TankBud

Freshwater bumblebee goby

Brachygobius aggregatus

Also known as Aggregatus bumblebee, Freshwater bumble bee goby

FreshwaterFish

Freshwater bumblebee goby (Brachygobius aggregatus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.8–7.8
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Philippine fresh waters

Overview

The freshwater bumblebee goby is a small, boldly banded goby for a calm tank full of perches and caves. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

Bumblebee gobies are known for the salt question, since many do best in brackish water. The freshwater bumblebee goby settles it by living in fully fresh streams, so it can be kept with no added salt at all.

Caring for the freshwater bumblebee goby

Keep a small group of freshwater bumblebee gobies in at least 11 gal (40 L), with lots of structure. Provide plenty of perches and caves among rock, roots and plants, with broken sight lines so each fish can claim a spot. Use a soft substrate and gentle flow.

Keep the water warm at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), neutral to slightly alkaline and mid-hard, at a pH of 6.8 to 7.8. It feeds on small live and frozen invertebrates such as zooplankton. Offer baby brine shrimp, cyclops and microworm, since it often ignores dry flake.

The freshwater bumblebee goby is mostly peaceful and social but a little territorial. It stays near the bottom and perches on decor between darting feeds. Keep only calm, small tank mates.

It has no reliable record of being bred in the home aquarium. Its genus lays eggs in caves that the male then guards.

Good to know

Brachygobius aggregatus is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described by Herre in 1940. Like other bumblebee gobies, it wears black and yellow bands. It is also known as the aggregatus bumblebee.

In the wild

The freshwater bumblebee goby lives in the Philippines and nearby Southeast Asia. It ranges through streams, canals and marshes, from fully fresh water down to the brackish edge of estuaries, often among plant growth.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The freshwater bumblebee goby is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a freshwater bumblebee goby need?

A freshwater bumblebee goby needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a freshwater bumblebee goby need?

A freshwater bumblebee goby is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.8–7.8.

What does a freshwater bumblebee goby eat?

A freshwater bumblebee goby eats small live and frozen invertebrates. Offer baby brine shrimp, cyclops and microworm, since it often ignores dry flake.

How big does a freshwater bumblebee goby get?

An adult freshwater bumblebee goby reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

How does a freshwater bumblebee goby breed?

The freshwater bumblebee goby has never been reliably recorded breeding in a home aquarium. Its genus lays eggs in caves, and the male then guards them.

Related species