Can shell dwellers and bb gobies live together?

[Menagerie]

[center:9e12342b90] My bumblebee gobies are coming! My bumblebee gobies are coming! [/center:9e12342b90]
Finally, I was able to order them. They will be living in a 20 gal tank. I ordered six, because I did not want to go too crazy. Then it hit me—that tank is going to be mighty empty.
While I was at a different LFS, I saw Celebese Rainbow (Telmatherina [Marosatherina] ladigesi). I was attracted to the rainbows because on their tank was a sign that said they could live in brackish water. (I later googled them and think they will live happily with the gobies.) Then the guy at this LFS asked if I needed help. I told him I was getting in bb gobies and wanted a few harmless tank mates. He suggested the Lamprologus multifasciatus shell dwellers. I had never seen them before, but I want them!! He seemed knowledgeable about bb gobies and said that the shell dwellers like alkaline water, so they would be a good match.
I knew I needed to do some research and when I came across this site: http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/shellweb/shell_care.htm , I panicked. It states, “Avoid Corydoras and Otocinclus. These fish are usually murdered upon introduction.� The site did not elaborate. However, I do NOT want to put my precious bb gobies in harms’ way.
I have since looked over many sites on shell dwellers and came to the conclusion that too many bottom dwellers (bb gobies are all over the place, but they bumble and I don’t want them injured) would upset the shell dwellers. I know that their needs for temperature and pH do overlap.

Okay, my question is: Is the guy correct about L multifasciatus getting along in a brackish tank with bb gobies?

My head is full of ideas for two tanks, but as my fiancé pointed out, we live in an apartment with very few electrical outlets In the future, I would like to do a Lake Tanganyika biotope with the shell dwellers and have my bb gobies safe and sound.

[patryuji]

How about mollies and let the gobies take care of excess fry?

You can do flounders in brackish water but I'm not sure if you are interested in them (it just occured to me considering a recent topic about flounders).

[Menagerie]

I never even thought about Mollies--that would definitely satisfy the bb gobies need for live foods.
Also, I never kept Mollies—anyone have any advice? I was told the bb gobies would need 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of salt per 5 gallons. From some very quick googling, I see Mollies would like 1Tbs of salt per 5 gal. Hmmmmm, this might work.

[Allivymar]

Mollies can live very happily in a true marine specific gravity; they'll do fine in brackish. In fact, the largest, loveliest mollies I ever saw were in SW.

[TankGirl]

I would not put shellies in a brackish tank with gobies.

Mollies, as mentioned, would be a wonderful addition, and occupy the mid and upper areas of the tank.

[Menagerie]

Since originally posting, I have decided to make two tanks based on my love of bb gobies and bad advice from my fiancé.

The 20 gal bb goby tank will have 6 gobies—assuming they all come in okay, some Celebese Rainbow Fish (Telmatherina ladigesi) whick like brackish water, live foods and will add a touch of color, and a Molly or two (well, two—they need to reproduce to earn their keep!). I was researching Mollies and understand the boring plain ones will do best in brackish water.

The second tank is 29 gal and will house the two brichardi from the community tank right away. My fiancé was looking for brichardi since we got to Calgary and when we found them, of course we took them home. Why did I think he knew what he was talking about when he said we could put them in the community tank . My poor rams’ tails are frayed and the middle of the tank seems to be off limits to everyone else due to the two beautiful jerks. Once the bank account recovers from our tank buying tomorrow, I can find the Lamprologus multifasciatus and bring them home.

Thanks to Allivymar and the link on biotopes the other day, I am well on my way to having a Lake Tanganyika tank

[AdamsZoological]

I completely agree with the statements on Mollies, have seen countless examples of them kept in fresh, brackish, and marine. And bar none, the biggest, healthiest, and simply most impressive mollies I've seen have been in marine tanks, the conditions seem to do wonders for them.

[William]

It is in my experiance and soley my humble opinion...

I believe mollies truely require a brackish or salt enviroment, and do not do well in fresh water.


I have kept mollies since i've started fish keeping, they were my first fish to be honest, and from day one I've had trouble with them in freshwater. I have never in my life seen a molly that has grown to full size, or lived its full life expectancy in fresh water.

I, personally, have never seen mollies in salt or brackish.. but from what I hear like with the posts above, They live longer, grow more beautiful, and are healtheir in salted water.


and just a side note, aquarium salt is not the same as sea salt used to attain a brackish or salt water gravity.

[Menagerie]

and just a side note, aquarium salt is not the same as sea salt used to attain a brackish or salt water gravity.

Thank you for the reminder. I am ready for my gobies and I did my homework! I'm more worried about having unattractive Mollies in my gobie tank. Oh well, everyone I've spoken to says Mollies are some much better looking in the correct environment. We'll see!

[TankGirl]

I am in agreement! My favorite LFS keeps the black mollies in a brackish setup with the juvie scat and gobies. They seem to succumb to ich and velvet and other nasties when deprived of salt, so you got the right idea. Be sure to get at least three females to every male, because they are a, ahem, "randy" sort of fish, if you get me, and the poor females are harrassed to death if it is not spread out.

I adore Brichardi but I would not call them a community fish. I know they are not as aggressive as other cichlids, but they are fast and nippy. I have my Lake Tanganyika tank with Brichardi in it until I can get my N. multifasciatus and they are somethin' else! I could go on all day about Lake Tan so I will stop...