank, tie it off to a drip and just let it drip - drip - drip very slowly until the bucket was full, at this time I am told he will be fully acclimated and ready for the reef tank...I am also told this will not kill him...but seeing as I have never done this before I am understandably nervous!

So basicly I would just like to hear any suggestions anyone has that way I can explore my options before starting this when it will most likely be too late to change the outcome i.e. if it were a bad one!

[pokmijn]

Will when i was doing that to my sail fin molly i had it in a cup floating in my tank and i just add saltwater to it and it decided to jump in by itself and everything went fine its healthy to this day. If they live in saltwater in the wild too everything should go fine just take your time.

[mimi leigh]

I was thinking that and that the drip method might be okay kinda as if they were swimming from one place to another - it's just a scary thought to think I could murder him I guess! i would love it if he showed me such excitement as your molly it would make me feel alot better lol

[thincat]

I read that they survive in low salinity waters and I am not sure it would survive long term in a that with a SG of ~1.026.

[mimi leigh]

I should mention that part of the issue I am having researching violet gobies or Gobioides Broussonnetti, is that there is a variety of wrong information available. For instance most info I am finding is that they are highly aggressive and like to eat live foods this simply isn't true! they eat algae and mine actually hangs out in his cave with the red platy & dwarf frog both of which he could clearly eat if he wanted too - I am just worried if most sites can't get their diet right how am I suppose to trust their habitat suggestions?!

[Rjiski]

In my experience I have a violet golby in my 75gal SW tank. I dripped ack him for about 12 hours. I had some salinity problems and my tank ran 1.030 for almost a month. The golby has been doing fine has been in there for about six months and has grown and comes out when tank is in night mode.

[Grizz]

Start with a pail 1/3 full of his tank water then drip until full empty half drip till full by this point he will be ready for the larger tank I do mollys that way and havent lost one yet You can also keep the SG around 1.023 with out any ill effects to corals or inverts.