Court Jester Goby (Captive Bred)

Also known as the Rainford Goby or Rainford’s Goby

The Captive Bred Court Jester Goby is a peaceful, brightly colored reef fish known for its thin stripes and constant grazing behavior. With vibrant green, orange, and blue lines along its slim body, this goby adds a soft and natural beauty to reef aquariums. Captive bred specimens are hardier, more adaptable, and easier to feed compared to wild caught individuals, making them an excellent choice for hobbyists seeking a gentle algae grazing fish.

Key Features

• Scientific Name: Koumansetta rainfordi
• Common Names: Court Jester Goby, Rainford Goby, Rainford’s Goby
• Adult Size: 2 to 2.5 inches (5 to 6.3 cm)
• Lifespan: 3 to 5 years with proper care
• Temperament: Peaceful and shy
• Reef Compatibility: Completely reef safe and helpful for microalgae control
• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
• Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate due to feeding habits, but captive bred versions are easier to maintain

Habitat and Tank Requirements

Natural Habitat: In the wild, Rainford Gobies live in shallow lagoons, calm reefs, and seagrass beds throughout the Indo Pacific. They stay close to the sand and rock surface where they graze all day. Captive bred gobies adapt much faster to home aquariums and show stronger feeding responses.
Tank Environment: Provide a soft sandbed for grazing, plenty of live rock with crevices, and safe hiding spots. They prefer peaceful tanks with low to moderate flow. Keep singly unless you have a large tank that can support a bonded pair.

Water Parameters:

• Temperature: 72 to 78°F (22 to 26°C)
• Salinity: 1.023 to 1.025
• pH: 8.1 to 8.4
• Ammonia/Nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: Below 20 ppm
•  Alkalinity: 8 to 12 dKH

Essential Equipment:

• Stable and smooth filtration
• Moderate lighting to support natural film algae
• Weekly or biweekly water changes to maintain water quality

Diet and Feeding

Captive bred Court Jester Gobies adjust more easily to prepared foods compared to wild caught ones. They still enjoy grazing throughout the day.
Recommended Foods:

• Frozen mysis shrimp
•  Frozen brine shrimp
• Copepods
• Enriched omnivore pellets
• Algae based foods
• Nano sized frozen blends

Feeding Schedule: Feed 1 to 2 times daily in small portions. Provide a mature tank or supplemental microalgae sources to support natural grazing.

Behavior and Compatibility

Temperament: Calm, peaceful, and very gentle. They spend most of their day moving around the sandbed or rock surface looking for microalgae and small organisms. They rarely show aggression.

Tank Mates:

• Compatible with peaceful reef fish such as firefish, clown gobies, small wrasses, blennies, cardinalfish, and dartfish
•  Avoid aggressive species that may bully or outcompete them
• Should not be housed with overly active or large predators

Breeding Potential

Captive bred Court Jester Gobies already originate from controlled breeding environments, making them genetically adapted to aquarium life. In home aquariums, they may spawn if provided with a calm space and stable water quality. The male guards the eggs until hatching. Raising fry requires very small live foods such as copepod nauplii and rotifers.

Why Choose Us

At Dr Reefs, every Captive Bred Court Jester Goby undergoes a complete quarantine process where each fish is observed for several weeks. They are conditioned to accept multiple food varieties and monitored closely for health. Since they are captive bred, they show better adaptability, higher survival rates, and smoother transitions into reef aquariums. Choosing Dr Reefs ensures you receive a healthy, high quality, and fully acclimated Court Jester Goby ready for your home tank.