Bumblebee Goby

Found in brackish estuaries and coastal waters throughout Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand), where fresh and salt water mix.

Set up a brackish biotope with a mix of fine sand substrate, smooth rocks, driftwood, and salt-tolerant plants (such as Java Fern or Anubias, which tolerate mild brackish conditions). Include caves or shells for shelter and potential breeding sites.

Primarily requires live foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, and small live worms, especially early on. Many individuals can eventually be trained onto frozen meaty foods, but they are poor eaters of dry flakes or pellets. Feed small amounts multiple times a day.

Use caution. Bumblebee gobies are opportunistic micro-predators and may pick at shrimp, especially shrimplets, given the chance. Additionally, most freshwater dwarf shrimp are not well suited to the brackish conditions this fish needs, making them a poor long-term match overall.

Considered a medium-to-hard species to breed. They are cave spawners and often breed more readily in smaller, well-decorated aquariums (around 5–10 gallons) furnished with snail or barnacle shells as spawning caves. Raising the salinity from a maintenance level up toward 1 tablespoon of marine salt mix per gallon can help trigger spawning, along with frequent partial water changes. Housing a small group of juveniles together improves the odds of forming compatible pairs.

Shipped live in insulated boxes with heat/cold packs as needed and pure oxygen in the bag. Live arrival guaranteed. Because this species does best with a touch of salt, acclimate slowly and consider adding a small amount of aquarium salt to your tank ahead of arrival if you plan to keep them long-term in brackish conditions.