Bumblebee gobies with shrimp

By the Shrimp Tank Hub editorsUpdated Oct 28, 2026Research-based

Bumblebee gobies are tiny, yellow-and-black banded gobies of the genus Brachygobius from Southeast Asia (Seriously Fish). The name covers several look-alike species. Seriously Fish says the name B. xanthozona is misapplied in the hobby and that traded fish are usually B. doriae or B. sabanus, and Practical Fishkeeping's Neale Monks says the most common species in the UK trade is probably B. doriae. Seriously Fish describes B. doriae as a fish of lowland coastal fresh and brackish water such as mangroves, estuaries and tidal streams, with some populations in peat swamps.

Bumblebee gobies at a glance

Will bumblebee gobies eat shrimp?

• Shrimplets: yes, expect losses. Seriously Fish and Practical Fishkeeping both feed bumblebee gobies baby brine shrimp, Daphnia and bloodworm, and newborn cherry shrimp are about the same size as those foods. Our reading is that any shrimplet the goby can catch will be eaten, so a breeding colony will not grow.
• Adult shrimp: usually safe from being eaten, since adult cherry shrimp are about as long as the goby, but males defend territories around caves (Seriously Fish), and shrimp that wander past may be chased.
• Freshly molted shrimp: soft and vulnerable to any small predator; dense cover helps (our reading).

Practical Fishkeeping notes that fish which might eat shrimp will almost certainly eat the young, and that eggs and shrimplets are high risk. For other small predators, compare pea puffers with shrimp and scarlet badis with shrimp, or see the full cherry shrimp tank mates list.

Fresh or brackish water?

Neale Monks writes in Practical Fishkeeping that the idea of bumblebee gobies as brackish fish is only partly true: B. doriae lives in coastal creeks and streams, sometimes brackish and sometimes fresh, and even in soft, acidic water. He says aquarists generally find they do best in neutral to slightly hard fresh water or slightly brackish water at a specific gravity around 1.002–1.003, and he likes the option of adding salt if the fish look off-color. Practical Fishkeeping's brackish goby aquarium feature used a specific gravity of 1.005 at GH 22 and pH 8.1. Seriously Fish lists 72–82 °F, pH 7.0–8.5 and 8–20 dGH, with coral sand or a little marine salt as options.

That salt option is the problem for a shrimp tank. Freshwater dwarf shrimp don't need aquarium salt, and tolerance varies by species; see is aquarium salt safe for shrimp. The Shrimp Farm lists 65–80 °F, pH 6.8–8.0, GH 4–8 and KH 2–5 for cherry-type shrimp, with no salt. By our comparison, the only overlap is fresh water at about 72–80 °F, pH 7.0–8.0 and GH around 8, which is the top of the shrimp's hardness range and the bottom of the goby's. It can work on paper, but it leaves neither animal in its comfort zone and takes away the salt option Practical Fishkeeping keeps in reserve.

Feeding is the bigger problem

Seriously Fish says small live foods are essential and dried foods are normally ignored. Practical Fishkeeping says bumblebee gobies can be weaned onto frozen bloodworm, but stay slow feeders that compete badly with active tankmates. In a shrimp tank, frozen food that the gobies miss falls to the shrimp, while the gobies may go hungry. Hungry micropredators hunt, and shrimplets are the obvious live food (our reading). See best shrimp food.

Tank size and setup

• Size: Seriously Fish suggests a base of about 18 × 12 in (45 × 30 cm), roughly 11 US gallons, for a group.
• Caves: males are territorial and need hiding places for spawning and escape; Practical Fishkeeping suggests bogwood roots, coconut-shell caves and leaf litter over silica sand.
• Gentle flow: Seriously Fish recommends gentle, air-driven sponge filtration. See shrimp-safe filters.
• Plants: Practical Fishkeeping says Cryptocoryne wendtii handles slightly brackish water well.

If you want both

• Use two tanks. Keep bumblebee gobies in their own small tank, which Seriously Fish and Practical Fishkeeping both recommend, and keep the shrimp colony separate. This is our recommendation.
• Want a goby in a shrimp tank? Stiphodon gobies are algae grazers that leave shrimp alone; see Stiphodon gobies with shrimp.
• Want something to eat leftovers? See nerite and mystery snails with shrimp.

