Hector, or Court Jester?

[ZachariahBeanzz]

Hey! I’ve been recently creating a stocking list for a 20g AIO, and currently have:
Tailspot Blenny
Pink Skunk clownfish
And a hector, or court jester goby.
I’ve recently been given different answers for both, and why I should get one over the other. For the discussions I’ve read, it seems that it’s the same reasoning for why I should get one (easier to feed, better adapted for aquariums, etc), but when I read another article, it says the opposite. I was wondering which is actually true, and if you have any experience, please help me with knowing if I should have a court jester or hectors.
PS. I’m also not totally sure about skunk clown, so any advice on that would be great!

 

[Fish Fan]

These are very similar feesh, and both can potentially be a difficult feeder. I would really suggest a Court Jestor from Biota, I had one and it ate absolutely everything:
https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/products/court-jester
Good luck!

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

These are very similar feesh, and both can potentially be a difficult feeder. I would really suggest a Court Jestor from Biota, I had one and it ate absolutely everything:
https://shop.thebiotagroup.com/products/court-jester
Good luck!

Thanks! Do you think that stocking list is fine for a 20g? I’ve heard it’s mostly okay, but some mixed ideas

 

[tharbin]

Hectors and Rainfords (Court Jesters) are very similar fish. The one difference is that Court Jesters have been breed in captivity by Biota. A captive breed fish is more likely to take prepared foods. I have had one or the other in every saltwater tank I've had and never had any trouble keeping either but it is less likely that a Hectors will take prepared foods. The flip side of that is that the Hectors is more likely to pick at algae. Both will readily eat snail eggs and copepods.

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks! Do you think that stocking list is fine for a 20g? I’ve heard it’s mostly okay, but some mixed ideas

I had a Tailspot, a Court Jester, and a Yellow Watchman goby in a 15 gallon AIO, I think they did well. Clownfish can be aggressive, so just be aware of that with your list.

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

Hectors and Rainfords (Court Jesters) are very similar fish. The one difference is that Court Jesters have been breed in captivity by Biota. A captive breed fish is more likely to take prepared foods. I have had one or the other in every saltwater tank I've had and never had any trouble keeping either but it is less likely that a Hectors will take prepared foods. The flip side of that is that the Hectors is more likely to pick at algae. Both will readily eat snail eggs and copepods.

Thanks, I was mostly worried about it not eating, since if it doesn’t it, I won’t have a fish anymore. The algae picking is just a nice bonus. I’m definitely going to add copepods to the tank though, so hopefully, overall feeding isn’t bad.

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

I had a Tailspot, a Court Jester, and a Yellow Watchman goby in a 15 gallon AIO, I think they did well. Clownfish can be aggressive, so just be aware of that with your list.

Oh nice, sounds like a good tank. I’ve kept clowns before in a 20g with an orchid Dottyback, and they seemed to do fine, and I’ve read how skunk clowns (pink to be specific) are even more docile than occ clowns, so I would assume it would work out. Thanks for the provision though!

 

[Gundy]

I got 2 court jesters from biota about 6 months ago. They ate really well from the start but they come in very small. They have both grown but are still small and growing.

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

I got 2 court jesters from biota about 6 months ago. They ate really well from the start but they come in very small. They have both grown but are still small and growing.

Oh, thanks, I saw how BIOTA aquaculture’s them, I’ll definitely try and get it from there. I’m not too fussed about size, but just out of curiosity, how big did them come?

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

Oh, I also forgot to ask, in what order should I add the fish? I know the court jester would need an established tank, so not that, and the clown I know would be a bad idea adding first, so I would assume the tailspot?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I like the hectors goby better, if you compare side by side pictures, you will see the hectors is more colourful, with bright yellow lines on its body that you can see from across the room. The court jester's colour IMO are not as pronounced as the hectors, so the hectors is more attractive, but thats just my opinion.

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

I like the hectors goby better, if you compare side by side pictures, you will see the hectors is more colourful, with bright yellow lines on its body that you can see from across the room. The court jester's colour IMO are not as pronounced as the hectors, so the hectors is more attractive, but thats just my opinion.

Are there hectors that are captive bred? I really want to make sure it would be eating. Beautiful colors are nice, but since I’m a newer reefer, I want to make it easy as can be, and knowing that the fish would eat would make me feel better.

 

[Kasrift]

Thanks! Do you think that stocking list is fine for a 20g? I’ve heard it’s mostly okay, but some mixed ideas

Perfectly fine. I had a court jester in a 10g and loved it. Had three fish, a yellow watchman that was moved from a larger tank due to bullying, a tail spot and the court jester.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Are there hectors that are captive bred? I really want to make sure it would be eating. Beautiful colors are nice, but since I’m a newer reefer, I want to make it easy as can be, and knowing that the fish would eat would make me feel better.

sorry I don't know that. Yeah I don't know what it eats to be honest, I never see it eat when I feed the tank, it picks at the rocks all day. I'de say that as long as your tank is at least a few months old, it should have enough micro algae growth to feed it.

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

Perfectly fine. I had a court jester in a 10g and loved it. Had three fish, a yellow watchman that was moved from a larger tank due to bullying, a tail spot and the court jester.

Oooo, sounds like a very colorful tank! I guess I’m just a bit worried about the clown being aggressive. But everything I’m reading says I’ll be fine, so hopefully I will

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

sorry I don't know that. Yeah I don't know what it eats to be honest, I never see it eat when I feed the tank, it picks at the rocks all day. I'de say that as long as your tank is at least a few months old, it should have enough micro algae growth to feed it.

Yeah, I actually do really like the hector goby looks, but just to have that peace of mind knowing that the fish is eating would be nice. But thanks for the help!

 

[Kasrift]

Oooo, sounds like a very colorful tank! I guess I’m just a bit worried about the clown being aggressive. But everything I’m reading says I’ll be fine, so hopefully I will

It's my overflow softie tank in the office. Nothing special, just a 10g Aquaeon with a HOB Aqua clear 110.

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

It's my overflow softie tank in the office. Nothing special, just a 10g Aquaeon with a HOB Aqua clear 110.

Very nice nonetheless! I’ve heard that court jester gobies can be very shy, what’s your experience with them? Not specifically to you, but do they hide a lot once established? I’ve heard some mixed things about this

 

[tharbin]

Are there hectors that are captive bred? I really want to make sure it would be eating. Beautiful colors are nice, but since I’m a newer reefer, I want to make it easy as can be, and knowing that the fish would eat would make me feel better.

I'm not aware of any captive breed Hectors as yet. I do prefer the Hectors a little bit but both are wonderful little fish.

 

[tharbin]

Very nice nonetheless! I’ve heard that court jester gobies can be very shy, what’s your experience with them? Not specifically to you, but do they hide a lot once established? I’ve heard some mixed things about this

Neither are overly shy once established. In fact they tend to ignore the other tank inhabitants for the most part and just do their own thing. My current Hectors is always out and about.

The Pink Skunk is less aggressive than most clowns but all clowns are stout, rugged, territorial fish. It would be best to add the goby first. If your tank is young I would suggest you go with the Court Jester from Biota as it is not as reliant on micro-algae and has been raised on prepared foods. If possible, add the clown last so that the others have a chance to establish territories before it is introduced.