Dragon Fish aka Dragon/Violet Goby (Gobioides broussoneti)

[crickit99]

Hello,
My roommate likes these fish... (Gobioides broussoneti)

I have seen them listed as freshwater and brackish... Anyone have any experience with these? I'm curious what kind of water they should be in, as I read conflicting info. I'm assuming brackish, but a good LFS here has them in freshwater.

Thanks!
Christina

[Menagerie]

More than likely, these fish will thrive in a brackish tank. Most BW fish are sold as FW
I bought all my BW fish in a FW LFS

[madasafish]

It's a common enough marketing scheme. Many brackish-water fish start their lives in FW, and can tolerate it for a few weeks or months when they're getting older. However, in most cases such fish (other examples include the "Freshwater" Flounder" and the green spotted puffer) really do need brackish water.

If you want togo with G. broussoneti, start a brackish tank. He or she will love it.

[Bad Jeff]

My Goby Dragon has been thriving in my 90g freshwater for 6 months.... Seems if they spend their life in FW they'll do just fine. You will develop problems if you try to convert them from BW to FW when they are more mature though.

[Menagerie]

You will develop problems if you try to convert them from BW to FW when they are more mature though.

That is untrue. If you acclimate the animal slowly along with the entire tank (the bacteria needed in a BW is different for a FW tank), the animal will be fine.

Goby Dragon has been thriving in my 90g freshwater for 6 months

I do not consider 6 months a long enough time. My "FW" flounder are thriving in my BW tank, but it's only been 4 months. For an animal to truly "thrive," their life span must be taken into consideration.

[Toirtis]

They are not only a brackish water fish, but they are a cool water fish (72º-74ºF), and should have only dim light at best. With proper care, these gobies can hit 30"+ and live well over a decade.

[Pufferpunk]

My Goby Dragon has been thriving in my 90g freshwater for 6 months.... Seems if they spend their life in FW they'll do just fine. You will develop problems if you try to convert them from BW to FW when they are more mature though.

How can you judge how well a fish will do for it's whole life (up to 10 years) by 4 months?! My 1st dragon goby lived it's entire live in FW. It developed small reddish tumors throught it's body, even inside it's mouth. I am sure it was because of being forced to live in FW. Keeping a BW fish in FW, will compromise it's immune system, possibly stunting it's growth, causing it to be more suseptable to disease & early death. By then, it is too late to move to BW. Don't wait for problems, wait until you can properly house them!

[Bad Jeff]

Good point Pufferpunk... I was considering starting a new tank for my Goby...now i will... any suggestions for tankmates??

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by Bad Jeff

Good point Pufferpunk... I was considering starting a new tank for my Goby...now i will... any suggestions for tankmates??

Some of the brackish sleeper gobies are likely your best bets.

[Pufferpunk]

Mine seems to be doing well w/knight & bumblebee gobies. I would think you could also keep mollies or unpainted glassfish (not both).

[urville]

when, cause yous hould, and if you put him BW. be careful choosing his mates. he's pretty peaceful. my firends knight goby ate his dragon goby's eyes off it was seriously horrifying.

on the other hand maybe he was just deranged?

[Pufferpunk]

Knights are predatory (eating anything it can fit in it's mouth), not aggressive.

[urville]

sorry thats what i meant.
like puffers too though is my point they are both BW and puffers are nippy fish
so he should be careful
no harm meant

[crickit99]

What would be the final tank size for a Violet Goby? Obviously they get quite large.
I'm going to have a Brackish tank for some Fig 8 Puffers...not sure on size yet.
PP, you said you've kept them....any problems?
Would anyone recommend other Gobies over that one (to be on the safe side of things)?

Christina

[Pufferpunk]

I love my smaller knight & bumblebee gobies. The dragon I kept in FW, grew to 18". I have a juvie one in BW now, living with the above gobies & F8s. You need good cover for them, dragons like to tunnel behind/under stuff. If you get an aggressive F8, it may get picked on.

[crickit99]

Hmm, it amazes me how such little fish have such big attitudes! I'm keeping an eye out for tanks, so that will effect what size I get, but it will probably be somewhere between a 29-55. I love plants, but I guess I will have to learn to like fake ones!
I would think the Violet Goby would get too big for a 55...so I'll probably stick to the smaller ones.

Christina