Bumblebee gobies in a reef tank?

I have 3 bumblebee gobies that have been in a 29g brackish tank (sg = 1.005-1.008) w/ mollies. Because the mollies are big pigs that will eat anything then can get into their mouths, I've had to target feed the bumble bees. Even doing that, I worry about their getting enough to eat.

I have a 20g reef tank (no fish so far) that I will be moving to a 29g tank soon. I'm wondering if I can acclimate the bumble bee gobies to full saltwater and put them in the reef tank. Anybody know if they can be healthy in water with sg of 1.023-1.025? Anybody with experience doing this?

Also, if I do this, could I add any other fish to the tank? The bumblebees are peaceful with other species, and I'd like some other small, colorful fish in the tank eventually. Obviously they would also have to be peaceful and not hassle the bumblebees.

 

I would say no. From what I understand these fish are typically found in water with an SG of 1.004-1.006. Pure fresh or NSW would significantly reduce the lifespan of the fish.

 

Thank you. I've heard from several people on another reef site that they have done it, but didn't indicate how long the fish survived in the reef, so I don't know about reducing life span, but that's what I'm concerned about. Anybody on here with any experience or first-hand knowledge?

 

There was a thread on RC recently about them, which you may have saw. The answer was basically yes, they can thrive in a less active salt water tank.

 

i had a molly that i acclimated to 1.025 to start my 75 gallon,,he was still alive after my tank was fully bstocked,,tough bugger,,not sure if your bbl bees would?

 

Yeah, that was my thread. I copied it to this site to see if anybody here had anything to add. Just wanting to get as much input as I can from different sources.

My main concern, which no one spoke to on RC, was whether they would enjoy a normal life span at full saltwater.

 

Searching around, all I could find is that their lifespan is typically 3 years. I know that doesn't really help, but its all I could find.

 

I would say expect about half that. I wouldn't say it would be "enjoyable." The fish has evolved to deal with salinity of 1.004-1.006, for example freshwater fish excrete very dilute urine very often, saltwater fish excrete very concentrated urine less often. They do this to maintain the proper levels of pure water in their cells/bodies. Saltwater fish are constantly having to keep the water in and the extra salt out, and vice versa for freshwater fish. This has to do with osmolarity and diffusion.

Anyways, putting a fish that typically doesn't have to deal with huge swings of salinity and handles a pretty narrow range (in the wild) in a NSW reef tank (even with 2 months of acclimation time) will essentially dehydrate the fish to death, albeit over a year or two.

Putting a BBG in a reef tank is more of a "hey look what I can do" than something you should expect to be beneficial for the fish.

 

Yeah, I hear you. I hadn't thought of the salt in/out part of it, though I was aware of the information you state. Thanks for the reminder.

I think, as I've heard from several people that it would probably shorten their lifespan, that I'll leave them in a brackish tank. Maybe instead of putting them back in with the adult mollies, though, I'll keep them in the 20g that I use as a grow out for molly fry, so they don't have to compete quite as much for food. The fry would still be faster, but at least until they're half grown they won't be big enough to hog down on adult brine shrimp before the gobies get their share.

Thanks, everybody, for your input.