Yellow clown goby fish are peaceful, beautiful, and hardy marine saltwater fish. This article will address its profile and lifespan. Setting up the tank is a key to proper care of the yellow clown goby. Although they are hardy, but face some crises in the tank for many reasons. Feeding frequency and suitable tank mates are also worthy aspects of yellow clown goby care. An explanation of all these aspects is in the following article.
Yellow clown goby
How Long Do Yellow Clown Gobies Live?
Clown gobies are small and one of the famous aquarists’ choices due to their vibrant coloration. Other than coloration, their hardy nature makes them suitable for beginner aquarists. This peaceful marine beauty lives in Indo-Pacific coral reefs. They have a symbiotic relationship with corals and often move around the coral branches. They grow between 1 and 2″ in length. Here is a brief profile of the yellow clown goby fish.
| Attribute | Details |
| Scientific Name | Gobiodon okinawae |
| Family | Gobiidae |
| Origin | Indo-Pacific region |
| Coloration | Bright yellow. Sometimes with faint white and blue marks. |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Behavior | Perch on corals, not too much explorer |
Usually, yellow clown goby fish can live for 1 to 2 years. Other than many factors, their life span is affected by water temperature. They do well in warm water conditions, i.e., become adults within a few months. However, in cold water conditions, they take more than a year. Moreover, they live more in warm water than in cold water conditions. When keeping them in home aquariums, please prepare a big quartz heater for them.
Does the Yellow Clown Goby Require Sand?
Yes. Yellow clown gobies need sand as they often burrow themselves in the sand. Therefore, use sand as a substrate in your coral reef tank. Besides sand, here is how to set up a yellow clown goby tank.
Tank Size
One yellow clown goby needs at least a 10-gallon tank. With other species, 20 gallons of space per fish is better. They live in groups of 5 to 15. So, buy or build at least a 50-gallon tank to house them.
Water Parameters
| Parameter | Value |
| Temperature | 72 – 78°F (22–26°C) |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 |
| Salinity | 1.020–1.025 |
| Flow rate | Moderate |
| Nitrate level | 10 ppm |
| Ammonia level | 0 |
Tank Environment
As mentioned, they live around corals in their natural habitat. They nip the corals, so use branching SPS corals, e.g., Acropora, in your tank. Coral reef branching helps to provide a hiding spot. Also, other hiding spots in the tank, i.e., caves, crevices, and overhangs, should be used.
Add some moderate lighting in the tank. This light will create a shadow of corals and other decors. Yellow clown goby loves to live under the shade. Moreover, this moderate lighting is also beneficial for coral growth.
Substrate
In the wild, yellow clown goby lives in low tidal zones and vegetated areas with sand and mud. Their natural habitats have sandy bottoms where they burrow themselves. So, add sand at the bottom of the tank. It helps them to create their burrows. Sometimes, they also made burrows with pistol shrimps. Other than sand, add plentiful live rocks and other decors.
Yellow clown goby care
The Crisis Faced by the Yellow Clown Goby in the Fish Tank
Several aspects can affect the yellow clown goby in the tank. By overcoming these aspects, you can care for your fish. Here are some of them.
Water Parameters
Yellow clown goby fish are sensitive to water parameters. You have to introduce them in a well-established tank. It will cause an ammonia spike if you introduce numerous fish at once in a newly recycled tank. It causes stress, skin burns, and, in worse cases, can cause death.
Set the optimal water parameters. They are discussed previously. Don’t overwhelm the tank at once.
Ich (Marine White Spot Disease)
They can be the victim of fish ich. Ich weakens the fish and makes it susceptible to secondary infections.
Tank Size and Overcrowding
They need at least 10 gallons of space per fish. If you overcrowd the tank, it will increase the bioload in the tank and lead to competition. Moreover, it’ll also cause stress and difficulty in breathing. You will see a waste load in the tank.
Inappropriate Diet
Lack of a proper nutritious diet, too much or less food supply, and some aggressive tank mates can cause stress. These causes lead to various health issues and, in worse cases, death.
How Often to Feed a Yellow Clown Goby
Yellow clown gobies are carnivores. In the wild, their diet includes small invertebrates, worms, algae, crustaceans, and coral bits. Unlike many other carnivores, they don’t prey actively. They sit in the coral, wait for the prey, and jump for food.
Feed your yellow clown goby fish three times a day in small quantities or at least twice a day. In the aquarium, you can feed them the following diet options.
| Brine Shrimps | Meaty food items | Finely chopped silversides |
| Mysis Shrimps | Prawns | Copepods |
They are fussy eaters. Earlier, you need to train your yellow clown goby fish. In the beginning, feed them with live food. After some time, they show readiness for pellets and flake foods.
Gobiodon okinawae
Some Suitable Tankmates for Yellow Clown Goby
Yellow clown goby fish are small and peaceful fish. Therefore, it’s suggested to add some suitable tank mates that can co-exist with them. Here are some properties of suitable yellow clown goby fish tank mates.
Peaceful Nature
Yellow clown goby fish should house with some peaceful and non-aggressive fish so they don’t overpower each other.
Same Size
They are small-sized fish. Therefore, small to medium size fish are suitable for these yellow beauties. Large-size fish often see the small fish as food.
Coral Safe Fish
Yellow clown goby fish live in corals. Such fish that are coral safe, i.e., don’t eat the corals, are suitable for them.
Slow Swimmers
Don’t house your vibrant yellow clown goby with some fast-moving fish. Fast-moving fish can give rise to stress in the tank.
List of Suitable Tank Mates
| Clownfish | Firefish gobies | Batfish | Pufferfish |
| Damselfish | Snails | Blennies | Pipefish |
| Butterflyfish | Hermit crabs | Boxfish | Seahorses |
Clown goby
Parting Thoughts
Yellow clown goby fish is famous for its vibrant colors and peaceful nature. They usually live around coral reefs up to 50 meters in the Indo-Pacific. They live up to 2 years with proper care. Lay sand substrate and introduce SPS corals with branches and other decorations in the tank.
Critically look at the water parameters as they are vulnerable to water parameters. They can fall for Ich, secondary infection, and stress due to overcrowding in the tank. Add peaceful, same-sized, speed companions in a yellow clown goby fish tank.
Related Products
I have one surviving fish in my Nano marine tank, a Yellow clown goby who is 11 years old. My wife bought the Nano tank for me Christmas 2012. I have a record of the tank purchase dated 20 December 2012 and a photo of tank set up with the goby dated 30 January 2013. I originally purchased a pair of Yellow clown gobies but one jumped out of the tank overnight and wasn’t found until the next morning.