Species Profile: White Cheek Goby

[@berenicehickey9755]

My friend bred them and gave me some. I absolutely love them!!!!!

[@DansFish]

They are such entertaining little clowns!

[@rick1827]

I got 4 of them 5 days ago, they sure are a fun fish. I did some food tests and they seemed to like flake food. I think they like soft foods since they chew a lot on any foods i gave them, flakes being a food they can rip apart which mine sure like to do. I also noticed mine digging caves under ornaments by taking gravel in the mouth and dropping it elsewere. Anyway great vid! Im definitely subbed!

[@DansFish]

Thanks SITW! Wow, I wish I could get mine to take flake food! Which brand are they eating? Best, Dan

[@rick1827]

HS aqua freshwater flakes

[@DansFish]

Thanks!

[@rick1827]

Quick question, ive seen breeding behavior with my 4, 1 of 2 females and 1 of 2 males, could i move the dominant male and the other female to my other tank (which definitely isnt overstocked) so the smaller male and the other female wont be disturbed? I see the dominant male chase the other male quite often (nothing serious) and by doing that disturbing the male with mating behavior. Thanks

[@WaterWizard1]

Very nice profile Dan. All good info and one of my favorite fish ! Keep m coming 🌱🐠✌🏼️

[@DansFish]

They sure are a fun fish...I wish more Rhinogobius were commonly available in the USA. Which Rhino species are commonly available in the Netherlands?

[@WaterWizard1]

Dans Fish Thanks ! We have several available like the red and bleu neon, orange saddle back, dessert, rainbow and some are just named species... Verduijn ciclids has most species, dont know if they ship international.

[@DansFish]

Are hobbyists breeding them regularly, or does the hobby there, like in the USA, still rely on imported Rhinos?

[@WaterWizard1]

Dans Fish I think there are some bred here but most are imported for sure. Only hobbyist will because it's not profitable breeding them here...

[@DansFish]

Yeah, the spawns are probably not big enough/frequent enough to set them up commercially.

[@Rach90]

I had a group of these a few years ago, one of my favourites, so cute and funny, yours are gorgeous! Mine too didn’t eat anything but frozen food, mini bloodworm in particular, they used to nibble at an algae tablet and take flake but I noticed they always spat the flake back out. I kept them with Laetacara, long-finned Zebra Danios, Corys, Amano and Atyopsis shrimp, they never were fast enough to catch the Amano 😆 but interestingly I had one female I named Zelda, that was a beast, she was super alert and hunted the danios, pulling them down to the substrate, it was quite shocking to see so I definitely wouldn’t keep them again with anything long-finned, even though it was only one female that did that.

[@DansFish]

Wow! Sounds like Zelda was part dragon. I've never seen a goby do that, but I believe it!

[@Rach90]

Dans Fish I think you’re right 😆 I’ve just remembered I have a clip of her here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZOypZWEpK2YZqM . I never caught that behaviour on film unfortunately, I was always panicked for the danios even though they survived!

[@apolloravindran]

Dan, do you have these in stock & are these the same as the ones you are selling on your site, I think they are called a different name though??

[@jamierochlitz3542]

Do you sell these in breeding pairs?

[@popparock6506]

Hey @Dan do you plan to get more of these in the future?

[@DansFish]

Yes, but they have been hard to find for the last year or so. As soon as I see some, I'll get them. They are one of my favorites...the first Rhinogobius species I ever kept.

[@GiselleFrench]

Hey Dan! How come my white cheeks dont seem to be as colorful as yours? And how can you tell male versus female??

[@DansFish]

Females don't have the red striations under the gills. Also, identifying species is tricky on these gobies so there are many species sold under the generic term White Cheek Goby". Did you get them from me? If so, please email us a picture or vid of the fish to [e-mail] and we can look up the order history to see if we can get you a more satisfactory answer.

