Rainford's Goby

Jaffa · #1 06/11/2004, 09:57 PM

I have had the little guy in my avatar for a week now, and he seems to be doing quite well. He wolfs down the algae in my tank and sifts sand alot, but he isn't taking mysis, bloodworms, or cyclopeeze. He didn't show much interest in baby live brine.

I have done lots of research and people seem to be torn between them being algae eaters or pod eaters.

My guy is captive-bred from Inland Aquatics.

I am wondering if anyone out there has had success getting a rainford's goby to eat. He is fine now, but once the algae runs out, I am concerned he may starve.

He poops often and his poops are very healthy looking. He is comfortable in the tank as well and spends most of his time picking at things in the tank.

Could he not be eating because he is not hungry from munching on algae all day?

Thanks a bunch!

SAT · #2 06/11/2004, 10:25 PM

Nice looking fish.

He may be getting enough from your tank so it's not critical. If he's tank raised, however, he must have been eating prepared food before now. Why don't you fire an email off to IA (InlandAquatics@aol.com) and find out what they were feeding him?

Jaffa · #3 06/11/2004, 11:18 PM

Thanks! Will do that, had been thinking about asking them.

One theory I had is they may have had him in a grow-out tank and he was raised by grazing?

sorenb · #4 06/12/2004, 10:53 AM

Hi Jaffa,

Can you relay their answer? I like this fish a lot, but since I had one die on me in the beginning of my reef tank, I'm not so keen on getting another without being sure that I can provide it with food.

sorenb

technoshaman · #5 06/12/2004, 12:44 PM

Jaffa - I have had one for about a year and a half now. Was in my 75 and now in my 215. I too have never seen him eat prepared foods, brine or frozen. He is however very very plump and healthy. They definitely eat pods as I've seen him picking them off the glass and rock. Not sure about the algae - I have a few spots in my tank I've been battling bryopsis but he never goes near that. Possible they eat some film algae?

I treat them like a mandarin as far as food goes - he does share the tank with a leopard wrasse and a pair of watchmen gobies but the pod supply seems bottomless for now. From my experience and the failures I have seen many other reefers have with this fish I seriously doubt he will do well long term in a 10 gallon unless you add a sizable food producing refugium.

Jaffa · #6 06/12/2004, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sorenb
Hi Jaffa,

Can you relay their answer? I like this fish a lot, but since I had one die on me in the beginning of my reef tank, I'm not so keen on getting another without being sure that I can provide it with food.

sorenb

Surely.

I've got a refugium in the works, and hopefully, since he is captive-bred, he will start accepting frozen. If not, I might try to train him mandarin-style.

Jaffa · #7 06/18/2004, 12:31 AM

Well, he is still not accepting frozen but is a porky little guy. He eats huge amounts of algae alk day long.

No reply from Inland yet, I may end up calling them.

I have seen him pursue some peices of mysis but no eating yet. Brine culture very soon!

Oh yeah, fuge is up so pods should flourish soon.

sorenb · #8 06/18/2004, 03:04 AM

Great that he is eating! Probably there are pods in/on the algea that supplies him with some meaty snacks.

Good luck with him, and don't forget to update if he begins to eat brine or frosen...

sorenb

Jaffa · #9 06/19/2004, 08:42 PM

I fed baby live brine and he won't eat it out of the water column but he does pick them off the rocks. Just need to get him eating out of the water cloumn.

Does anyone think he might eat nori or something like that?

ChrisL · #10 06/23/2004, 10:15 AM

I just purchased a rainford's goby. I was told by the lfs that he will eat mysis and cyclopeeze. However, it is still early, but I have not seen him eat yet. It seems to just hang out in the back of my tank for now, seen him come to the front a couple times.

The other inhabitants in my tank are a yellow watchman goby and a pistol shrimp.

Had I known the difficulty in keeping this fish I would not have purchashed it. But the guy at the lfs recommended it.

I would appreciate it if you would keep us informed Jaffa on how it does and I will do the same.

Jaffa · #11 06/23/2004, 11:38 AM

Chris,

Count on him doing that for a bit. Mine hid in the back under the heater of rhte first few days but became very bold and active quickley. I am going to try adult frozen brine, more live brine, and formula 2.

Jaffa · #12 06/25/2004, 11:50 AM

Finally got into contact with Inland Aquatics, and supposedly, all their rainford's goby's eat flake and mysis at the warehouse, and they don't carry any wild caught fish.

Maybe my theory is correct that they will only eat out of the water column if there is not sufficent pickings?

TurboRook · #13 06/25/2004, 12:28 PM

I think you might be right, Jaffa. The Rainford's I used to have was so happy picking at red filamentous algae and the occasional patch of cyano that he never batted an eye at any of the food in the water column.

ChrisL · #14 06/25/2004, 12:55 PM

Jaffa,

So far I still have not seen my rainford's goby eat any of the food i offer (mysid shrimp, cyclopeeze, and formula one marine pellet).

However I have noticed a thining out of the hair algae that was located around my brain coral. And I have seen him on occasion picking at the liverock. I would not be too concerned, except that the rainford's stomach appears to be a bit suken in.

I'm debating whether to keep trying or just to see if I can sell or trade it to some local reefers. I am not familiar with the body shape of this particular goby, but i'm almost certain it should not have a sunken in stomach.

Probably give till the end of this weekend to decide. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,
Chris

Jaffa · #15 06/25/2004, 03:29 PM

Good luck, Chris.

Julio · #16 06/25/2004, 05:37 PM

These guys do best in large tank with lots of sand, i had one in a 30 gallon with a 3 inch sanbed and it wasted away over the course of 5 months since that is pretty much it would eat, from time to time he would take some frozen brine.

Jaffa · #17 06/25/2004, 08:31 PM

Well, he is eating algae like crazy and tonight, he ate 2 bloodworm bits!!

That gives him a record of 1 peice of brine, 2 bloodworm peices.

ChrisL · #18 07/13/2004, 06:04 PM

rainford finally ate!!!

I got some live brine shrimp yesterday, when I got in I fed the gobies the live brine. Of course, the watchman loved it, but I didn't see the rainford eat any, but he did grab one, but then it spit it out.

However, today I fed and it ate at least 9 or 10 brine shrimps!!!! and appeared to be looking for more in the water.

Hopefully he will take to the other food I offer now!

I'll keep you posted, hope this isn't just some one time occurence!

Chris

opihi · #19 07/16/2004, 12:34 PM

i've had a rainford for about 3 months now. i do not target feed him, he seems to find enough food from my LR. he sucks in mouthfuls of "marine snow" and filters it out through his gill slits. i think he eats pods, and probably other micro fauna, but not macro or nusiance algae.

i think their picking at the funk that gets trapped by algae reduces the algae's food source and slows it's growth. so people connect the 2 and think that the fish is actually eating the algae.

also, my tank is bare-bottomed, so maybe the key to successfully keeping these fish is a mature tank with good LR or LS (lots of pods & micro fauna).

btw, he wouldn't eat any prepared foods or pick on the LR initially and was getting really thin. so i fed him live brine and he took it immediately. i guess if yours starts to get thin, you can try the same.

tasandkrs · #20 07/17/2004, 04:36 PM

Nice fish!!