Gobiidae
Stiphodon
7.00 cm
Peaceful, Community
Herbivore, Omnivore
75.00 L
80.00 cm x 30.00 cm
20.0 C - 28.0 C
pH 6.5 - 8.0
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.
Temperatures can vary from 20-28 °C (71 -82°F). They can live without a heater. The water chemistry isn’t that important but avoid extremes.
Having algae growing on the surfaces is beneficial and will keep the gobies busy. But I would always feed additional foods such as algae tabs and frozen and live food (artemia, glass worms, grindal, etc.). I avoid blood worms. Pro tip: keep your dry food in the freezer and take only out what you will feed within a few days.
Egg-layer (Parental Care)
1000 fry
Cold and large water changes can trigger fish in good condition (well fed)
Stiphodon and other gobies of the Sicydiinae sub-family are so called ‘amphidromous’. This means that the adult fish live and lay their eggs in freshwater, but the hatched larvae will 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.
The trick to get the gobies spawning in the aquarium is
1) having females (:-p)
2) feeding lots of food to get the fish in good condition (especially the females should be fat)
3) offering the correct spawning spots (flat bottom stones over sand or pebbles)
A large water change triggers spawning activities.
Males will turn extremely colourful while the females’ pattern and colours fade. The male dances for his chosen female and if she’s ready, she will follow him to the nest under a stone. She will leave the nest after a few hours, while he remains under the stone to guarantee optimal aeration of the many eggs. After 3-5 days, up to a thousand larvae will hatch. Incubation time depends on water temperature.