Fish questions: masked gobies, greenbanded gobies, and yellow headed jawfish

[Amelanchier]

I’m starting to work on the aquascape for my new tank so I’m also thinking about future fish plans. I’d like one species that more or less hangs out on the rocks/in the water column and one that hangs

Tank: UNS 60U - 19 gallons (23.5” x 14” x 14”)
Lid: either mesh or glass, still figuring this out. I will have a HOB refugium and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to neatly cover it and the tank in a way that leaves no space for jumpy jawfish (or gobies, but I know jawfish are especially prone to jumping)


I think I’d like to have some combination of:

2 greenbanded gobies (pair)
2 yellow headed jawfish (pair)
3 masked gobies

Here are some questions I have.

1) Do greenbanded gobies tend to stay on the sand, do they generally stick to the rocks, or do they go all over?

2) I’ve found multiple reports of yellow headed jawfish pairs spawning in 20 gallon tanks. The way I’m planning things I’ll have a 9x13.5” area that is “open” sand bed sprinkled with very small rubble, shells, and where possibly some caulerpa prolifera grows. I’ll also have 2-3” between the rocks and the glass on all sides so there will be more sand area but it won’t be as large of an expanse. I could make at least some of the large sand area 3” deep. Does this sound like the kind of tank a jawfish pair would be happy in? I also want fish that look like they’re to scale/not too big for the tank.

3) The part of the tank that has rocks will have at least a couple of small caves and lots and lots of holes for gobies to sleep in/hang out in. The rocks will have a couple of gorgonians and some macroalgae on them. Also some Ricordea and a rock flower anemone or two down at the base. Does this sound like a good habitat for masked gobies?

4) If you were me which two species would you choose and why?

 

[blaxsun]

1. Sand or rock work.
2. Jawfish like caves and crevices right near the sand bed. 3" is probably more than enough (you could probably get away with 1.5"-2").
3. Sounds like goby paradise. Good luck finding your fish!
4. Honestly, it really comes down to personal preference and budget. I have a Rainford's goby somewhere in my tank that I luck out and see maybe once in a blue moon (160 gallons and 150lbs of rockwork = goby heaven).

 

[<*]]]<]

Masked gobies are great for that sized tank. Unlike the tiger goby I have, the Masked Gobies are more apt to swim in the water column in addition to their normal rock dwelling. They also school in a manner similar to firefish, which is great in a small tank. However, their small size would give me pause with the rock flower anemone you mentioned.

If you go the Masked Goby route, KPaquatics usually carries them.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The tank is too small for 7 fish, I wouldn’t put more than 3 or 4. 3” sandbed is not enough for jswfish IME

 

[Amelanchier]

The tank is too small for 7 fish, I wouldn’t put more than 3 or 4. 3” sandbed is not enough for jswfish IME

yeah that’s why I said I wanted to do two of those species, and I’m looking for people’s experiences with all three species as I figure out which two are best for my tank. I definitely don’t want seven fish. The jawfish were the ones I’ve been most hesitant about.

Have you kept yellow headed jawfish yourself? Have they spawned in your tank? I keep seeing articles that say they need a very deep sand bed so I’d initially ruled them out but then I came across numerous people sharing their experiences with the species and based on those threads and videos I’ve seen of the species in aquaria it looks like they often choose places in the tank where the sand is shallow even if there are deeper areas of sand available. Like I said though, that’s the species I’m most hesitant about so I’d definitely like to see a picture of your setup if you’ve had them!

Edited to add: Sorry, my questions about your own experience with this particular species of jawfish might have sounded kind of aggressive. Since I can’t go dive in Florida/the Caribbean myself I’m trying to use other methods to choose two species of fish for my tank that will have defined territories (and not feel cramped) and that I can design my rock work/tank setup around to make conditions as good as possible for the chosen species, and I want the two species to occupy different tank niches.

 

[Amelanchier]

Masked gobies are great for that sized tank. Unlike the tiger goby I have, the Masked Gobies are more apt to swim in the water column in addition to their normal rock dwelling. They also school in a manner similar to firefish, which is great in a small tank. However, their small size would give me pause with the rock flower anemone you mentioned.

