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Rob's Aquatics Fish Farm

Dragon Eel Gobies

Dragon Eel Gobies

$12.00 USD
$12.00 USD
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Dragon Gobies (Gobioides broussonnetii) can be an interesting addition to your aquarium. While not as popular as some other Goby species out there, these fish can be very rewarding to care for.

Due to their skittish behavior and unique water requirements, they can be a challenge to raise in an aquarium. But if you do things right, these fish will reward you with some stunning good looks.

Dragon Gobies can be found in brackish waters throughout North, Central, and South America. They’re endemic to Atlantic shores as north as South Carolina and as south as Brazil.

In captivity, the normal Dragon Goby lifespan will be around 10 years old. Many seasoned aquarists have seen their fish live longer than a decade. However, this is still considered uncommon.

These fish can get very large. In the wild, the maximum size of a Dragon Goby has been reported at 24 inches in length! That’s considerably larger than most goby species.

However, they stay on the smaller side in captivity. Most won’t get bigger than 15 inches long when living in a home aquarium, but it really all depends on the tank size. Fish kept in large tanks are more likely to reach the higher end of the size spectrum.

A tank size of 25 gallons for your Dragon Goby should be the bare minimum if you plan on keeping a single fish. Although, we recommend bumping that up to 50 gallons so that they have room to grow.

As we mentioned earlier, Dragon Gobies are not small and will need a relatively large tank to keep them healthy.

The tricky part of caring for a long fish like the Violet Goby is that there needs to be ample room for swimming. Not only do you need to consider volume, but you have to take length into account, too. For Dragon Gobies, we recommend that your tank is 4 feet long for a single specimen.

Now, if you plan on keeping a pair or group you’ll need to go a bit larger. As a good rule of thumb, provide at least 25 gallons of space per fish. These fish can get a bit territorial, so you’ll need a tank that’s about 6 feet long to ensure that your pair has their own space.

Dragon Gobies live in brackish waters in the wild. This means their habitat isn’t as high in salt content as the open ocean, but it has too much salt to be considered freshwater.

You need to analyze water contents regularly to keep the conditions good. These fish are sensitive to chemical changes. This includes high concentrations of ammonia and nitrates. We recommend doing a 10 to 15 percent water change every single week to keep things optimal.

Check out these important water parameters you need to follow to keep your Dragon Gobies healthy.

  • Water temperature: 72°F to 82°F (we recommend 75°F ideally)
  • pH levels: 6.5 to 8.5
  • Water hardness: 10 to 20 dKH
  • Specific gravity: 1.006 to 1.008

Since this species can be particularly finicky when it comes to water conditions, it’s important to make sure you’re in tune with the status of your tank at all times. Perform frequent water checks and take any subtle change seriously.

Setting Up Their Tank

The environments these fish call home are muddy and swampy. The Violet Goby is found in bays and estuaries. You can aim to recreate that swampy environment in your own tank with the right decor.

The bottom of your tank should have a dark sandy substrate. These are bottom-feeder fish that will spend most of their time in the lower portion of your aquarium. They’ll also suck up sand to sift out food.

Gobioides broussonnetii sucking up substrate at the bottom of the aquarium

This means large gravel can pose a significant health risk. Soft and fine sand is the safe and logical choice.

Something that a lot of aquarists recommend is enriching the sand with pieces of aragonite. You can do this by mixing it with the dark sand to ensure that light doesn’t reflect off of the crystals and harm the sensitive eyes of the fish. As a bonus, aragonite can help maintain the water’s alkalinity and hardness.

On top of your sand and aragonite floor layer, place several plants, rocks, and caves. These fish are very timid and need plenty of places to hide whenever they need some space.

Don’t be afraid to get creative and introduce anything that can provide shelter. A Dragon Goby tank is a great way to mix up plant varieties and try out new things. Anubias, Java Fern, Vallisneria, and more are all good plants to try out.

Potential Diseases

The Dragon Fish Goby, while hardy, can be affected by diseases just like any fish. Beyond the usual Ich and stress-related issues, there are a couple of ailments that are common with this species.

The first is fin rot. Even though their fins aren’t tall like other species, Dragon Gobies certainly have a lot of fin space that can be affected by rot.

With this condition, the fins become decayed and raggedy. It can cause tears and extreme discoloration.

The problem can get so bad that the decaying continues all the way to the base of the fin where it can cause bacterial infections. In most cases, fin rot is a direct byproduct of stress. Your fish could be affected by a poor diet, substandard water conditions, and more.

Another common ailment is Columnaris, or cottonmouth. It is similar to fin rot in the sense that it causes decay. However, cottonmouth affects the gills. The disease can also cause ulcers on the skin.

Columnaris has the potential to be fatal, so it’s important to provide treatment as much as possible. You may be able to heal the issue with antibiotics and antifungal treatments.

Author Note: The most effective way to prevent your fish from getting these diseases is to simply take care of the water. An aquarium with dirty water is a breeding ground for various illnesses. It’s comparable to having thick smog all throughout your home!

Food & Diet

Dragon Gobies are omnivores and usually rely on scavenging to eat in the wild. They’ll continue that scavenging behavior in the tank. However, you need to provide them with a well-rounded diet to keep them healthy.

The interesting thing about these fish is that they have very narrow throats. Despite their size, they actually have difficulties eating larger food. So, you need to keep things relatively small.

You can feed them flakes, small sinking pellets, and algae wafers as their primary source of dried food. We recommend supplementing that with frozen, freeze-dried, and live foot, too.

Bloodworms, tubifex worms, baby brine shrimp, and small pieces of vegetables are all good options that are nutritionally-rich and enjoyable for them to eat.

The ideal feeding schedule for the Violet Goby is once per day. Avoid overfeeding by limiting them to as much food as they can eat in a couple of minutes (any more is too much).

Behavior & Temperament

These fish have a somewhat negative reputation. They’re sometimes called aggressive or semi-aggressive fish by aquarists in various forums online.

But the truth is, they usually don’t pay any attention to others in the tank. They’re more scared and timid than anything else!

While they have sharp teeth, they’ll rarely attack fish that aren’t bothering them. The only time you might see signs of aggression is if they’re breeding or have established territory they want to protect.

As far as their activity level is concerned, the Dragon Fish Goby is largely nocturnal. They’ll spend most of the day hiding out in dark spots and become much more active at night.

If you observe them at night you’ll often find them sifting through the substrate for bits of food.

Dragon Goby Tank Mates

Contrary to popular belief, there are a number of Dragon Goby tank mates you can consider.

Peaceful brackish fish can share the same space with this species without any issues. Just avoid any aggressive species that will cause trouble.

Medium-sized (aka similar-sized) fish are best. You want to avoid anything that could be potentially viewed as food for the Dragon Goby. Here’s a collection of suitable tank mates:

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