Clown goby care

Quick reference

What are clown gobies?

Gobiodon are coral gobies: the broad-barred or green clown goby, G. histrio, ranges from the Red Sea to Samoa at 2–15 m and lives among the branches of Acropora, alone or in pairs.^[3] TFH describes them living in the gaps of living Acropora colonies, though in aquaria they also accept other corals and rock crevices.^[2] The yellow clown goby (G. okinawae) is the one most often sold.^[1]

Feeding

TFH says they're timid, can't compete for food and have small mouths, so they need very small foods; many need live foods at first but can usually be switched to frozen.^[2] LiveAquaria lists brine shrimp, mysis and frozen carnivore preparations.^[1] A mature reef with plenty of amphipods and copepods is ideal.^[2] Imported fish may arrive starved, so pick plump ones that are already eating;^[2] one Meerwasser-Lexikon owner reports two that refused all food and died within days.^[4]

Aggression and spacing

Peaceful toward other fish,^[1] but LiveAquaria says they fight their own kind, especially in smaller tanks.^[1] Pairing is easier than it sounds: TFH says any two clown gobies that end up sharing a coral become a pair, because they can change sex in either direction.^[2]

Tankmates

Reef compatible according to LiveAquaria, with a caution: it may nip the smaller polyps of SPS corals such as Acropora.^[1] When spawning, they remove live polyps at the base of a branch and lay strings of eggs there; TFH calls the damage negligible in a large tank with big corals and one or two pairs, and says the coral recovers, but it's a concern in small setups.^[2] LiveAquaria adds that the tissue usually regenerates if conditions are good.^[1] Keep them with docile fish that won't outcompete them at feeding time.^{[1, 2]}

Disease and quarantine

We found no disease information specific to the clown goby. General marine fish guidance applies: CORAL Magazine recommends quarantining every incoming fish, captive-bred included, for at least 2–4 weeks, and UF/IFAS advises 3–6 weeks at 24–27 °C, longer when ich is suspected.^{[5, 6]} Their skin mucus is toxic: in aquarium experiments at the University of Vienna, Acropora heads guarded by G. histrio suffered 62–98 % less feeding by a coral-eating butterflyfish, and the mucus also repels parasites.^[7]

Breeding

They spawn often in aquaria, laying strings of eggs around coral branches, but raising the tiny fry is rare.^[2] LiveAquaria notes spawning is common.^[1]

Troubleshooting

Common mistakes

• •Adding it with boisterous feeders.^[2]
• •Feeding food too large for its mouth.^[2]
• •Two in a small tank that aren't a pair.^[1]
• •A prized Acropora as its only perch in a nano tank.^{[2, 1]}

Equipment & food for this species

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Frozen mysis is a good staple and quality pellets cover daily feeding. Many keepers soak food in a vitamin supplement such as Selcon.

Clown gobies FAQ

Are clown gobies reef safe?

Mostly. LiveAquaria lists the yellow clown goby as reef compatible but says it may nip small SPS polyps;^[1] spawning pairs also clear tissue on a branch to lay eggs.^[2]

What size tank does a clown goby need?

LiveAquaria says 10 gallons for one; Meerwasser-Lexikon recommends 100 L (about 26 gallons) for the green clown goby.^{[1, 4]}

Can you keep two clown gobies together?

Yes, as a pair: TFH says two sharing a coral become a pair because they can change sex.^[2] Unpaired fish fight in small tanks.^[1]

Are clown gobies poisonous?

Their skin mucus is toxic to predators and parasites.^[7] FishBase lists G. histrio as harmless to people.^[3]

How big do clown gobies get?

About 3.5 cm, or 1.4 inches.^{[3, 2]}

What do clown gobies eat?

Very small meaty foods: brine shrimp, mysis and frozen carnivore preparations, plus copepods in a mature tank.^{[1, 2]}