The Peacock Gudgeon (Tateurndina ocellicauda) is an extremely beautiful fish that makes an excellent addition to the nano or planted aquarium. A member of the goby family, this fish is a fully freshwater oddball that will not only thrive, but will often spawn in the home aquarium.
We offer tank-bred specimens, but the Peacock Gudgeon is native to Papua New Guinea. This fish boasts neon red and blue vertically striped body coloration, similar to the Scarlet Badis (Dario Dario), but it also has a neon yellow margin along the edge of all of its fins. Mature males have noticeably rounded heads. This fish does well and best displays its optimal color and social behavior in groups of 6 to 8 or more, although a pair can do very well in a smaller aquarium. It is a micro predator that requires some high-protein frozen foods (bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, etc.) to thrive, but it will also typically accept high-quality dry foods.
The Peacock Gudgeon is a peaceful fish. Males will often posture with one another, but usually do not fight at length, especially in an aquarium with plenty of plants, rockwork, driftwood, and other hiding places. This fish is compatible with most other peaceful fish. It may prey on dwarf shrimp like neocaridina and caridean bee types (especially their fry), but is otherwise peaceful with invertebrates and is certainly safe to keep with some of the larger shrimp that we offer, such as Amano, Flower, Green Lace, and Vampire Shrimp. The Peacock Gudgeon is also known to jump when being kept in tanks so it's important to ensure that the tank is well covered to help prevent jumpers from escaping. If the tank is rimless and a lid is not an option then keeping the water level down a few inches can help to keep them in the tank if they jump. Normally, after they have been tanked for a few weeks they don't tend to jump as much in our experience.
What We Like About This Fish:
- Very active with a peaceful disposition
- Spawns easily in the aquarium
- Easy to feed
- Attractive, brilliant coloration
RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS:
- Temperature: 72 - 79° F (22 - 26° C)
- pH: 6.5 - 7.5
- KH: 5 - 10 dKH
- Minimum tank size: 15 gallons
CARE GUIDELINES:
- Diet: Will often accept high-quality dry foods, but also requires high-protein frozen foods.
- Social behavior: Peaceful. Males will posture with one another but typically cause no harm.
- Origin: Tank-bred, but indigenous to Papua New Guinea