# Algae eating goby



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Here's the goby;

http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/Sicyopterus_sp/Sicyopterus7.JPG
http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/Sicyopterus_sp/Sicyopterus8.JPG
http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/Sicyopterus_sp/Sicyopterus.JPG
http://www.invertzfactory.com/images/Sicyopterus_sp/Sicyopterus9.JPG

And here is what one of them did in a 10 gal. tank. The entire glass on the left and the glass on the back where covered with brown algae. You can still see some left to get an idea how heavy the algae layer was. It took a single goby only 2-3 hours to clear it to what you see on the picture. This morning the glass looked polished with maybe about 5% of the original algae left:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6708/99909765.jpg

These gobies are of the genus Syciopterus. They eat only dust like food, but not only algae. I basically grind a mix of algae tablets, dry pellets and decaped brine shrimp eggs. I use a pepper grinder and make a powder. Then I add a teaspoon or two of water and dump in the tank.

--Nikolay


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

NEAT!! How do think they would do with a whole algae wafer dropped in the water and allowed to soften?


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## Nevermore (Mar 26, 2007)

Dust-like food...any idea if they eat GDA?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

They do not eat algae wafers. I don't know why. I tried that at first and they just let it disintegrate and don't touch it. It may have been that that particular wafer was not to their taste.

I bet they will eat GDA, but I don't have any. My tank developed brown algae and the goby anihilated them in no time. That's what I have seen for now. But the fact that my home made mixed "dust" food was accepted with great excitement shows that these gobies will eat a variety of foods.

--Nikolay


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

I was thinking about getting a few of these for my 125. I was reading somewhere that they will eat BBA. Have you been able to confirm that?


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## soutzee (Jul 31, 2009)

i caught that goby on a river near my house and placed it in my 10 G tank and i would like to know what to feed it (and what kind of dry pellet)(what is BBA and GDA)

Thnx a lot


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

soutzee said:


> i caught that goby on a river near my house and placed it in my 10 G tank and i would like to know what to feed it (and what kind of dry pellet)(what is BBA and GDA)
> 
> Thnx a lot


They like grinded food and algae pretty much. Algae wafers are good as well.


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