Dragon Fish aka Violet Goby

[ChrissyMariko]

(Gobioides broussonetti)

Has anyone kept this fish? I read that it can be kept in a cold water aquarium and it looks pretty neat. I was trying to find something to put in with goldfish and it was the only suggested fish.

Any other suggestions?

They're just feeder fish, but I've had them for quite a few years. The largest 2 are 5-6". I'm planning on putting them in a 29g, I know its on the small side, but its a vast improvement over what they're in now.

[crazyfishlady]

I've been thinking about finding tankmates for a couple of goldfish myself. Here are possibilities I've come up with so far:
School of white cloud minnows.
Crayfish - I like the blue ones. They're pretty & I think the red can get too big.
Darters - rainbow or seagreen.
A pleco should do alright too.

[ChrissyMariko]

I was also thinking about a crayfish. I don't think it would go after my goldfish, them being large and reasonably fast. I've been looking around for a dwarf red one though, I just think it would look better with the fish. I'd like a blue one for my mbuna tank though.

Pleco was in the plans (the tank NEEDS one) and I'll look into the other fish you suggested. Thanks!

[HammersCobaltBlueLobster]

You can not keep a violet goby in a 29. Violet gobies are brackish water fish that require a tank of at least 180 gallons to prospher. Putting one in a 29 fresh would be like locking a person in a bathroom, only the person is allergic to soap and there is soap everywhere.

Most crayfish in the aquarium trade are Cheraxes, meaning a blue one would get just a big as a red one (about 1 foot).

[dirty_mike]

they could go in with your goldfish but you may want to have a good stock of ghost shrimp because that is what they eat and also feeders and little minows.

[seered247]

What about a dojo they go fine with goldfishes?

[ChrissyMariko]

I actually saw an albino dojo the other day and I thought it was pretty neat. I've been told that a 29g isn't large enough for them though. I was going to research a little more though.

I really don't think violet gobies are exclusively brackish, nor do they need a 180g tank. The min is more like 55-75g.

I wasn't implying that color dictates size, rather that I would like a dwarf crayfish in each color.

[barramundi]

Crayfish will eat any fish it's big enough to hold onto. I had a 3" yabbie kill a 5" juvenile Barramundi.

Dojo's are a great fish, great "cleaners" of left over food & stuff. You could also chuck in a couple of Bristlenose catfish & they'll eliminate any algae problem. So long as you water temp stays above 10C they'll get along. If it's likely to go below that then drop the Bristlenose idea. That's been my experience anyway. :ok:

[DewDropPony]

Try a butterflypleco or a cory cat. That would be more along the lines for your tank. The cory cat would be a better choice of the two. I've had a dragon goby. I've read that they can get to be 2 feel long. I never heard of them being coldwater. I kept mine in a heated tank with a four lined pictus cat fish. They did very well together. But the goby died last week. He was about 8'' long at that point. Too bad they are rare to find in the average pet store because I'd want another one.

[bevoman]

Violet gobies are brackish and cannot be kept with goldfish as they require a warmer, regulated water temp and obviously different water params and salinity.