Above: In the picture is a nice premium quality Freshwater Bumblebee Gobies, resting on a lava rock in one of our aquariums.

Comments: This species is small, interesting, hardy, and fun to watch. They are a much bdetter aquarium fish than the brackish water Bumblebee Gobies, because they are much less aggressive to each other, and because they are hardier.

Origin: This Goby comes from parts of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in Southeast Asia.

Because they live in such a wide area, one might expect that there is more than one species, and their marking do vary, which is also an indicator that there may be several species.

Maximum Size: 0.75" long

Behaviors: Hopping along the bottom on rocks, plants, and driftwood.

They seem to enjoy each others company and can be seen close to each other, and not quarreling like brackish water Bumblebee Gobies.

These Freshwater Bumblebee Gobies seem to be much better aquarium fish than the Brackish Water Bumblebee Gobies.

Compatibility: White Clouds, Danios, and perhaps small Rainbowfish.

Temperature: 75 to 82-degrees F. with 78 to 80 ideal.

Feeding: usually they will eat only live foods such as small worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, etc.

They seem to love eating tiny newly hatched brine shrimp. You can buy brine shrimp eggs and hatch the, which is also fun.

Water Conditions: pH of about 6.0 to 6.5 and low hardness, which is very different to the water in North America.

But is very similar to deionized water, available in many stores and supermarkets.

These fish do not need salts of any kind in their water.

Aquarium Size: several can live together in 10-gallon aquarium. They obviouly enjoy each others company. Probably a so-called 20-gallon long aquarium is best for them.

Decor: They love caves, but they don't need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel. They will also need rocks or driftwood to climb on.

Live plants are beautiful and are enjoyed by this fish.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended. Most 20-gallon aquariums will do well with one Penguin 200B Filter.

But this fish is from rapidly flowing streams, so a Penguin 350B Filter is probably even better, because it will creat more water flow.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: unknown to us but probably at least a few years and hopefully more.

Breeding: pile up some rocks and the male will choose a cave in the pile. Then he will dance around the opening to his cave to attract a female.

The eggs are laid in the cave, and he cares for them.

Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.

Popularity: this fish is rather new to aquariums and so rarely seen in aquariums, but it should become more popular. It is a very nice freshwater aquarium fish.

Variations: We know of none now, but this fish occurs over a very wide region, and so there may be several species and/or subspecies that are closely related.

Names: the scientific name is apparently Barchygobius xanthomelas.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.