Breeding Dragon gobies?

[Daeorn]

So, I've been compiling all the information I've found for dragon gobies - and there's really not a ton done on them.

I'd like to see if we can compile all the info we've got, as I want to try to actually breed them.

I know how to sex them, and that a group of them will be needed to do so. I've got about 5 now that will be used to breed. I'm thinking 10 would be best in a huge tank, I just don't have the room atm.


From what I've gathered, going from high brackish to large water changes to go back to freshwater "Could" incline them to spawn.


Basically I want to see if we all as a community can try to add to our information on these oddball fish to maybe do something that I do not believe has been done in the home aquarium - if it's possible at all.

 

[Dragon cqzzzzz<]

Sounds like a nice idea. How do you sex them? How big are your five?

 

[Daeorn]

I have four that are reaching 1'. On is more around 6-7".

Sexing them is from what I hear, a matter of the males having rounder anal fins and cadual fins than the female, or its the other way around, I just got home so I'd have to check.

I do not, however, nor do I think anyone actually knows for sure what age they have to be to actually breed. I even doubt that they will, but it would be a fun project to try out.

 

[Dragon cqzzzzz<]

Well, my violet goby is at about ten inches, and during the past few months, he's become much more territorial. Now he displays his fins at me when I'm around, and I think that might be a sign of maturity. So I would think that individuals around a foot long could breed.
I would put one male with about three females in a large tank, like a 150 gallon, but preferably larger. On one sid of the tank would be a bunch of caves and rocks. If eggs are laid and the male is guarding them, either remove the male and the eggs, or remove the others. Until the eggs hatched, I would feed the male more than usual to reduce any urge he might have to eat newborn fry. Once the eggs hatched the fry would need to be separated from the father, and fed infusoria until they're large enough to eat baby brine shrimp.
Obviously, if I had the money, the time, the space, and the resources to do this, I would try.

 

[wolfsburgfanatic]

I can't say how accurate this is, but its a start...

Although no external sexual differences are known, it has been reported that spawning is possible in a large aquarium. As stated in Tropical Fish Hobbyist (#473),on pages 130-132. The author Harper suggests using a spawning group of one male and three or more females. The tank should be furnished with many hiding places for the females and a site for the male to build his nest. Stop feeding the fish for a week, and then condition the fish well with large amounts of high quality live food such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, earthworms and tubifex. Lower the salinity from the regular 7 parts per thousand (1.005 to 1.010sg) to around 5 parts per thousand (1.004)and then raise it to 30 parts per thousand (this is close to regular marine salinity about 1.023sg). The male will spawn with several females over the course of a day. After the spawning, remove the females and the male will guard the eggs. after 1.5 to 2 days, the eggs will hatch and the male should be removed. Fry require infusoria (particularly rotifers) and "green water" (single celled algae) for up to a month, then baby Brine Shrimp nauplii can be fed.

Link to the page: http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile126.html

Good luck and keep us posted