What is up with green clown gobies? Why can I never get it to eat?

[raquel]

I have tried 2 green clown gobies in my tanks and they always perish. I think they are great but I wont buy another one until I have figured out what they eat. They are healthy, they swim around, they look fine but they dont eat! I feed them brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, baby brine, you name it, they wont eat it. All my other gobies are doing great.

Help! What's the secret? Who has got one to last?

Thanks, Raquel

[martym]

do you have a sand bed, and how deep? they like to hide in the sand. They like live foor (brine shrimp and copods) as well as pytoplankton. I did a search on google and that is what I came up with. How old is your tank?

[marie]

do you have a sand bed, and how deep? they like to hide in the sand. They like live foor (brine shrimp and copods) as well as pytoplankton. I did a search on google and that is what I came up with. How old is your tank?

Green clown gobies live in corals, not sand. They can be hard to get to eat, from what I've read. The one I have eats mysis and flake no problem and has done since day one

[marie]

here's an article to read http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/hcs3/index.php

[Kabong]

Ive got 2 that im trying to mate.
First off, What size is your tank, how old is it and which spieces are we refering too?

Gobiodon histrio
http://www.scienceinpublic.com/sciencenow/2003/coral_goby.jpg
or
Gobiodon erythrospilus
http://www.scienceinpublic.com/sciencenow/2003/Gobiodon_erythrospilus.jpg


Mine are histrio

Smaller is better to start with these guys.
They are pod eaters so they will generally eat pods until they have decimated the population.

My first one started in a 3.5 gal went for about 2 weeks without touching any prepaired foods.
After he finished with the pods and he was actually hungry. I got him to start takeing frozen brine by using a pipet and making the shrimp wiggle in and out of the end right in front of his face, Once he got use to taking frozen he pretty much adapted to prepaired foods without a problem.

My second one started in a 10 Gal its very young and while it fed off pods for the first few days,
It quickley learned by example from my 1st.

They now live off my mix off brine, garlic, Mysis flake, Veg flake, and cyclopeeze. But will take flake if i dont have any mix made up. Small feedings once in the morning and once at nite.

I also noticed that because they are a pod grazer, They dont eat all at once and need a little time between each bite.

There natural habitat it in the branch's of acropora coral, Even a skeleton of one will help them feel more comfortable and help ease there transiton to tank life.

[raquel]

Mine were histrio's. My first tank was a 90 gallon with a 2-3 inch sand bed. It was 2 years old. I recently switched to a 38 gallon with a 2-3 inch sand bed, same old live rock, corals and fish. But the new (2nd) green clown goby also died.

Everyone else is fine.

Thanks for the info and the articles.

[raquel]

I just found my green clown goby swimming around one of my branching corals. He looks well so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hadnt seen him for days so I assumed he was dead, but luckily, s/he is still ok.

I will try increasing my pod pop.

Thanks everyone for the info.

Raq

[Psyire]

Mine hides in my rocks and sinularia. My lawnmower blenny really dosen't like him and chases him around the tank any time he see's him. (I'm not sure why since they eat different things) I've had mine since July 31st and he's still doing well. I guess I am lucky because he eats frozen food, flake, pellet, and pretty much anything except Nori. (and has since day 1) He is a Gobiodon histrio.