Anyone with a Court Jester/Rainsford goby? What do you think?

[Fish Fan]

Hi all!

I've been looking for one last peaceful nano fish to round out a 15 gallon tank I've started. I already have a Yasha goby and a Tail Spot blenny. I am looking to add a court jester or Rainford's goby, Koumansetta rainfordi:

https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/products/court-jester

Anyone else have one? What do you think of them? Love to see pics if not too much trouble ;-)

I read that wild caught specimens can be tough to feed. The ones from Biota are supposed to be captive breed and will feed on pellets in addition to other foods.

Does anyone think that a court jester goby would go after a very small Randall's/Candy Cane pistol shrimp? I do already have a really small Randall's pistol shrimp for my Yasha, and I don't want anything to happen to the shrimp.

Thank you for your help!

 

[trmiv]

Love my biota court jester. I bought two, one for my reefer 350 and one for my Nuvo 20. Unfortunately the one in the Nuvo 20 never really ate well and wasted away. The one in my reefer 350 eats pretty much anything I feed. He’s gotten super comfortable in the tank has gone from mostly staying near the bottom to out and grazing all over the tank. Always has a plump belly. Really cool little fish. I doubt it would bother the shrimp.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Hi all!

I've been looking for one last peaceful nano fish to round out a 15 gallon tank I've started. I already have a Yasha goby and a Tail Spot blenny. I am looking to add a court jester or Rainford's goby, Koumansetta rainfordi:

https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/products/court-jester

Anyone else have one? What do you think of them? Love to see pics if not too much trouble ;-)

I read that wild caught specimens can be tough to feed. The ones from Biota are supposed to be captive breed and will feed on pellets in addition to other foods.

Does anyone think that a court jester goby would go after a very small Randall's/Candy Cane pistol shrimp? I do already have a really small Randall's pistol shrimp for my Yasha, and I don't want anything to happen to the shrimp.

Thank you for your help!

Shouldn't bother any fish or shrimp.

 

[Fish Fan]

Love my biota court jester. I bought two, one for my reefer 350 and one for my Nuvo 20. Unfortunately the one in the Nuvo 20 never really ate well and wasted away. The one in my reefer 350 eats pretty much anything I feed. He’s gotten super comfortable in the tank has gone from mostly staying near the bottom to out and grazing all over the tank. Always has a plump belly. Really cool little fish. I doubt it would bother the shrimp.

Thank you for your reply! Wow, sorry to hear your one goby didn't make it. I'm surprised, I would have thought that the fish from Botia would adapt easily, but I guess you can never be sure with a fish. Good to hear you don't think it will bother my shrimper!

Shouldn't bother any fish or shrimp.

Thanks, Eeyore! Always appreciate your help and advice!

Anyone got pics of their guy?? I'm liking this fish because it appears (to me) almost wrasse-like, but without the wrasse-like attitude many wrasses have. I'd love to see some more pics if anyone has them and wouldn't mind posting.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Thank you for your reply! Wow, sorry to hear your one goby didn't make it. I'm surprised, I would have thought that the fish from Botia would adapt easily, but I guess you can never be sure with a fish. Good to hear you don't think it will bother my shrimper!


Thanks, Eeyore! Always appreciate your help and advice!

Anyone got pics of their guy?? I'm liking this fish because it appears (to me) almost wrasse-like, but without the wrasse-like attitude many wrasses have. I'd love to see some more pics if anyone has them and wouldn't mind posting.

I don't have mine anymore but they were kind of shy...

 

[Fish Fan]

I don't have mine anymore but they were kind of shy...

I thought I read shy until they warm up. Am I mistaken?

 

[trmiv]

I don’t find my court jester shy at all now that it’s mature. For the first few months it was a surprise when I saw him, but not anymore. He’s always out and about. Stays close to the rocks/corals when the flow is on, but is all over the tank foraging. When I turn flow off to feed he swims all over the place and isn’t at all bothered by the other fish which massively dwarf him.

 

[Fish Fan]

I don’t find my court jester shy at all now that it’s mature. For the first few months it was a surprise when I saw him, but not anymore. He’s always out and about. Stays close to the rocks/corals when the flow is on, but is all over the tank foraging. When I turn flow off to feed he swims all over the place and isn’t at all bothered by the other fish which massively dwarf him.

I'm wondering if some may see their court jester goby as reclusive because they may be bothered by other fish in the tank. I already have a tail spot blenny and a Yasha goby, and I'm looking to add a court jester goby. These are all very peaceful fish. I'm hoping that in this mix a court jester goby would feel confident and at home.

 

[i cant think]

Hi all!

