akamel

I just got a dragonfish for my husband so when i get home i look up on the internet how to take care of it. it says it needs brackish water ! but it was in freshwater tank at the store. does anyone have any advice.

TedsTank

More than likely as an adolescent fish, fresh water is ok but as it grows brackish will be the way to go. I believe some puffers are like that too....but sold as fresh water fish. Is correct you puffer people out there?
There are many fish that spawnin fresh water, and the fry grow up in fresh water, then migrate to brackish or saltwater.
So for your dragon fish brackfish would be the optimum conditions for it for long term survival and growth.

akamel

Thanks ! So do you think he's ok in freshwater for now ? Or should I add salt to the water. Yes puffers are brackish too. Do you know of other brackish fish that I may can put in with him?

TedsTank

oops....look under freshwater fish and Invertabrates....then click on Brackish.

iloveengl

Hi akamel.

Another name for your fish is Violet Goby. Aren't they awesome!

1. Yes, he needs to go into brackish water ASAP. He is no better in freshwater as an adolescent than as an adult. He will not be healthy for long. You will need to slowly acclimate him over the course of a couple hours, but in the end, his tank should be about 2 tablespoons of marine salt (not the same thing as aquarium salt) per gallon of water.

2. Violet Goby/dragon fish grow to 12-15 inches in captivity, so a 55 gallon is really a minimum.

3. They have very large mouths, but they are actually more like filter feeders. To avoid starvation, they need sand substrate to filter their food (anything large or course will injure their gills). They eat frozen blackworms & frozen bloodworms (not freeze dried).

4. They are practically blind, so they are completely defenseless. They MUST NOT be with aggressive fish (like puffers). Suitable tank mates for the Violet Goby include a school of Red Chromides, schools of Mollies, Guppies, & Platies, 1 knightfish (though, they'll eat mollies, plats, and gups), or archer fish.

5. They also need the sand to dig around in -- gravel will injure their soft bodies.

6. They need a temperature from 75-80 F.

7. They need a cave, slightly buried in the sand, in order to feel safe or they will stress out.

That's everything off the top of my head. It sounds like a lot, but it's actually pretty easy (lol - trust me, the hard part was trying to do research on these fish!).

Please feel free to ask any questions that you think of. I'm going to post a video of my tank soon, so you can have an idea of what a 55 gallon brackish tank set-up might look like for a Violet Goby. Congrats on your new awesome "little" goby!!!

akamel

thanks for the info. I have him in a tank with 2 blue gouramis, 2 clown loaches, and a baby green severum. so I guess I will have to move him to another tank b/c the other fish are freshwater. Can I put him in a 22 gal for now and move him later? Will he be ok in freshwater for a few more days--week? I figured he was in FW at store-(walmart)---yeah I know !!! I consider it a rescue !! also, how do I acclimate him to brackish water ?? I feel bad for the guy but I didnt know he needed brackish water until I got him home. Walmart should really not have fish--they dont know how to take care of them!! But like I said, every now and again I will rescue some of those poor guys!!

iloveengl

I know what you mean - it seems like some pet stores and especially Walmart never have their fish labeled correctly!

Definitely move him to another tank asap, even if it's freshwater; I've heard blue gouramis can be agressive....

He should be okay for a week or so (any longer than that and you risk that his health will start to suffer - his skin will get gross and slimy and his color will dull).

To acclimate him, put him in the 22g freshwater tank, then about every 1-4 hours, add a Tablespoon of Marine Salt, until you have about one tablespoon per gallon. It's okay if this takes a few days to acclimate. Once he's acclimated, then you'll only add a bit of Marine Salt with the water change. To know for sure what the SG is, you might want to eventually look into buying a hydrometer (tests the level of salt in the water). The SG level for Violet Gobies is 1.005 - 1.010, but 1.007 is ideal.

Your 22g should keep him happy for a while (at least a few months) once it's brackish, but I don't know exactly how long. I have no clue how fast they grow.

Brackish really isn't too difficult to maintain...not really any harder than a freshwater (that's what it seems from what I've read and my short experience with it, anyway), but it's kinda a pain to get it going.

I can't wait to see what yours looks like!

Edit: Please keep asking any questions you have. And GL with everything. Have you picked a name yet?

TedsTank

Thank you Iloveengl !!! I thought Violet Gobies were a whole nother thing!!! Good info for everyone!!

aquarist48

Akamel, just a reminder the 22g should be completely cycled (if it isn't already) before you switch it over. If you have additional, established filter media then you can seed the 22g from it. Don't remove so much from the established tank that it goes into a mini cycle. Also you can add some established gravel in a nylon (never seen soap) hose to aid in the seeding. Add the fish (dragonfish)and keep your eyes on the water chemistry. (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH levels).
Just in case
Ken