I found the Peacock Gudgeon in a petstore being clearance for $5.00. The store was unable to tell me much about the species and so I did a bit of online research on my own.
The majority of the species is sold in-store between 1 to 1 1/2 inches, however the fish actually gets a maximum of 2 1/2 inches. They are very beautiful and the adults have an amazing array of colour. I recommend searching for an adult photo if your interested in purchasing to get a feel for what they will really look like.
A peaceful fish, my female was only an inch when I got her and so I've been keeping her in my 10 gallon with Zebra Danios, but will be moving her to the 20 gallon when I get more. They get along very well, even schooling together once in awhile and during feeding sessions. I have heard conflicting reports about what to feed the species, however I have had no problems getting her to accept flake food - though I recommend getting one with a high protien percentage.
They are not overly picky about the water's properties and are relatively easy to care for. They can be hard to find and most I've found run between $9.95 to $14.99. I've actually had to special order more through a local aquarium store since she was the last one when I got her.
Personality wise they are peaceful and generally get along well with eachother and other community fish. The only time I had trouble was when she started fin nipping on my Butterfly Loach (aka Borneo Suckers) and then only when he wasn't moving.
Mine swims at most levels, though is most comfortable near the bottom and cover. She tends to hunt food here, however this may also be because I have only one and she is nerveous and my danios are very active in the top/middle parts of the tank.
I have two of these in my 55 gallon glass with 2 red whiptail cats, four glowlight tetras, a pair of swordtails, and a blue dwarf gourami, along with two ciclids. They are probably my favorites, next to the red cats.
Mine are very gentle and should be fed with an eyedropper, as the others are pigs, and tend to grab all the food. I feed the cats with a feeder also, as they're always hanging on the uptake for the filter, and would starve if I didn't feed them separate. As it is, the others have figured out there might be food on the intake, so I have to hang out and make sure they eat.
When I got them, they wanted to eat tiny specks, but are now up to live or frozen brine shrimp, frozen glass worms, flake, freeze-dried krill and even seaweed sheets I clip to the glass or stick to the filter where the cats are. It stays intact for hours (please remove after a few) and keeps the fish "regular" in terms of digestion and pooping.
Please note that if you have a pair of swordtails that you will VERY likely end up with baby fish fry if you feed live food, so aim the frozen stuff at them to prevent this. The swords also like sinking flakes, and are easily distracted.
Fry are NOT good food for your fish. They carry bacteria, and of course, aren't good for the fry.
I have 1 male and 2 females in my modified fluval edge 23l.
They breed continuously, each female spawning on rotation with the male. I drilled a 40mm hole in a short section of boxwood to make a cave and thats where the male sits, guarding the eggs.
I feed the frozen bloodworm mixed with micro pellet and crushed algae Tabs. They go for the bloodworm mainly but will eat the other bits too. They also hunt the micro fauna in the tank.
They are kept with a mixed bag of neocardina (blues, yellows), amano shrimp, x6 pygmy corys, x1 neon goby, x1 otocinclus.
I did have pure red neocardina but the colour similarity to bloodworm meant they were a target. The adults offspring are not pure red as they have translucent areas and have been left alone.
They are a completely fascinating fish. The way they move about is similar in many ways to a marine fish I used to have - marine beta or Calloplesiops altivelis.
The females squabble and the male sees them off from the mouth of the cave but never any injuries. They're totally peaceful with their tankmates too (except the red neocardina of course)
If you're looking for a small fish with lots of personality and some of the best colouration I've seen on any tropical fish then this one is for you.
I'd recommend keeping them in a tank with similar sized fish as they don't grow very large and would likely end up hiding and you'd not see how beautiful they are.
Mine come up to the top glass of the fluval edge and watch me prepare their food like little puppies and will even take food from my fingers.
If you want to breed them you'll need to remove the eggs into a separate tank with flow moving over them or an egg tumbler as when they hatch the fry are incredibly small...I mean incredibly small. As small as a baby neocardina shrimp, if not smaller. They just look like an eyeball the size of a pin head with a whisker sticking out of it. I have no idea what you could feed them as I'm not breeding to raise fry...
A Wonderful Community Fish
peacock gobies-the perfect fish?