Need help identifying this guy

11 posts • Page 1 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


Brueggz8934
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:36 pm

Need help identifying this guy

by Brueggz8934

Picked him up from the store sort of on impulse, and neglected to note the species.. a little help? Mostly worried about what to feed the guy until I go back to the store, I plan on getting him a buddy. 3-4"s long
8a9e9-1237553116944-2.JPG
c2e9d-1237552949002.jpg


Brueggz8934
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:36 pm

by Brueggz8934

my pictures didn't show up?
47252-1237553116944-2.JPG
c2e9d-1237552949002.jpg


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

If you hit reply on your original post you can see them.

I have no idea what they are, sorry.


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

Is it this guy? This is the closest I could find to your photo.
http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_dis ... catid=1988

If so you may be in for trouble. It says they get over a foot long, needs a huge aquarium, like 100 gallons and will eat anything smaller than it is. That to have more than one you need a huge tank.

Try Googling the Retropinnis Bichir to see what other profiles say. :-)

Hope that helps ya some. I have goofed many times with the impulse buy. What I try to do is write down what something is, then look it up. If it'll work I go back to get it. A pain I know, but worth it. It sucks when you bring home something that either eats your fish or works on killing them with the first hour! Been there, done that. I think we all have!


maydayparade
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:57 pm

by maydayparade

some sort of bichir


cichlidfan
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:19 am

by cichlidfan

I believe he is a dragon goby I had one a long time ago.


heritage
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:03 pm

by heritage

ouch hun i have a 240 gallon tank but wouldnt have one of these sorry mate


zambize
 
Posts: 401
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm

by zambize

Bru -

Hold on! I have two of these (Nessie and Carl) and they are great! They do not eat other fish. My tiny False Julii Corycat hang out next to Nessie all the time and a very small loach (Carl's Jr.) has befriended Carl and sits next to him all the time. It is indeed a Dragon Goby, read up and you'll find that they do not eat other fish.

Your Dragon Goby will need a cave of some sort to feel safe, even a good sized piece of rock/driftwood up against the corner with fake plants will provide nice cover. He'll claim the space, but he'll also share the space with whomever. He will like to burrow and dig so you'll see your decor rearranged (slightly) and your substrate will be a little hilly around his favorite hangout.

You may not see him too often until he gets comfortable, then depending on his individual personality he'll come out more. He'll eat anything, he's like a bottom-feeder. He looks ominous, but he isn't. He will especially enjoy pellets dropped near the opening of his space. This is how I got mine used to coming out. Mine especially loves bloodworms and carnivore pellets, but don't forget to get some veggies, like spirulina, into his diet as well.

They do get large, but like most elongated, nocturnal, mostly stationary fish, he will not need a big tank. He will remain fairly small in diameter. I have mine in a 37 gallon, but if they ever do reach their maximum potential size, and no guarantee they will, then I have a 55 gallon for them. They would do just fine in a tank that size, even full grown.

I really enjoy mine. They are passive, easy to feed, unusual, they clean the bottom, and are fun to show off to friends!

Zambize


zambize
 
Posts: 401
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm

by zambize

Oh, and he really doesn't need a buddy. My two are in separate tanks. They would get along fine, but they can be so shy it can be a challenge to ensure that he is getting proper nutrition. I would stick with the one. You may find that something else in the tank befriends him anyway. He's so passive that other aquatic animals in the tank won't hesitate to hang out with him. In addition to the loach (Carl's Jr.) I also find a female betta hanging very close to Carl sometimes.

Z


a70m1c
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:39 am

by a70m1c

The Dragon goby (Gobioides brousonnetti) belongs to the family Gobiidae. This family is one of the biggest fish families and contains more than 2000 species. Most gobies are quite small and seldom grow larger than 4 inches (10 centimeters), but the Dragon goby can reach a size of 24 inches in the wild. When kept in aquariums, the Dragon goby will however seldom grow beyond 15 inches.

The Dragon goby is sometimes referred to as the Violet goby, since its body is purple. The Dragon goby has an elongated body with a big mouth. The mouth is somewhat similar to that of an Arrowana; it is trap-door shaped and has easily visible teeth. Just like the other Goby species, the Dragon goby has a fused pelvic fin that equips the fish with a disc-shaped sucker. In the wild, gobies are often found attached to corals and rocks. In your aquarium, the Dragon goby will also attach itself to the aquarium glass. This habit makes it somewhat similar to a Pleco, but the two species are not closely related.

The Dragon goby will do best in a brackish aquarium, since it originates from Florida where it inhabits the brackish swamps and river outlets. It is today also found in waters from Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico, and off the northern Brazilian coast. The Dragon goby prefers waters with muddy bottoms. It is possible to keep a Dragon goby in a freshwater aquarium if you allow it to slowly adjust to the lack of salinity, but brackish water is a better choice. Dragon gobies can also survive in marine aquariums, but they must of course be gradually acclimatized to this as well.

Many people erroneously believe that the Dragon goby is a predator. They place it in an aquarium with other predators and try to feed it large shrimp or feeder fish. The truth is however that the Dragon goby is a scavenger that feed only on smaller food types, such as plankton, daphnia and bloodworm. It eats by scooping up mouthfuls of gravel and will consume the organisms that happen to be there, before it spits out the gravel.

As mentioned earlier, the Dragon goby is a highly adaptable species that can live in freshwater and marine aquariums even though it is a brackish species. The same is true when it comes to alkalinity, hardness, nitrate and nitrite as well. Brackish, alkaline water is recommended for this fish, but it will adapt to many other water conditions as long as the fish is exposed a gradual change and not a dramatic one. Keep the pH between 6.5 and 8.5. Your Dragon goby will do best when the water temperature is between 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit, but Dragon gobies have been known to survive at 50 degrees Fahrenheit as well as 85 degrees F. You should however make sure that the ammonia levels stays down, since the Dragon goby is very sensitive to ammonia. Even at low levels it will begin to gasp for air at the surface, and if the ammonia is not quickly diluted, the Dragon goby will die. If you provide your Dragon goby with favorable conditions, it can live for 10 years or more.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/gobyfish/dragon.php

Need help identifying this guy

11 posts • Page 1 of 2

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