[@robertlamb5545]

Thank you so much for this video! Information on these guys has been pretty hard to find. One of my lfs can get some at a great price and I really want a trio. Is there a risk of them escaping a tank?

[@DansFish]

Glad the video was useful. Yes, they can climb right out of your tank. Tight lids my friend. Tight lids.

[@jamierochlitz3542]

Hey just found your video and I’ve been planning a goby waterfall tank. The goby first caught my eye when watching a program about the Japanese country side. These guys look fun and are every interactive. Looking for the colder freshwater type. What kinds do you know of that are available? Also you should look up this show satoyama on KZbin it shows the goby cleaning the dirty plates of humans which I think is really funny that they are very adaptable in food choices.

[@DansFish]

Howdy Jamie, I love the satoyama documentaries...I nerd out on them frequently. The Rhinogobious yaoshanensis that I have are probably what you are looking for...a temperate species that likes cool water. They can easily take it down to 60 degrees or cooler. I believe mine are from Taiwan, but I could be wrong. They could be from mainland China.

[@jamierochlitz3542]

@@DansFish I’ve learned so so much about different freshwater gobies and now I have a breeding pair of desert goby and one rhinogoby female, that was sold as red spotted goby. I’m interested in getting more. The rhino goby is my favorite she has some funny antics. I’m thinking about getting a breeding pair of these guys or possibly the candi goby if I can find them.

[@jamierochlitz3542]

So the Japanese type are mainly in the Asian or Japanese aquarium trade and unless you can speak Japanese and afford to have them shipped then that’s not an option, they are not too different. The one I saw on the documentary had the lines on the throat and many species interbreed and they have found ones in the wild that are hybrids so also keeping rhino goby types they will hybridize so be warned if anyone keeps these guys together with their close cousins.

[@bebebutterfield1]

Dan where do you buy/order your live food from? I have pea puffers and keeping them supplied with snails is next to impossible.

[@DansFish]

Howdy bebebutterfield1, I received my microworm, banana worm, and vinegar eel cultures from sellers on AquaBid. The fruit flies and bean beetles came from Ebay. The black worms originally came from a wholesaler, but I am raising my own now. The scuds came from Ebay. The snails...a I asked a pet shop if I could buy there pest snails (ramshorn), and they just gave them to me. Started out with 6 and now I have thousands. The pond snails came in on some plants.

[@DansFish]

If you can get a 10 gallon set up with a sponge filter and get a couple of starter pest snails, you can have a booming snail colony in a couple of months. They eat everything. I feed mine cheep pellet food, algae wafers, green beans, and sometimes Repashy when I am some left over. In fact, snail tanks are a great place to dispose of extra fish food.

[@aquascaping1013]

Great care! I just got a pair myself and I'm gonna try to breed them!

[@DansFish]

Good luck, Aquascaping. I hope you have many fishy fry from them!

[@demonotaku5812]

Can a single one live in 10 gallon w community fish? (Tetras,rasboras etc)

[@dn7096_]

Are their colors all slightly different? Thats fascinating.

[@peteyuktadatta762]

How do you keep them so colorful?

[@GiselleFrench]

Mine are no where near as colorful, either!

[@GiselleFrench]

And one of mine has been going after my tetras!

[@dougiethoresen]

Your ones are the closest to mine but mine would swallow one them whole haha! Rihnogoby did you say there?

[@DansFish]

Yes, these are Rhinogobius duospilus (formerly called Wui)

[@MoreChannelNoise]

you say they eat frozen foods like mysis shrimp, do you think they would eat repashy type foods? Also I don't think you mentioned if they can be kept with other fish. Swordtails, rosy barbs?

[@DansFish]

Howdy More, I don't think they would react to Repashy because they have a pretty strong prey drive...I wish they would! But, I've never tried it. I should totally do that!

[@MoreChannelNoise]

It's just with you saying they liked shrimp, I have seen people make their own repashy type food with fish shrimp and gelatin powder. Steff J did a video on making your own /watch?v=L0ZBgTMJvUI&t=649s

[@DansFish]

I'm skeptical because of their prey drive, but it might be worth a try.

