Burmese Spotted Bumble Bee Goby 2cm

Burmese Spotted Bumble Bee Goby

For aquarists looking to keep a highly under-rated and oddball fish, the Burmese spotted goby is a perfect selection. These fish are a very rare find in the aquarium hobby and make for a great fish to keep in a nano display because of their small size, unique behavior, and colours. These spotted gobies are closely related to the common yellow and black bumble bee gobies which are popular fish to keep in brackish water aquariums however these spotted bumblebee gobies can thrive in full freshwater environments. Due to their lack of overall availability, there is a large lack of first had aquarist experience in regards to the care of these fish however they are reported to be fairly easy to keep despite their incredibly small size. The spotted bumblebee goby also has a very unique aesthetic when compared to other aquarium species, it has a small, stubby body that only reaches around 2 cm. Color-wise they have an almost translucent white colour with a hit of yellow at the name of their body, their most characteristic factor is the patterning of black striations and blotches through the body which is where they get their name from. Their small size also makes them a very peaceful fish that would be a great addition to a nano tank.  

The Burmese spotted gobies are found through a broad demographic range starting from Laos and going all the way to Thailand. They are considered to be tropical fish but can thrive in a varied temperature range from 22-28 degrees. These spotted gobies also come from locations where the PH is very acidic due to fallen leaves and organic matter in the tank so the recommended PH range would be anything from 4.5-to 6.0, this can be easily maintained through aquarium safe botanicals and hardscape selection such as driftwood.  

Burmese spotted gobies would be the perfect fish to add to a very slow-paced nano community aquarium that emulates their wild blackwater setting. Breeding these is apparently possible however is a very difficult process because these fish do breed through specific environmental queues, in the wild their breeding behavior is usually triggered through temperature and seasons. Males are usually thinner whereas females can be a bit rounder, however, there are no obvious dimorphic factors in males and females.  

Tank Recommendations for your Burmese Spotted Bumblebee Gobies

Because the bumblebee gobies are small that spend a lot of their time idle in their environment hanging around floating plants and hardscape, they can be kept in smaller aquariums with the minimum being a tank of 35 liters. This allows enough room for a small group of spotted bumblebee gobies long-term as well.  Because they are slow-moving it is best to avoid filtration methods that have high flow, recommended options would be a sponge or hang-on back filters. 

The spotted gobies will love a densely planted tank with a lot of varied hardscapes where they can perch, they can be very shy fish that will take a lot of time to get used to the typical aquarium settings. A low-powered light and dark hardscape elements like driftwood, botanical such as seed pods, leaves, and river stones would be recommended. This will also make for an eye-catching display because of how uncommon it is. 

Suitable Tank Buddies

Burmese spotted gobies are very peaceful fish that will often get outcompeted by tank mates. They are almost exclusively bottom-dwelling fish meaning that they need to be kept with slow-moving fish that cannot outcompete them.

Usually Compatible

snails, pygmy Corydoras, neon tetras, sparkling gourami, celestial pearl danios, and similar slow species. 

Sometime Compatible

Smaller betta, zebra danios, endlers, harlequin rasboras and khuli loaches

Rarely Compatible 

Larger tetras, aggressive dwarf cichlids, or any fast-moving species that will outcompete the goby 

Feeding your Burmese Spotted Bumblebee Goby
Because of their shy nature, it may take some time to get these Burmese spotted gobies to eat common aquarium foods however with some care and variety in feeding they should be easily weaned to this option. When they are first introduced it is best to feed moving foods like Grindal worms, live black worms, and micro worms. Once they are comfortable eating on a consistent basis they can be transitioned to frozen foods and finally a prepared staple like micro sinking pellets or crushed flakes.