If you go the Masked Goby route, KPaquatics usually carries them.

yeah! The schooling nature is part of what attracted me to them. That said I’ve also read about them picking each other off until only one remains. What size tank do you have them in and how many do you have? I was also thinking about them and the rock flower and wondering about that. I’ll keep thinking about that and looking for more info.

Is your tiger goby the Caribbean species that is translucent with thin horizontal black rings around it? That’s another fish I’ve sort of considered. Does it stick to the rocks or go on the sand bed as well? One of my priorities is selecting species that use different niches in the tank.

 

[Tchung23]

I had a pair of jawfish in my tank. They never spawned but they seemed happy. They live in their own burrows and I I have about 2” of sand bed. They built their homes and definitely made their homes deeper. Some parts are 4-5” of sand. So be prepared for them to move sand around.

 

[<*]]]<]

You are correct regarding the tiger goby. The one in my tank sticks entire to the rocks as if magnetically attached, only venturing out to grab food and dart back.

Regarding the masked Goby, they show 0 aggression in the tank and cohabitate with each other and the other tankmates well. I also have a yellow line Goby and 3 firefish.

System volume is a 34g RS 170 with a 9g sump.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I’m starting to work on the aquascape for my new tank so I’m also thinking about future fish plans. I’d like one species that more or less hangs out on the rocks/in the water column and one that hangs

Tank: UNS 60U - 19 gallons (23.5” x 14” x 14”)
Lid: either mesh or glass, still figuring this out. I will have a HOB refugium and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to neatly cover it and the tank in a way that leaves no space for jumpy jawfish (or gobies, but I know jawfish are especially prone to jumping)


I think I’d like to have some combination of:

2 greenbanded gobies (pair)
2 yellow headed jawfish (pair)
3 masked gobies

Here are some questions I have.

1) Do greenbanded gobies tend to stay on the sand, do they generally stick to the rocks, or do they go all over?

2) I’ve found multiple reports of yellow headed jawfish pairs spawning in 20 gallon tanks. The way I’m planning things I’ll have a 9x13.5” area that is “open” sand bed sprinkled with very small rubble, shells, and where possibly some caulerpa prolifera grows. I’ll also have 2-3” between the rocks and the glass on all sides so there will be more sand area but it won’t be as large of an expanse. I could make at least some of the large sand area 3” deep. Does this sound like the kind of tank a jawfish pair would be happy in? I also want fish that look like they’re to scale/not too big for the tank.

3) The part of the tank that has rocks will have at least a couple of small caves and lots and lots of holes for gobies to sleep in/hang out in. The rocks will have a couple of gorgonians and some macroalgae on them. Also some Ricordea and a rock flower anemone or two down at the base. Does this sound like a good habitat for masked gobies?

4) If you were me which two species would you choose and why?

Might be a tad small for the jawfish IMO.

Consider getting some fish that dont keep to the bottom, since those are all bottom dwelling animals there may be some risk of aggression from the Jawfish in particular, especially in a tank that size.

3ish in or more of sand around is best IMO and its good to have it around the tank, instead of just a small area.

 

[i cant think]

I’m starting to work on the aquascape for my new tank so I’m also thinking about future fish plans. I’d like one species that more or less hangs out on the rocks/in the water column and one that hangs

Tank: UNS 60U - 19 gallons (23.5” x 14” x 14”)
Lid: either mesh or glass, still figuring this out. I will have a HOB refugium and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to neatly cover it and the tank in a way that leaves no space for jumpy jawfish (or gobies, but I know jawfish are especially prone to jumping)


I think I’d like to have some combination of:

2 greenbanded gobies (pair)
2 yellow headed jawfish (pair)
3 masked gobies

Here are some questions I have.

1) Do greenbanded gobies tend to stay on the sand, do they generally stick to the rocks, or do they go all over?

2) I’ve found multiple reports of yellow headed jawfish pairs spawning in 20 gallon tanks. The way I’m planning things I’ll have a 9x13.5” area that is “open” sand bed sprinkled with very small rubble, shells, and where possibly some caulerpa prolifera grows. I’ll also have 2-3” between the rocks and the glass on all sides so there will be more sand area but it won’t be as large of an expanse. I could make at least some of the large sand area 3” deep. Does this sound like the kind of tank a jawfish pair would be happy in? I also want fish that look like they’re to scale/not too big for the tank.

