# Gobies and shrimp?



## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Sulawesi gobies are fine with adult shrimp, but might eat babies. 
Other gobies vary depending on species. Which are you thinking of getting? 
Look into darters. They're similar to gobies, plus they're adorable.


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## newbieshrimpkeeper (Dec 2, 2014)

Maybe freshwater bumblebee gobies and amano shrimps? i've seen situations when pinochio shrimps and cherry shrimps were kept with Bumblebees. Also +1 on sulawesi gobies or darters


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## zerodameaon (Dec 2, 2014)

Stiphodons are generally safe, I have yet to see them do more then run into the shrimp on their way to steal the soilent green. As for my lipstick goby, I just found out he will attempt to eat a amano shrimp that is as big as him. He is getting moved to my carnivore tank because apparently micro predator means stuff that is small to humans, not in relation to the fish.


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## Cow Goes Moo (Apr 13, 2015)

Many thanks everyone for the experiences you have had. Very excited about being able to have gobies again someday. Going to let the tank get established to give them the environment that will suit them best. Happy day!


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## RugburnTanks (Mar 31, 2015)

Peacock gudgeons or gobies are small little gobies that are colorful and interesting to watch. However they are a little different from most gobble species


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## Grah the great (Jul 3, 2013)

As a rule, if a shrimp fits in a fish's mouth, the fish will try to eat it...most dwarf shrimp fit very comfortably in the mouths of most darters and gobies. I agree that bumblebees may be a good idea, but do note that BB's are picky eaters (I.E usually only take live or frozen food) and are quite sensitive to bad water conditions...since you are coming from saltwater I will assume that you are ready to deal with that.


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## PickieBee (Oct 29, 2014)

zerodameaon said:


> Stiphodons are generally safe, I have yet to see them do more then run into the shrimp on their way to steal the soilent green.


Anyone have any experience with Stiphodon atropurpureus? I've been wanting one but was concerned it would eat adult shrimp.


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## DevilDogDoc (Dec 12, 2014)

My BB will only eat frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp turns his nose up at flake.


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## zerodameaon (Dec 2, 2014)

PickieBee said:


> Anyone have any experience with Stiphodon atropurpureus? I've been wanting one but was concerned it would eat adult shrimp.


They are algae grazers. If you are at a store and the goby is really skinny on the body with a large head steer clear of it. They can be picky eaters but mine love Soilent Green. Just note, if you see lipstick gobies anywhere they are not the same as stiphodons and will tear shrimp up. Now that mine is in a different tank all the shrimp I have left now feel safe to venture out regardless of the stiphodons being around.


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Stiphodons are silly little suckermouths, perfectly harmless to shrimp. I don't think they'd even consider the idea of eating a shrimp.


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## Cow Goes Moo (Apr 13, 2015)

Thanks again to everyone's posting on their experiences. I will look to get a stiphodon or a couple if that wouldn't be an issue in a 40g breeder tank.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

I know this thread is a bit old, but just wanted to share as I keep quite a few species.
Stiphodon gobies will be fine with dwarf shrimp in my experience, they have sucker mouths are primarily algae eaters. I don't think they would even eat little baby shrimplets.

Sicyopus might work, they are next up for being safe with smaller aquatic life. I haven't personally kept these types, so I can't speak on being shrimp-safe, although I imagine they would be, at least for adult size.

Rhinogobius is a no-go, they have pretty large mouths and I would bet they would eat shrimps eagerly. I have even heard of them eating smaller gobies and small fish, like they say if it fits...

I do also keep Schismatogobius ampluvinculus. They go by a multitude of names, proven shrimp safe, I think there is also a Youtube vid out there. Very cool MINIATURE goby. They only reach about an inch long and cool thing is they can change colors! Probably won't find at your LFS, but some online stores sell them.
There is also a Sumatran glass goby out there as well that stays an inch and should be shrimp safe, but I think their body is more like a mid dweller swimming fish rather than a bottom dweller.

I've kept Peacock Gudgeons (not actually a goby) before and will nip fins. Some say they won't, but personal experience says they do, my faster more active fish were unharmed, but my pseudomugil rainbows and corydoras had nipped fins. Wouldn't even think of housing them with long finned fish.
Bumble Bee Gobies I have heard they are mean little fin nippers as well so I steered clear of them. I seen them at my LFS in a tank with pseudomugil gertrudae (small rainbowfish) and they nipped them up pretty good (the rainbows were there for weeks, then the BB come in and now the gerts are tore up) While on the subject of little fin nippers, many dwarf puffer fish species do so as well. 

Stocking wise, it is recommended at least 2 females per male, but with the proper amount of shelters/territory, you can house quite a few. They can have little scuffles, but no serious injuries and is actually a little fun to watch. But again I keep only stiphodons, not sure if rhinogobius are much more aggressive. Female gobies pretty much all look very similar and have little color.

The symbiosis relationship between saltwater gobies and pistol shrimp always intrigued me. Haven't found a interactive relationship like that in freshwater gobies, but they are still cool.

Haven't got into breeding gobies, but from most of what I hear, most freshwater gobies need brackish water to successfully breed.


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## zerodameaon (Dec 2, 2014)

WaterLife said:


> Haven't got into breeding gobies, but from most of what I hear, most freshwater gobies need brackish water to successfully breed.


The gobies will breed in fresh water, but the eggs get swept down river into the estuaries where they hatch and swim back up stream.


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## Cow Goes Moo (Apr 13, 2015)

WaterLife said:


> I know this thread is a bit old, but just wanted to share as I keep quite a few species.
> Stiphodon gobies will be fine with dwarf shrimp in my experience, they have sucker mouths are primarily algae eaters. I don't think they would even eat little baby shrimplets.
> 
> Sicyopus might work, they are next up for being safe with smaller aquatic life. I haven't personally kept these types, so I can't speak on being shrimp-safe, although I imagine they would be, at least for adult size.
> ...


Many thanks for your response. While I know it was a while ago when I first asked this, I am just about to start up my tank this weekend. I had to go slow stocking up equipment and supplies as I am making this go as a high tech tank. This weekend I will build my reactor and then start the fishless cycle. It's a 40gal breeder and the first of my plants will arrive sometime mid to late next week.

My hope is to still have gobies in my tank as I am still very much enamored with them. Schismatogobius ampluvinculus sounds very cool but if I can't find those I will go with Stiphodon gobies.

I am just going to wait for the tank to be fairly established before I introduce them.

Thanks again for your info. Well timed and great info.


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