Peacock gudgeon care
Tateurndina ocellicauda · Eastern Papua New Guinea
Peacock gudgeons are small, colorful gobies from Papua New Guinea: pastel blue with red spots and a black eyespot at the base of the tail.
- Tank size
- 15 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 79 °F (22 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 4 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in (males; females about 2 in)
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 5 years
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Care level
- Easy
In a 15 gallon
24¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep peacock gudgeons
Peacock gudgeons are small, colorful gobies from Papua New Guinea: pastel blue with red spots and a black eyespot at the base of the tail. Keep a small group in a planted 15 gallon or larger tank at 72 to 79 °F with caves; males grow a hump on the forehead.
Diet: Micropredator: frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, small pellets. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Peacock gudgeon tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Tiger barb
3 in · 29+ gal · 74–80 °F
Betta
3 in · 5+ gal · 76–82 °F
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 75–81 °F
Black skirt tetra
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Congo tetra
3 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F
Glass catfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 75–82 °F
Buenos Aires tetra
3 in · 29+ gal · 64–82 °F
Black ruby barb
3 in · 29+ gal · 72–79 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as peacock gudgeons.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Axolotl: Axolotls belong in a tank of their own.
Electric blue crayfish: Electric blue crayfish belong in a tank of their own.
What a peacock gudgeon tank needs
A tank of 15 US gallons or more (such as the 15 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 15 gallon peacock gudgeon tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, M
Rated by the maker for 12–17 US gal, which covers a 15 gallon peacock gudgeon tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Peacock gudgeons need 72 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding peacock gudgeons.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 79 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common peacock gudgeon problems
- They prefer frozen and live foods and may ignore flakes; offer small frozen foods.
- Males guard caves when they spawn; give each one a cave.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Tateurndina ocellicauda. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Peacock gudgeon Dirk Godlinski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Tiger barb Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish Leo-nie-weh-oh; cropped by Der Regenbogenfisch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black skirt tetra emptyvi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Congo tetra 7TP (Krzysztof Bartosik), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glass catfish Martin Fisch, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Buenos Aires tetra Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black ruby barb Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Axolotl LoKiLeCh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue crayfish Dirk Rohlfs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
