Care Level: Advanced

Temperament: Peaceful

Live Plant Safe: Yes

General Description: The Bumblebee Goby is a charming little fish that inhabits fresh and brackish water mangrove swamps, estuaries, and streams in Surabaya, Java, and Indonesia. Though small, this fish has some relatively big demands in terms of husbandry for it to thrive (see both Diet and Care below). Growing to a maximum adult size of 1.5″, the Bumblebee goby has a stubby body with interchanging dark and yellow bands. There is considerable variation in this color pattern, and the extent of how yellow individuals can be. Bumblebee gobies are social, and prefer to be kept in mixed sex groups of 6 individuals or more. All individuals should be introduced at once for the best success.

Diet Requirements: Bumblebee gobies are carnivorous and may be some of the most difficult to get to accept prepared foods. They will almost entirely ignore dried foods, such as pellets and flake. High quality frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, rotifers and daphnia are suggested. Hatching your own live cultures of brine shrimp may also be a necessity to keep a group of Bumblebee gobies alive. Live blackworms could also be a source of food for these gobies. Variety is the spice of life in order to maintain color, immune function and longevity of your fish.

Care Requirements: An established minimum 10 gallon aquarium is ideal for a group of Bumblebee gobies. These fish should not be introduced into a biologically immature aquarium, as they have sensitivities to nitrite and ammonia. Additionally, Bumblebee gobies will not tolerate deteroriating water parameters; biweekly or weekly water changes are encouraged to keep water parameters pristine (Nitrates < 15 ppm). Unfavorable water conditions will cause stress to this fish, making them more susceptible to fungal disease and parasites such as Ich. The aquarium should be aquascaped with a fine to sandy substrate, wood, live plants and plenty of hiding spaces. Bumblebee gobies do best as a “species only” tank, especially because they can rarely compete with most other fish for adequate food. Keeping Bumblebee gobies in a brackish environment is not entirely necessary to succesfully keep this species. The bare minimum of a tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water however is required. Recommended water conditions, 74-78° F, KH 8-12, pH 7.5-8.5.

Purchase Size: Medium: 1/2”

Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase sizes are approximate.