goby brachygobius

The brachygobius goby, scientific name Brachygobius xanthomelas, belongs to the Gobiidae (goby) family. The fish is native to Southeast Asia. It is found in the swampy reservoirs of the Malay Peninsula in southern Thailand and Malaysia. It lives in tropical swamps, shallow creeks and forest streams.

Habitat

A typical biotope is a shallow water body with dense marginal vegetation and thickets of aquatic plants from among Cryptocorynes and Barclay longifolia. The substrate is silted with a layer of fallen leaves, warmed snags. The water has a rich brown hue due to the high concentration of tannins formed as a result of the decomposition of plant organic matter.

The Brachygobius Goby, unlike related species such as the Bumblebee Goby, cannot live in brackish water, being an exclusively freshwater fish.

Description

Adult individuals reach a length of only about 2 cm. The color of the body is light with yellow or orange hues. The drawing consists of dark spots and irregular strokes.

There are several species very similar to each other, down to color and body pattern. The differences lie only in the number of scales in the row from head to tail.

All of these similar fish can live in similar habitats, so the exact definition of the species does not matter to the average aquarist.

Behavior and Compatibility

Males show territorial behavior, while it is recommended to maintain a group size of 6 individuals. This is explained by the fact that intraspecific aggression will spread to a large number of inhabitants and each individual will be less attacked. When kept in a group, Gobies will show natural behavior (activity, moderate grumpiness towards each other), and alone, the fish will become overly shy.

Compatible with comparable size peaceful fish. It is desirable to acquire species that live in the water column or near the surface.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium – from 40 liters.
• Water and air temperature – 22-28°C
• Value pH — 5.0–6.0
• Water hardness – soft (3-8 dGH)
• Substrate type – sandy, silty
• Lighting – moderate, bright
• Brackish water – no
• Water movement – little or no
• The size of the fish is about 2 cm.
• Nutrition – foods high in protein
• Temperament – conditionally peaceful in relation to relatives
• Content in a group of 6 individuals

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal size of the aquarium for a group of 6 fish starts from 40 liters. The design uses a soft substrate and a small number of aquatic plants. A prerequisite is the presence of many shelters, equidistant from each other, where Brachygobius Gobies can hide from the attention of relatives.

Shelters can be formed from natural snags, tree bark, large leaves, or artificial decoration elements.

Make high demands on water parameters. Experienced breeders use very soft slightly acidic water rich in tannins. The latter are added to the aquarium either in the form of a solution, or are formed naturally during the decomposition of leaves and bark.

For long-term maintenance, it is required to maintain a stable water composition. In the process of maintenance of the aquarium, in particular the replacement of part of the water with fresh water, it is imperative to control the pH and GH values.

Fish do not respond well to excessive current. As a rule, in an aquarium, the reason for the movement of water is the operation of the filtration system. For small tanks, a simple airlift filter is a great alternative.

Food

Gobies are considered very picky about food. The basis of the diet should be foods high in protein, such as dried, fresh or live bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and other similar products.

Sources: fishbase.in, practicalfishkeeping.co.uk