Crepe
Aquarium Advice Addict
So I've been gone for awhile but I haven't been doing nothing! I've been researching and trawling the internet for leads on desert gobies. I've found one and they should be here tomorrow. So tomorrow will be picture day for these little guys. But until then here's a little bit of my research. It's an email from a technician at Australia's Monash Univeristy:
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the enquiry and I am more than happy to provide you with any information that you may require.
Your timing could not have been better! I received your email the moment we existed the desert and entered back into civilisation from ten days of Desert Goby collecting in the Lake Eyre region.
It would be great if you could provide me with more information regarding your expected colony, in particular the population type (if known)? Will these fish form the basis of a scientific study or are they for personal appreciation/hobby use?
We once again discovered some incredible water parameters for these fish. Most notable was the salinity for two of the populations we discovered on this trip. In an isolated body of water in a northern site we discovered up to 50 sub-adult through to adult fish living in approx. 120ppk (three times that of most ocean waters) and in a southern location we discovered several hundred juvenile and sub-adult fish living in approx. 110ppk. These are amazing results as we had only recently discovered them in salinity levels as high as 70ppk.
In relation to the pH and their tolerance for breeding in captive situations there is some variance. Generally speaking most of the sites which we collect or survey these fish in the field have an alkaline pH (usually ranging from 7.2 - 9). However, Desert Gobies are highly adaptable, as most animals in this dynamic habitat tend to be, and can in time adapt and breed in a wide range of water conditions including pH.
I have successfully bred several populations in a salinity of 5ppk, 8ppk and 10ppk and a pH ranging between 7.4 - 8.4. We also had incidental fish breeding in holding tanks where the pH was measured at or below 7. The key here is to note the population type and water conditions from which they were caught and try to replicate the water conditions. We mainly deal with wild caught individuals and at times first generation or second generation fish so our requirement to replicate their source water conditions are far greater than a captive bred colony for a hobbyist or private collector.
The key to breeding this species is a stable environment for a prolonged period of time and good conditioning of the females and males. The only water parameters that should concern you are salinity, pH and temp (general hardness not relevant) therefore you need to buy a good quality marine salt (Ocean Nature) and some carbonate hardness. Desert Gobies don't have the longest life span in the wild but they do tend to live for a year or more in captivity.
Good luck!
Regards,
Ricardo.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the enquiry and I am more than happy to provide you with any information that you may require.
Your timing could not have been better! I received your email the moment we existed the desert and entered back into civilisation from ten days of Desert Goby collecting in the Lake Eyre region.
It would be great if you could provide me with more information regarding your expected colony, in particular the population type (if known)? Will these fish form the basis of a scientific study or are they for personal appreciation/hobby use?
We once again discovered some incredible water parameters for these fish. Most notable was the salinity for two of the populations we discovered on this trip. In an isolated body of water in a northern site we discovered up to 50 sub-adult through to adult fish living in approx. 120ppk (three times that of most ocean waters) and in a southern location we discovered several hundred juvenile and sub-adult fish living in approx. 110ppk. These are amazing results as we had only recently discovered them in salinity levels as high as 70ppk.
In relation to the pH and their tolerance for breeding in captive situations there is some variance. Generally speaking most of the sites which we collect or survey these fish in the field have an alkaline pH (usually ranging from 7.2 - 9). However, Desert Gobies are highly adaptable, as most animals in this dynamic habitat tend to be, and can in time adapt and breed in a wide range of water conditions including pH.
I have successfully bred several populations in a salinity of 5ppk, 8ppk and 10ppk and a pH ranging between 7.4 - 8.4. We also had incidental fish breeding in holding tanks where the pH was measured at or below 7. The key here is to note the population type and water conditions from which they were caught and try to replicate the water conditions. We mainly deal with wild caught individuals and at times first generation or second generation fish so our requirement to replicate their source water conditions are far greater than a captive bred colony for a hobbyist or private collector.
The key to breeding this species is a stable environment for a prolonged period of time and good conditioning of the females and males. The only water parameters that should concern you are salinity, pH and temp (general hardness not relevant) therefore you need to buy a good quality marine salt (Ocean Nature) and some carbonate hardness. Desert Gobies don't have the longest life span in the wild but they do tend to live for a year or more in captivity.
Good luck!
Regards,
Ricardo.
