thinking about getting these two fish tell me what you think.

[Gabriel]

went to the lfs today and saw that they brought in a bunch of hectors gobies i was thinking about getting 2 of them to help clean up my sand and eat a little hair algae that's here and there. (for my 56gallon tank)

before i get them can you tell me some things to look out for be for i get them.

also each one was in a separate tank do they not like each other or? can i get the 2?

[Doug1]

http://www.themarinecenter.com/fish/gobies/hectorsgoby/

They will not get on well with other of their kind, and may be picky eaters, similar to Rainford's Gogy

[Gabriel]

even if the are babies? and if i put them in at the same time? there about 1inch long

[SWINGRRRR]

Originally Posted by Gabriel

even if the are babies? and if i put them in at the same time? there about 1inch long

Not trying to be a butt, but even asking that means you are not listening to the answer you got, to the question you posted looking for help. TMC says they will fight with more than 1. Its not listed to question it. It means they will fight. Both will be in poor health till one dies.

Also, a 56gal may not be enough to support 2. What if they strip the tank clean in a week? Then they have no food. Better to have 1 fat fish, than 2 starving just so you can be happy with 2.

Just get 1. Enjoy him.

[dv3]

Originally Posted by Gabriel

even if the are babies? and if i put them in at the same time? there about 1inch long

ok folks ...we got another hard head like me ...well at least he is doin some research so maybe they would be better off than dying at the lfs or in someones tank who has done no research

[luther1200]

I don't think the OP is crazy for asking. I have seen things "that won't get along happily in a tank" together for years. Just like me 6-line Wrasse and Psuedochromis. And I certainly don't think flaming him with bold and underlined words for asking is appropriate, or very good forum etiquette.

[Doug1]

Originally Posted by luther1200

I don't think the OP is crazy for asking. I have seen things "that won't get along happily in a tank" together for years. Just like me 6-line Wrasse and Psuedochromis. And I certainly don't think flaming him with bold and underlined words for asking is appropriate, or very good forum etiquette.

I don't consider that a flame. The question was asked and I gave an answer based on not only that link I posted but reading a few other sites, including one that quoted S. Micheals published fish guide. That info and a lot more is available just by typing in Hectors Goby in google.
The fish don't read so theres always a possibility that you might get lucky in a large tank, but why take a chance.
A 1" fish is not a baby it's at least half grown and chances are it won't take to another of it's kind in it's tank.

[Jadinop]

An important point that's been missed is the Hectors and Rainfords gobies requires red or green filamentous algae in the tank for their longterm survival. In my experience, they won't touch hair algae at all. Since many of us go out of our way to erradicte all traces of algae in our tanks, these fish tend to wither away and die within a few weeks/months.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/3/fish

[Gabriel]

well this thread got a little out of hand. anyway my first stop when i resarch things is LiveAquaria grant it there info is correct most of the time. its not the only site i go to but its usually the first.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...176&pcatid=176

here i did not read anything about not being able to have 2 or more in the same tank. thats why when Doug gave me that link to the other site there was a "clash" of ideas.

at the first link doug gave me it says they gorw to .5 inches long at a wholbunch of other sites i saw they say 3.5inches and i thought 1inch was a pretty small fish.

[Gabriel]

Originally Posted by SWINGRRRR

Not trying to be a butt, but even asking that means you are not listening to the answer you got, to the question you posted looking for help. TMC says they will fight with more than 1. Its not listed to question it. It means they will fight. Both will be in poor health till one dies.

could you please tell me were it says that they will fight on this web page because i read the whole page and it does not say that, what it does say is

"A close relative of Rainford's Goby, Hector's Goby is much less frequently available. This is a peaceful species and should not be kept with pugnacious tankmates."

this does not tell me they will kill each other.

secondly i did read doug's second statement.

[bcrum51]

I've always heard two goby in a tank of your size its going to be a constant battle for territory my goby is super territorial I think I would make the right safe choice and get one goby plus since you won't buy the second one you can get a different fish!

[Gabriel]

yea thats what im going to do now, just get one. i just wanted some opinions on the matter of the 2 i wanted to get.

[Doug1]

from the site I originally posted ;
"A close relative of Rainford's Goby, Hector's Goby is much less frequently available. This is a peaceful species and should not be kept with pugnacious tankmates. Hector's goby can be very secretive, especially when first added to the tank and will remain hidden if it is picked on. This species is rarely aggressive towards other bottom-dwelling fishes, with the exception of closely related forms. It will do best in a tank that has some filamentous green algae, which it will graze upon."
Looking through sevearl more postings on google, you are right, there is a lot of mixed info out there, I have seen max size listed at 2-4 inches tho most list it as 1". A couple sites indicated it ia peaceful but aggressive with conspecifics, while other suggest groupings( commercial sites, take with grain of salt) I can't find the site I looked at that referenced Scott Miccheal's fish book
So all in all, I don't know what to tell you, you might get lucky in an established 55g but I wouldn't try it, unless I had another tank available if it went badly, then again I wouldn't want to try and catch one in a 55g reef.
Good luck , whatever route you choose, and update us how things go, the more actual experience posted the easier it is to provide better info, rather than relying on google searches, ya know what i mean?

[chrisd]

Originally Posted by luther1200

I don't think the OP is crazy for asking. I have seen things "that won't get along happily in a tank" together for years. Just like me 6-line Wrasse and Psuedochromis. And I certainly don't think flaming him with bold and underlined words for asking is appropriate, or very good forum etiquette.

i have to agree that is why we ask questions to be sure and flaming someone is not going to help anyone. someone new to the hobby reading this post my take it the way i did and think that his or her question may be stupid and not ask. isn't that why we say there is no stupid question but the one not asked.

[luther1200]

Originally Posted by Doug1

I don't consider that a flame. The question was asked and I gave an answer based on not only that link I posted but reading a few other sites, including one that quoted S. Micheals published fish guide. That info and a lot more is available just by typing in Hectors Goby in google.
The fish don't read so theres always a possibility that you might get lucky in a large tank, but why take a chance.
A 1" fish is not a baby it's at least half grown and chances are it won't take to another of it's kind in it's tank.

I wasn't reffering to your post.