[@jyilailong2600]

Would this white cheek goby eat baby snails or snail eggs?

[@DansFish]

I don't think so. I've had lots of snails in with these gobies, and the snails have done great with them. If you are trying to get rid of pest snails, I'd recommend purchasing some Assassin Snails or loaches.

[@stephen-truthseeker]

What abou puting hillstream loaches with them. Hillstreams like lower temps.

[@DansFish]

Yes, they are a perfect tank mate for hillstreams.

[@sharronmiller451]

I want some!!

[@dannyc.howard492]

♡. R they Neocaridina safe?

[@DansFish]

Hello Danny, No. They would eagerly eat any shrimp they can fit in their rather large mouths.

[@scowntownaquatics1291]

Still have any of these Dan?

[@DansFish]

Howdy ScowTown! Yes, I do indeed still have White Cheeked Gobies. Here's a link: dansfish.com/products/white-cheek-goby-rhinogobius-duospilus

[@Deon0026yickadee]

Don’t they have a saltwater one?

[@DansFish]

From what I have read, there are some Rhinogobius that live is salt and some in brackish. The ones I have are pure freshwater as far as I know. This article has some info on the different environments the different Rhinogobius groups inhabit: www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/how-to-keep-rhinogobius-gobies

[@melopc]

Rhinogobius similis (the type species) is the amphidromous species.

[@drtmg_]

They can live with kribensis?

[@DansFish]

Perhaps. Personally, I would not keep them together just because they occupy the same niche in the aquarium. I suppose if it is a big enough tank it would not be a problem although they are small enough that a full grown krib might be able to snack on them.

[@rayraycoins643]

id love to get some but where

[@rayraycoins643]

skwilla2929@ gmail.com please email me

[@DansFish]

Skylar, I haven't seen White Cheeks for a while now, but I do have 2 other species of Rhinogobius available. You can find them at this link if you are interested: getgills.com/product.search/rhinogobius/recent/24/1

[@DavidJHarrisonEssex]

Hi from the U.K (England). I have only a few months ago found out about these lovely little fish but the shop I go to that seeks them have been out if stock, they are now back in stock, I also now know someone else who sells them so I will buy some. Intetesting video but could have been much shorter, seemed you were struggling for something to say & thinking about it on the spot.

[@JimHanleyfishing]

Usually enjoy your videos Dan but any goby gives me the creeps and raises my blood pressure. I guide on Lake Erie and the infestation of invasive gobys and zebra muscles through the ballast water of ships returning from the Baltic Sea have ruined the lake for a lifetime.

[@DansFish]

I hear you JIm. It is a shame how much damage we have done by spreading species all around the globe.

[@dougiethoresen]

Hi I got a tank and a foot long goby it's massive and have white tips on fins and a red head im trying to find the species of this I know it's a goby I thought maybe dragon but don't have the spine! It's a monster of a thing his pelvic fin is the one on bottom at rear and its whole tip is white he's a bluey gray colour I'll upload a video actually if anyone can help me name the breed I need to know everything about him hes an amazing rescue!

[@DansFish]

Sounds like a neat fish!

[@bentleyangeldekao7768]

Maybe a type of cow goby

[@gunthergawol5819]

You tell,that this Goby shouldn't keep warm,but you keep him with Corydoras ?!

[@DansFish]

Sure. Lots of species of Cory's like cool water.

[@couchslouch]

Mine like bug bites pleco formula pellets.

[@DansFish]

Justin, Good to know! Did it take a while to train them to the pellets? How did you do it? Best, Dan

[@couchslouch]

Dans Fish I just started using the bug bits about a month ago. I just drop some in and it becomes a frenzy with the panda cories and pencil fish. Just happened to notice both the gobies going at them the other day.

[@DansFish]

Awesome. I might try them!