3) The part of the tank that has rocks will have at least a couple of small caves and lots and lots of holes for gobies to sleep in/hang out in. The rocks will have a couple of gorgonians and some macroalgae on them. Also some Ricordea and a rock flower anemone or two down at the base. Does this sound like a good habitat for masked gobies?

4) If you were me which two species would you choose and why?

I think I remember reading this thread however never replied to it for whatever reason (Most likely tiredness).
For the people who say it’s too small for 7 fish… I have 9 in a Red Sea Max Nano.

Just to give you an idea on what those 9 are;
Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (Temp),
Naoko Fairy Wrasse (Temp),
Yasha Goby,
Acicularis Clown Goby,
Hectors Goby,
Griessinger Goby,
Tevegae Goby Pair,
Linear Blenny.

Gobies have extremely low bioloads and I have a ton of rockwork to provide plenty of crevices for everyone to hang in. Gobies are also much more communal than people think, Trimma species are excellent and can be put with Masked Gobies (The Genus escaped me - I’ll update when I remember it) and even other Trimma species.

Green Banded Gobies can be kept in more than just a pair. In fact I find some people keep them in groups of 4 as it can improve their skittishness but also if they want to pair off they have that option. I have found that Elacantinus multifasciatus prefers the over hangs in aquariums and they seem to be slightly more nocturnal than they are diurnal but can be seen awake in the day time too. They may take a bit of time to get feeding so if you can find a pair or group already feeding in the LFS you should be good to go.

Masked Gobies are also good choices however Id personally get a group of 4 so they have that choice to pair off if they wanted. I have found them to be more diurnal than they are nocturnal but also they go nicely with Trimma gobies as they can mix in between them and form a larger group IME. As for how skittish they are, I have found they’re similar in shyness to Trimma and Eviota gobies. Feeding requirements are very similar to Eviota, Trimma and Elacantinus multifasciatus. These guys prefer to be in the open water and hovering in the water column so make sure to have a few dead spots (Usually with coral these can occur naturally between the coral branches).

Jawfish are slightly hardier fish and actually I too have discovered the Yellow Head prefers the shallower areas where rock hits the sand. Mine would go towards the back middle where there was less sand however my red and dusky went towards the back left where there was deeper sand. When I had my yellow head he was in 2 inch deep sand and preferred the gaps in the rock. Feeding is also much easier as they feed more often in captivity however finding a pair can prove rather difficult.

Your tank sounds like heaven for gobies, I’d personally go for a Masked Goby Harem with some Trimmas or Eviotas in the mix as they all prefer the water column. For example, here’s a few photos of my newest gobies, assumed to be Trimma tevegae, these are more uncommon and the more common trimmas include T. cana, T. rubrimaculatus, T. striatus and T. benjamini.

 

[<*]]]<]

To the original poster, when considering small fish of this scale(couldn't resist the fish pun), I would definitely consider fish eggs for feeding. I originally got some San Francisco Bay fish eggs for LPS feeding and found out that that they are perfect as a general food for nano fish. Mysis and Brine are a bit large for the small mouth fish, but the fish eggs are just right.

 

[Amelanchier]

That’s great to know about the fish eggs. I actually happened to have a bottle on order to try as part of a food mix for a variety of inverts so it’s nice to hear that the gobies will likely be fans of them too.

I think jawfish are out. Have any of you kept greenbanded gobies and masked gobies in the same tank? If so, how big was/is your tank, how many gobies did you have of each species, and was there any aggression?

 

[i cant think]

That’s great to know about the fish eggs. I actually happened to have a bottle on order to try as part of a food mix for a variety of inverts so it’s nice to hear that the gobies will likely be fans of them too.

I think jawfish are out. Have any of you kept greenbanded gobies and masked gobies in the same tank? If so, how big was/is your tank, how many gobies did you have of each species, and was there any aggression?

When I worked in the LFS we had all small gobies in the same tank, they all got along and nobody was aggressive other than a bit of bickering here and there from a couple gobiodons.
If I remember correctly, we usually got 4-6 Green bandeds and 3-5 Masked with about 10 or so other gobies.