Gobiidae
Stiphodon
6.00 cm
Peaceful, Community
They can be territorial but are harmless
Herbivore, Omnivore
80.00 L
20.0 C - 28.0 C
Temperatures can vary from 20-28 °C (71 -82°F). I keep my gobies without a heater. The water chemistry isn’t that important but avoid extremes. I measured softer water in the visited biotopes of Stiphodon semoni.
Bottom
Neon gobies live in nature in streams over stones and pebbles on which they feed on biofilm (so called aufwuchs, a mixture of microorganisms and algae). The substrate is often sandy. This should be recreated in the aquarium, but as long as there’s enough surface on the stones, the tank can be planted as well. But keep the organic pollution of decaying plant material at bay. Stones with a flat bottom on the sand will be used by the males for building their nests. The set up is completed by a stream pump. Don’t be scared of a strong current! It’s recommended to place the stream pump over a flat stone or an area with bigger pebbles to avoid clogging of the rotor with sand.
Open tanks look beautiful but can cost your gobie’s life: the gobies could climb out of the tank by using their ventral suction cup and sucker mouth. A tightly closed lid or a frame on the open tank can avoid dried gobies.
Stiphodon are active fish, so the bigger the better! Stiphodon semoni belongs to the medium-sized neon gobies and should get at least 80 cm (31”) tanks.
Stiphodon are territorial but harmless. They should live in groups of 5 or more of their kind. Several males can live together in a well-structured tank. Ideal tank mates are other stream gobies such as Sicyopterus, Lentipes, Sicyopus or Schismatogobius and of course other Stiphodon species. Other tank mates can be stream loaches, Danio species, forktail blue-eyes, etc. Shrimps and snails will not be harmed. But avoid too many Neritid snails, because they can compete for algae.
Stiphodon females differ strongly from males. Most Stiphodon semoni females are black and white (beige) with no colouration in the body. Pale Stiphodon can be difficult to sex, but if you see the slightest colouration (e.g. in the face) it is a male. Unfortunately, there are mostly males in the trade.
Egg-layer (Parental Care)
1000 fry
Breed through the whole year. Large and cold water changes can trigger spawning.
Stiphodon and other gobies of the Sicydiinae sub-family are ‘amphidromous’. The adult fish live and lay their eggs in freshwater. The larvae drift into the sea and develop under marine conditions. After going through developmental stages, the sub-adult fish migrate back to the freshwater streams where they spend the rest of their life. The reason why breeding wasn’t successful yet is the difficulty of feeding the extremely tiny larvae. Nonetheless, it is always spectacular to see them spawn!
How to get Stiphodon spawning in the aquarium:
* Have females ;-)
* Feed regularly and plenty to get them in good condition (especially females must be fat)
* offer the correct spawning spots (flat bottom stones over sand or pebbles).
A large water change triggers spawning. Males turn colourful while the females’ pattern and colours fade. The male dances for his chosen female and if she’s ready, she follows him to the nest. She leaves the nest after a few hours while he remains to guard the eggs.
