Blue Neon Goby: Sick, Pregnant, or just plain FAT?

['Ric]

Sorry for the bad pic, but is it good enough to tell if my Blue Neon Cleaner Goby is sick, pregnant, or fat?? its tummy actually looks like it might be slighlt lumpy, unless it's just the lighting.

 

I have a mated pair, and they get along well. They are the fastest fish in the tank, so I think they can eat as much food as they want to as I try to feed the jawfish, etc.

 

Are there any telltail signs? A special behavoir to look for?

 

Should I put it in a breeder net, or the eggs after she lays, or try to scoop up fry?

 

'Ric

Edited March 3, 2007 by 'Ric

[lanman]

Sorry for the bad pic, but is it good enough to tell if my Blue Neon Cleaner Goby is sick, pregnant, or fat?? its tummy actually looks like it might be slighlt lumpy, unless it's just the lighting.

 

I have a mated pair, and they get along well. They are the fastest fish in the tank, so I think they can eat as much food as they want to as I try to feed the jawfish, etc.

 

Are there any telltail signs? A special behavoir to look for?

 

Should I put it in a breeder net, or the eggs after she lays, or try to scoop up fry?

 

'Ric

 

Quotes from various sites on the internet:

 

"The parents are small and may be maintained easily in a twenty gallon system. They pair and spawn readily and regularly, with demersal (bottom) eggs, and parental care. "

 

"Commercial breeders use short section of small diameter plastic pipe as spawning sites and raise the eggs separate from their parents, but they will spawn and rear their young on most anything solid. The fry are raised on unicellular plankton (Euplotes & Brachionus are recommended). The young are fully developed in a month; which seems fast until you realize their full lifespan is but a year or two. Please see the references below if you are intent on breeding Gobiosoma. "

 

"most Neon Gobies will lay their eggs onto almost any solid surface at the bottom of the aquarium. Although fry are often raised separately from the parents, Neon Gobies do show parental care and will raise their own young if their eggs remain in their aquarium. Unicellular plankton is the diet of the fry; often, Euplotes and Brachionus are used. "

 

" If you do have a mated pair and good water conditions you may be able to breed them in your tank. Both parents will guard the nest and protect the eggs from the other fish in the aquarium. It may be a good idea to separate the parents and eggs into their own tank if this happens. Because they are relatively easy to bred, many places are now offering tank raised gobies for sale. "

 

Sounds do-able, either way!

 

bob

['Ric]

Sounds great! If she is pregnant, where can I find Euplotes and/or Brachionus plankton? I assume living plankton would be best.

 

'Ric