I've been looking for one last peaceful nano fish to round out a 15 gallon tank I've started. I already have a Yasha goby and a Tail Spot blenny. I am looking to add a court jester or Rainford's goby, Koumansetta rainfordi:

https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/products/court-jester

Anyone else have one? What do you think of them? Love to see pics if not too much trouble ;-)

I read that wild caught specimens can be tough to feed. The ones from Biota are supposed to be captive breed and will feed on pellets in addition to other foods.

Does anyone think that a court jester goby would go after a very small Randall's/Candy Cane pistol shrimp? I do already have a really small Randall's pistol shrimp for my Yasha, and I don't want anything to happen to the shrimp.

Thank you for your help!

How deep is the sand bed? How mature is it?

It’s all good that Biota’s are feeding on pellets but prepared foods don’t give these guys the nutrition they want. They get almost all of their nutrients from the sand and so if they completely eradicate life from there then they tend to starve out.

 

[Fish Fan]

How deep is the sand bed? How mature is it?

It’s all good that Biota’s are feeding on pellets but prepared foods don’t give these guys the nutrition they want. They get almost all of their nutrients from the sand and so if they completely eradicate life from there then they tend to starve out.

My tank was started on November 13th using aquacultured live rock and sand from TBS. I haven't added anything else, no fish or corals or anything, just the rock, sand, and whatever critters came with the rock and sand (various snails, hermits, a Mithrax crab, etc.). The tank has all kinds of algae, nothing out of control, but definitely a little bit of everything. The tank is teeming with 'pods, I see them all over the glass, so I think they must be in the sand and on the rocks too. My sand bed is about 1.5", and if I had to add more I would. I plan to do a full medicated QT on this fish if I get it, so the tank will be almost 6 months old when the fish goes in it.

This does raised a question I've been thinking about. One of my LFS's recently suggested I could add a mandarin goby to my little 15 gallon tank because it was from Biota and would eat frozen foods. Please know I have no intentions of adding a mandarin to my 15 gallon tank ;-) But I thought about it and wondered, if you put a tank raised fish that's eating frozen or even pellets in a tank that's just teeming with live 'pods that are the fish's natural food source, wouldn't the fish just go back to eating the 'pods? Wouldn't this fish wipe out my population of 'pods in no time? And then it's kind of a coin toss whether this fish would turn back to frozen or pellets?

If I do get the court jester goby, I think I will almost certainly order mine from Biota since I've read that wild caught fish tend to be very picky eaters and many don't make it.

Thank you for your help!

 

[i cant think]

My tank was started on November 13th using aquacultured live rock and sand from TBS. I haven't added anything else, no fish or corals or anything, just the rock, sand, and whatever critters came with the rock and sand (various snails, hermits, a Mithrax crab, etc.). The tank has all kinds of algae, nothing out of control, but definitely a little bit of everything. The tank is teeming with 'pods, I see them all over the glass, so I think they must be in the sand and on the rocks too. My sand bed is about 1.5", and if I had to add more I would. I plan to do a full medicated QT on this fish if I get it, so the tank will be almost 6 months old when the fish goes in it.

This does raised a question I've been thinking about. One of my LFS's recently suggested I could add a mandarin goby to my little 15 gallon tank because it was from Biota and would eat frozen foods. Please know I have no intentions of adding a mandarin to my 15 gallon tank ;-) But I thought about it and wondered, if you put a tank raised fish that's eating frozen or even pellets in a tank that's just teeming with live 'pods that are the fish's natural food source, wouldn't the fish just go back to eating the 'pods? Wouldn't this fish wipe out my population of 'pods in no time? And then it's kind of a coin toss whether this fish would turn back to frozen or pellets?

If I do get the court jester goby, I think I will almost certainly order mine from Biota since I've read that wild caught fish tend to be very picky eaters and many don't make it.

Thank you for your help!

I wouldn’t go for a Court Jester until your tank is at least 1 year old. Also, if you go for a Tank Bred fish, don’t QT it. That throws the fish under unnecessary stress as they are likely raised in fairly sterile conditions. The sand bed I’d try to get at 2.5 inches in the tank size you have.

The mandarin I disagree with in that size tank (although I’m aware you don’t plan on it). If you put the fish with its natural food source and it notices there’s more of that than there is of the prepared foods chances are that fish will revert back onto pods. Also, in the long term it’s rare for Mandarins to stay on the prepared diet as their main food source and instead go onto pods and every so often may feed on frozen.

