Hector's Goby

Experience with these guys? I've read they eat GHA and sift through sand preying on tiny crustaceans like copeopods. I dont have any GHA, so would I be able to supplement with softened romaine lettuce and herbivore flakes? At the LFS they have them eating meaty flakes and mysis shrimp. Also would it be compatible with a royal gramma? Tank is a Biocube 14, that's been running for 1.5 years.

 

It would probably work with the gramma, I think they eat micro organisms and filamentous algae not GHA. IMO they aren't the best nano fish, they're like mandarins.....

 

Hector's and Rainsford goby's have always been my favorite. I tried several times to keep them and they always seemed to die on me. I recently found a good article (can't find it at the moment)were some Biologists did necropsies on several wild caught specimens to see if it is the algae or critters they are consuming for food. They found that the stomach contents were 80 percent algae (on average). Don't think algae supplements that are available will help.

 

Isnt GHA a filamentious algae?

So its probably a no go, idk how they are keeping them alive at the LFS then, with no hair algae. Does it matter that they were wild caught?

 

Yes GHA is a filamentous algae. It can take them several weeks to months to actually starve to death or weaken from lack of nutrition.
Maybe someone else on here will chime in with there experience with them but IME they don't live without algae present.

 

Ok well thats what the forums are for, glad i didnt waste a life by purchasing a fish i couldnt keep. Thanks Vinny +K

 

Love responsible fish keepers