Care
Peacock Gudgeon are known from soft, acidic rainforest ponds, streams, and rivulets, where they may be observed congregating in loose shoals, hovering close to the substrate. The aquarium should be biologically mature and offer plenty of shady hiding places amongst dense planting, driftwood, and rocky caves. A soft sand substrate would serve these fish well, as they spend quite a proportion of their time on the bottom. The water should be soft and acidic; peat filtration being be very beneficial in helping to create the ideal environment. Provide these fish with a surfeit of retreats, and ironically you will actually see more of them, as they will be much more confident in venturing out and about, knowing they can quickly dart to safety if need be. Illumination should not be too intense, and floating plants can be useful to help diffuse bright lighting. Filtration should be efficient, but water movement gentle. Do ensure that the tank has tight fitting coverslides as these fish are expert jumpers. Although Peacock Gudgeon can sometimes be a little territorial with their own kind, keeping them in groups of 6 or more is recommended as they are naturally found in sizeable but loose aggregations. With plenty of hiding places and visual barriers within the aquarium, any territorial squabbles will be diminished, and should go no further than flaring the gills and fins. A larger group also means that you are more likely to obtain both sexes, and when in breeding condition, the males vying for the attention of the females makes for a wonderful display. Ideal tankmates could include peaceable species such as smaller rainbowfish, rasboras, and tetras. In larger tanks, other bottom dwellers could be included, but if space is slightly more limited, the Peacock Gudgeon should be allowed all of the bottom area to themselves. Be aware that larger specimens are capable of taking tiny fish and fry. May also be seen on sale as the Peacock Goby.
Feeding
Offer a variety of small meaty foodstuffs. Frozen bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, daphnia, and vitamin-enriched brineshrimp should all be taken with much enthusiasm. In time, they may also show interest in small sinking pellets/granules and flake.
Breeding
The Peacock Gudgeon has been bred in the home aquarium, and makes a very interesting breeding project. Compatible pairs are likely to form naturally from a good sized group of these fish, and these can be brought into breeding condition by feeding a diet of small, meaty live and frozen foods. Caves are absolutely essential to the spawning process, so these must be provided, whether constructed from small rocks or short pieces of PVC pipework, and, if the fish have been moved to a dedicated breeding tank, the addition of some clumps of plants will be much appreciated to provide additional cover. Plenty of small partial water changes should trigger the well-conditioned fish into spawning – gravid female fish appear very swollen in the belly at this stage from all the eggs. Male fish will display at the entrances of their preferred caves, flaring their fins at suitable passing females and trying to coax them into the cave. If the male is successful, the female will enter the cave with him and lay her eggs on the ceiling as he simultaneously fertilises them (the eggs are attached to the roof of the cave via small adhesive threads). Once the female is spent of eggs, the male will force her out from the cave, and takes on brood care, constantly fanning at them with his pectoral fins to keep the water around them well oxygenated. If this has taken place in a tank where other fish are present, these should be carefully moved to other quarters to prevent predation on the eggs/fry. The eggs should hatch within 3-6 days (temperature dependent) and at this point, the male fish will cease caring for them and is best moved to another aquarium. The fry become free-swimming within a further 36-48 hours, initially requiring infusoria, moving on to baby brineshrimp (
Artemia nauplii) within a couple of days.