 

[shakacuz]

owned one before and will definitely get another. peaceful algae grazer. i got mine from algaebarn and they mention that they eat cyano on top of the algae they normally consume. i did in one occasion witness mine eat cyano but am unsure if it was coincidence

 

[i cant think]

owned one before and will definitely get another. peaceful algae grazer. i got mine from algaebarn and they mention that they eat cyano on top of the algae they normally consume. i did in one occasion witness mine eat cyano but am unsure if it was coincidence

Nope not a coincidence! These guys are known for Cyano munching

My pair made my tank go from this;

To this (the corals were only added after I could see no cyano);

 

[shakacuz]

Nope not a coincidence! These guys are known for Cyano munching

My pair made my tank go from this;

To this (the corals were only added after I could see no cyano);

did you have 1 of each, or a pair of one in particular ?

 

[Fish Fan]

I wouldn’t go for a Court Jester until your tank is at least 1 year old. Also, if you go for a Tank Bred fish, don’t QT it. That throws the fish under unnecessary stress as they are likely raised in fairly sterile conditions. The sand bed I’d try to get at 2.5 inches in the tank size you have.

The mandarin I disagree with in that size tank (although I’m aware you don’t plan on it). If you put the fish with its natural food source and it notices there’s more of that than there is of the prepared foods chances are that fish will revert back onto pods. Also, in the long term it’s rare for Mandarins to stay on the prepared diet as their main food source and instead go onto pods and every so often may feed on frozen.

Thank you for the advice on the court jester. And that’s exactly what I was thinking about the mandarin hypothetical.

owned one before and will definitely get another. peaceful algae grazer. i got mine from algaebarn and they mention that they eat cyano on top of the algae they normally consume. i did in one occasion witness mine eat cyano but am unsure if it was coincidence

They definitely seem like great fish, but sounds like I would need a more mature tank. I had no idea they ate cyano, I just thought they hair algae, mostly.

Nope not a coincidence! These guys are known for Cyano munching

My pair made my tank go from this;

To this (the corals were only added after I could see no cyano);

That’s a nice transformation, thanks for sharing the pics! Again, I had no idea these fish would eat cyano, so definitely good to know.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

 

[mfinn]

I got a Rainsford Goby years ago after reading they would eat algae.
Ordered online and when he came I realized that I had made a mistake thinking he would help with algae control in my 180. Haha.
Guy was about 1" long. I rarely saw him in that big tank. He always hung out by himself, mostly cruising around the finger leathers.
So for one of these in a big tank, no, but a 15 gallon, I think it would fit perfect.

 

[Tired]

I have a Hector's goby, which is very similar. It hovers around the tank picking at algae, pods, and whatever else it finds. Wouldn't expect much actual algae control from it, due to it being quite small, but it's cute.

I wouldn't be too worried about it eating. Yours might actually not need to be fed if your tank is mature and full of things for it to pick at- they're one of those fish that can fend for themselves sometimes. If the tank isn't yet mature, wait before adding it.

Unless the pistol shrimp is the size of a mysis, most gobies, including these, should leave it alone.

 

[i cant think]

did you have 1 of each, or a pair of one in particular ?

I have a pair of Rainfordi. But I have owned both species available to the hobby and would love to own a hoesi one day.

 

[GardenofZoas20]

I have a pair of Rainfordi. But I have owned both species available to the hobby and would love to own a hoesi one day.

I have had several Biota court jesters and think they are great! They all start in a 20g well established tank. Keep in mind they are only about 1" long when they arrive, but almost immediately start pecking the rock work. They seem to ignore all other fish and all critters ignore them. They seem to be great 'janitors', but no way are they going to correct a major issue by themselves.
First one I eventually moved to 70g display tank with no concerns (solid 2.5" long). That tank has a watchman/candy cane pair. Again all appear to ignore each other. Other fish they've been with include a molly miller blenny, tailspot blenny, YT, clowns, and chromis.
My only losses have been my own fault. I realized too late they can go into my wave makers which normally I shut off for feeding (still in when they came back on). After that I now leave them on during feeding unless I am sure they are too big to enter anymore.
They do hide in the rock sometimes so not as prominent as some fish, but I consider them ideal tank inhabitants for my systems.

 

[Fish Fan]

Thank you for the replies and help!

I'm not worried at all about algae control, only that I have enough algae to keep a court jest happy.

How do you determine when a tank would be mature enough for these fish? My tank was started on November 11th, but I used aquacultured live rock and sand from TBS. I have coralline algae growing on the glass, I see 'pods all over the glass. What other indicators should I look for? I think a court jester goby would be a great addition to my tank, but it sounds like my tank may need to mature a little longer yet.

Thanks again everyone!