Have you ever imagined the Bumblebee is swimming in your aquarium? It is not the one that you can find in the Transformer, though. It is about the cute little Bumblebee Goby that will jazz your tank up with its beautiful colors.
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General Information
As the name suggests, the Bumblebee Goby, which is also known as Brachygobius xanthozona, has the same colors as a bee with yellow and black stripes.
The Goby is a kind of tropical freshwater fish that is native to Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is one of the species of bottom-dwelling fish which is usually found in rivers or streams where it can find lots of hiding spots.
This pretty little fish will be able to beef your tank up. When you purchase it, you will probably get the young one with a size of approximately 1 cm. As time goes by, its size can reach up to 4 cm.
Sexing these fish is merely a breeze. The males have a brighter color than the females do. They are also more slender than females.
When you put your Goby in the tank, it might be shy at first. But when it is accustomed to being in the new environment, it will be quite aggressive, especially the males as they are highly territorial. Luckily, it is not something that you should worry about.
The lifespan of this fish is around three years due to the requirements that this fish needs to thrive well in captivity. However, some aquarists claim that their gobies can live for about 4 years or older.
Requirements
Since the Bumblebee Goby is somewhat small, you do not need a large tank to keep them. A 10-gallon tank will be just perfectly fine.
This fish belongs to the group of brackish fish. But putting it in a freshwater tank will do in a pinch as long as you keep up the pH and hardness. If you insist upon keeping this fish in brackish water, add marine salt solution until you reach a specific gravity of 1.004.
Do not try to put this fish in a saltwater tank. It might seem that there is not any problem at first, but your fish will not thrive well.
The Goby enjoys hanging out at the bottom of the tank. Therefore, make sure you add a sandy substrate at the bottom so it can move freely and dig it.
Do not forget to add some plants in the tank because this fish is a little bit shy sometimes. It does need a place to hide.
Although this fish is small and will not pollute the tank frequently, installing a good filtration system is necessary. Make sure that you keep the filter on a low level.
The temperature of the tank has to be between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius. Keep the pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. The hardness of the water has to be around 143-357 ppm. The KH level should be maintained between 6 and 20.
Diet of Bumblebee Goby
The most challenging thing about keeping the Bumblebee Goby is feeding it. This fish is a kind of picky eater. It likes the food that is floating near it, which means you cannot feed it on a diet of flakes that tend to float on the surface of the water.
Goby likes eating live food. If the food is not moving, the first will ignore it. Therefore, giving the fish blood worm and brine shrimp would be your safe choice.
Mating of Bumblebee Goby
Breeding Bumblebee gobies is not a simple task to do. However, you can do it well if you provide them with the right circumstances.
You need to observe the males and females before breeding them. When the males are brighter in the term of coloration, and the females are more swollen, you can begin adding fresh water into the tank to reduce salinity.
The female will lay 100-200 eggs in a small ceramic tube, beneath a rock, in a flowerpot, or a cave. As soon as the female lays the eggs, it leaves them with the male. The male will protect them from any disturbance, including from the female.
If it is possible, you can move the eggs to another tank to help the fry survive. The incubation period lasts for 7 or 9 days.
But you can opt for letting the male do the job, instead. At about 28 degrees Celsius, the eggs will finally hatch, and the male will protect the fry.
Tank Mates for Bumblebee Goby
The Bumblebee Goby usually lives in groups. Thus, keeping 6 to 7 gobies in the same tank will be much better than in a community tank.
But if you are looking for the best tank mates for your gobies, try getting different peaceful-tempered fish that have the same size as them. The fish will also have the ability to live in brackish water like guppies and mollies.
Fishes that move in the middle or near the surface of the water layer can make good tank mates for the gobies.
Buying Bumblebee Goby
When purchasing the Bumblebee Goby in a fish store, you have to be careful as it is difficult to distinguish it with other Brachygobius fishes due to the similar look. It will be better if you get it from a reliable person that knows the right species.
Overall Specifications
- Tank size –10 gallons or more
- The Hardness of water – ranging from 143 to 357 ppm
- Level of pH – ranging from 6.5 to 7.5
- Level of KH – around 6 or 20
- Temperature – from 230 C to 260 C (730 F to 790 F)
- Breeding – Egg hatching
- Incubation period – 7 to 9 days
Why Is It Recommended to Buy These Fish?
One of the most common reasons why you should buy the Bumblebee Goby is that it has beautiful black and yellow stripes going along from head to tail. It is also a peaceful fish that can get along well with other fishes that share the same size and ability.
You might think that the Bumblebee Goby is hard to take care of. But if you can provide them with all the requirements, it can thrive well and become an active fish that likes swimming at the bottom of your tank.