The Puffer Forum

Friend of a co-worker was breaking down his BW tank and offered us (employees) any or all of the fish he had in the tank. He had about 4 scats, pair of knight gobies (old huge ones), a few chromides and a dragon goby. I took the goby since I havn't kept one of these guys in a while. After putting him in the tank with the puffs he chilled a little (normal like all gobies seem to do.) A few hours later I found he dug out a trench under a shaded part of the tank. The old fella I had years ago never did any digging, just seems to be a plain old goby. Anyone else find their dragons digging?

Also, I havn't started the big break down of my bw and sw tanks yet and wondered what the highest SG these guys can tollerate. Anyone have an idea?

I can't answer you on the salinity, but my DG has started to dig up trenches under his cave. It may be because your Goby is just looking for food, I know mine rampages around at night sifting through the gravel for food (I usually drop bloodworms for him before I turn off the tank light).

I think when he isn't getting enough to eat b/c the other two beat him to it he starts digging. Can you tell if he's eating ok?

Edited to add- maybe he doesn't have enough cover? I know mine is extremely shy and he remains in his cave until I leave the room.

Digging is perfectly normal. They can handle pretty much any SG.

Can they go full marine? (say if I were to put him with GSPs and the Ceylon after the new setup is ready?) Its kind of weird. I know gobies love to dig, but my old one I had years ago didn't dig anything. Had him for 2 years and he got up to about a foot.

Tihsho wrote:Can they go full marine? (say if I were to put him with GSPs and the Ceylon after the new setup is ready?) Its kind of weird. I know gobies love to dig, but my old one I had years ago didn't dig anything. Had him for 2 years and he got up to about a foot.

Yep, they are happy in full marine, Dragon Gobies have been found as deep as 200ft in the ocean

I would not keep a sedentary fish like the dragon w/aggressive fin-biters as those puffers.

I was figuring that the puffs would be a hastle and try nipping him. but if the tank is full marine there will be plenty of LR in there. Might need to cement them together though so the goby doesn't cause an avalanche when he digs.

Tank cleaning day was today. I just happened to forget to close the lid and an hour later of comming back to the tank I wound this guy had jumped and died. Poor fella.

I'm so sorry...

Sorry Tihsho...

Sorry about your loss. When I had a dragon goby overstocked with my F8 he would run up and almost jump out when I was hand feeding him.

No clue why he jumped. He was the first to get food, and he had lived under and inside a ceramic bridge and a ceramic temple. His tunnel work was great too! Too bad for the little fella. Surely when the tank gets to be in the old SWs 80 gallon I'll look into getting another one.

Aw, sorry to hear that Tihso.
If it makes you feel any better these guys are notorious jumpers and this type of thing is very common, even with covered tanks.
The people at the LFS that I bought mine at said (how true this may be, I don't know) they found one 14' away from the tank one morning- and they had a cover on it too.

It's good to hear you're looking into another someday & that you didn't let this discourage you. At least you'll know to be extra careful with these crazy guys if you do get another!

I'll just have to do what I did when I had my 18" electric catfish, put some weights on the lid so they can't be popped up. Nah, losing the little fellow was sad but I've been in this hobby long enough for a sad event like this to discourage me to replace a loss.