Gobies

Gobies are small, peaceful bottom-dwellers that suit nano tanks, and they span the hobby: freshwater gudgeons and Stiphodon, marine sand-sifters and shrimp gobies, and the brackish bumblebee goby in between. Many perch on rock or pair up with a pistol shrimp, and most stay well under a few inches. Each profile lists tank size, diet and temperament.

Tank size: 5–145 gal; 5 gal (19 L) to 145 gal (550 L); half the list needs 14 gal (54 L) or more
Temperature: 73–81°F; 23–27°C, most of the list
pH: 7.0–8.2; Most of the list
Difficulty: 36 easy; 37 medium · 36 difficult
Temperament: 74 peaceful; 30 mostly peaceful · 5 aggressive
Reef safety: 40 reef safe; 8 reef safe with caution

109 species

Reef

Reef gobies, the nano reef's workforce

The Eviota and Trimma dwarf gobies are the smallest fish in the catalog, under an inch (2 to 3 cm), listed for 5 gallon (19 liter) tanks and rated easy. Neon gobies and the other Elacatinus cleaner gobies, the clown gobies that perch in coral and the yellow watchman goby that shares a burrow with a pistol shrimp are the classic reef gobies, and all but the clown gobies are marked reef safe without caveats. The sleeper gobies sift sand all day and keep it clean, but they are hard to keep fed, and the profiles rate them medium to difficult.

Streams

Freshwater stream gobies

Stiphodon, Sicyopus and Lentipes gobies come from fast, clear streams and graze algae and biofilm off the rocks. Most are rated difficult, not because they are fragile but because a new tank has nothing for them to eat and they starve quietly. Give them a mature tank with strong flow, cool clean water and light enough to grow algae, and they are among the most colorful freshwater fish there are. The Rhinogobius gobies want it cooler still, down to 61°F (16°C).

Gudgeons

Gudgeons and the easy community gobies

The peacock gudgeon is the community goby, a peaceful 3 inch (7.5 cm) fish for a 20 gallon (75 liter) tank that takes frozen food readily. The desert goby is the one freshwater goby rated beginner. Empire and carnival gudgeons sit midwater and school, and the purple-spotted gudgeon grows to 8 inches (20 cm) and eats anything small enough.

Brackish

Gobies for a brackish tank

The bumblebee gobies are sold everywhere and rated difficult here for one reason: they eat live and frozen food only and starve on flake. The knight goby wants the same brackish water. The violet goby is a 22 inch (55 cm) sand-sifter that lists a 119 gallon (450 liter) brackish tank, and the Indian mudskipper needs land as well as water. None of them belongs in a standard freshwater community.

Dartfish

Dartfish and firefish

Firefish and the dartfish hover in open water rather than sitting on the bottom, dart into a hole when startled, and jump. They are peaceful, rated easy, and reef safe, which makes them favorites for a first reef, as long as the tank has a lid. Firefish pair or go singly; the dartfish prefer a small group.

Pistol shrimp

The gobies that share a burrow with a pistol shrimp

A shrimp goby and a pistol shrimp share a burrow that the shrimp digs and the goby guards. The shrimp is nearly blind and keeps an antenna on the goby's tail; a flick sends both into the hole. The pink-spotted watchman goby is marked easy at 3.9 inches (10 cm) for 30 gallons (115 liters) and pairs with the tiger pistol shrimp, as do the orange-spot prawn goby and the pinkbar goby at 4.3 inches (11 cm). Randall's prawn goby is the same group at 4.7 inches (12 cm), marked medium. The yasha goby and the hi-fin red-banded goby are 2.4 inches (6 cm) for 15 to 20 gallons (57 to 75 liters) and pair with Randall's pistol shrimp instead. Each shrimp goby profile names the pistol shrimp it pairs with; buy the two together and give them a sand bed at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep.

Cleaners

The cleaner gobies

The Elacatinus gobies of the Caribbean and Brazil pick parasites off larger fish, which hold still and open their gills for them. All of them are marked easy, peaceful and reef safe at 1.6 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) for 11 gallons (40 liters); the sharknose goby lists 13 gallons (50 liters). The barber goby is the Brazilian one, the barsnout, broadstripe and red head gobies are the Caribbean cleaners, and the yellowline sponge goby lives in tube sponges. A pair spawns in a shell or a bit of pipe, and the fry are among the few marine fish raised at home.

By the numbers

Smallest

Largest

Easiest to keep

Most peaceful

Fits a 20 gallon tank

Fits a 30 gallon tank

FAQ

Common questions

Are gobies good for a nano tank?

The best there are. The dwarf gobies list 5 gallon (19 liter) tanks, the neon and clown gobies 10 gallons (40 liters), and on the freshwater side the bumblebee gobies fit similar tanks if you can feed them.

Do gobies eat algae?

The Stiphodon, Sicyopus and Lentipes stream gobies graze algae and biofilm and need it to survive. Most other gobies are carnivores that eat small frozen and live food.

What do gobies eat?

Small frozen food, mysis, brine shrimp and finely chopped seafood for the reef and community gobies. Bumblebee gobies take only live and frozen food. Sleeper gobies need sand to sift and several feedings a day.

Can gobies live in freshwater?

Yes. More than half the rows on this page are freshwater fish, the gudgeons, the stream gobies and the Rhinogobius among them, and a few, like the bumblebee and knight gobies, are brackish.

Do gobies jump?

The dartfish and firefish do, and the clown and neon gobies less often. Fit a lid, or at least mesh over the gaps.

Which goby pairs with a pistol shrimp?

The yellow watchman goby and the other Cryptocentrus, Amblyeleotris and Stonogobiops prawn gobies. Buy the shrimp and goby together and they usually pair within a day.

Index