Suddenly territorial goby...

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fishguy122
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 11:37 am

Suddenly territorial goby...

Post by fishguy122 » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:27 pm

Hi all, one of my gobies (a male s. Atropurpurpeus) has suddenly become really territorial. For a week or so he'd let all the gobies into his territory but now he can't stand the sight if them near his area. How can I stop this and why do you think this change suddenly happened?

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Suddenly territorial goby...

Post by Diana » Mon Mar 07, 2016 9:14 am

That is the way Gobies are. Some can be more territorial than others.
Reasons they get more territorial:
They were immature when you bought them, now they are maturing.
You added female Gobies.
Something else changed (temperature, water parameters...) that triggered breeding hormones. Now the Gobies want to claim some space.

Ways to stop it:
Have enough space for the fish. (or fewer fish per tank).
Break up the space with natural barriers so that each fish can claim a space, and know where the barrier it (rocks, driftwood, plants).
Remove the most aggressive one. Set him up in his own tank with no other bottom fish, but a school of upper level fish might be OK.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

fishguy122
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 11:37 am

Re: Suddenly territorial goby...

Post by fishguy122 » Sat Mar 12, 2016 6:12 am

Thanks for replying. I think it may he a sudden change in parameters that males him more territorial. I did a WC yesterday and today his colours seem more defined and he's being a lot more territorial than he was last week. I think he'll hopefully calm down after a day or two....that seemed to happen last time after a WC.

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