If you try it anyway

• Fresh water only: no marine salt, held at about 72–78 °F, pH 7.0–7.8 and GH 7–8 (our reading of the overlap).
• Adults only, big colony first. Practical Fishkeeping suggests letting the shrimp colony build up before adding fish, with plenty of hiding places and well-fed fish.
• Thick moss. Dense cover gives shrimplets a chance; see java moss for shrimp and baby shrimp care.
• Feed the gobies daily with live or frozen foods so they aren't hunting (Seriously Fish, Practical Fishkeeping).
• Acclimate slowly. See how to drip acclimate.
• Quarantine the fish separately. Practical Fishkeeping says many fish medications are not safe for invertebrates. If fish get sick, ask a fish veterinarian or an experienced store about treatment that won't harm the shrimp. See how to quarantine and is copper toxic to shrimp.

Common mistakes

• Buying them as "nano community fish"; Seriously Fish says they aren't ideal community fish.
• Adding marine salt to a tank with freshwater shrimp.
• Expecting them to live on flakes; Seriously Fish says dried foods are normally ignored.
• Keeping only one or two; Seriously Fish suggests six or more.

Track it

Log temperature, pH, GH and TDS on the free Water Parameter Log printable so you can keep the tank in the range both species share.

Frequently asked questions

Will bumblebee gobies eat cherry shrimp?

They will eat shrimplets. Seriously Fish says they need small live foods such as Artemia and Daphnia, and baby shrimp are the same size. Adult cherry shrimp are usually too big to swallow but may be chased from the gobies' caves. We rate them a high risk.

Are bumblebee gobies brackish fish?

Partly. Practical Fishkeeping's Neale Monks says B. doriae lives in coastal creeks that can be fresh or brackish, and does best in neutral to slightly hard fresh water or slightly brackish water at about SG 1.002–1.003. Seriously Fish lists pH 7.0–8.5 and 8–20 dGH, with salt optional.

Can bumblebee gobies live in a freshwater shrimp tank?

Only at the edge of both ranges. Our comparison of Seriously Fish and The Shrimp Farm gives about 72–80 °F, pH 7.0–8.0 and GH around 8, with no salt. Feeding and shrimplet losses are the bigger problems.

What do bumblebee gobies eat?

Small live and frozen foods: baby brine shrimp, Daphnia and bloodworm. Seriously Fish says dried foods are normally ignored, and Practical Fishkeeping says they can be weaned onto frozen bloodworm.

How big do bumblebee gobies get?

About 1.4 inches (35 mm standard length) for B. doriae and 1.1 inches for B. sabanus (Seriously Fish).

What goby is safe with shrimp?

Stiphodon gobies, which graze algae and biofilm. Seriously Fish has seen them kept with Caridina and Neocaridina shrimp, and Aquarium Co-Op lists them as cherry shrimp tank mates.

Sources: Seriously Fish, Brachygobius doriae (bumblebee goby) (35 mm SL; lowland coastal fresh and brackish habitats such as mangroves, estuaries and tidal streams, some in peat swamps; base 45 × 30 cm, about 11 US gal; 22–28 °C, pH 7.0–8.5, 8–20 dGH; coral sand or about 2 g/L marine salt optional; gentle air-driven sponge filtration; small live foods such as Artemia and Daphnia essential, dried foods normally ignored; not an ideal community fish, species-only; group of six or more; cave spawner, male guards); Seriously Fish, Brachygobius sabanus (27 mm SL; same water figures; found in fresh water); Seriously Fish, Brachygobius xanthozona (the name is misapplied; traded fish are usually B. doriae or B. sabanus); Practical Fishkeeping, How do I set up for these gobies? (Neale Monks: brackish only partly true; B. doriae most common in the UK trade, fresh or brackish coastal creeks; neutral to slightly hard fresh water or SG 1.002–1.003; prefer live foods, can be weaned onto bloodworm; slow feeders; best kept alone; territorial males need caves; Cryptocoryne wendtii); Practical Fishkeeping, How to set up a brackish goby aquarium (72–84 °F; up to 4 cm; meaty live or frozen foods; brackish set-up at SG 1.005, GH 22, pH 8.1; several species sold under the name); Practical Fishkeeping, What can I keep with shrimp? (fish that might eat shrimp will almost certainly eat the young; let the colony build up first; many medications are not invertebrate-safe); The Shrimp Farm, Red rili shrimp tank set-up and care (cherry-type range 65–80 °F, pH 6.8–8.0, GH 4–8, KH 2–5).