These fish will always be one of the highlights of all that I’ve gotten to spawn. They are beautiful, small, peaceful, unusual, and unfortunately, never seen in Regina. I was so very fortunate to receive a beautiful pair from a friend in Calgary who knew I’d be thrilled to have them.
These little gobies come from New Guinea where they inhabit the freshwater lowland rivers and ponds of east Papua. They are members of the eleotridae family which includes some other small pretty gobies but also some very large monsters like the Oxyeleotris marmoratus which grows to 20 inches and is rather homely.
The peacock goby grows to a maximum of three inches and likes soft, clean quiet waters. It does very well in a well planted, peaceful community tank. It does best at 72-79 degrees F. Literature suggests they require a pH of 7.0 and a hardness of 8 degrees. Mine did well in regular dechlorinated Regina water – no adjustments at all.
They are difficult to describe. Perhaps the best is to direct the reader to either page 201 of An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish by Gina Sandford or page 1074 of Baensch Aquarium Atlas, Volume 2. They are a soft blue and yellow with vertical red bands which extend into their fins. The female is usually smaller, slightly less colourful, and when ready to spawn, becomes rather rotund in the belly.
The breeding tank
I placed the pair in a ten gallon long tank. It was dimly lit and tightly covered with a glass lid. I used a small sponge filter. Initially, the tank had 1/4-1/2 inch pebbles on the bottom. I propped a clean broken piece of a clay plant pot up against the glass side so I could tell if they had spawned etc. The activity started within a week of their arrival! I fed them crushed flakes, live brine shrimp nauplii, and grindal worms. The female became plumper and soon the male was trying to coax her into the ‘cave’. Once they were both in the cave, he fluttered beside her for about a day. The following morning, the female was out of the cave, unhurt but significantly slimmer. Inside, the male was guarding a patch of eggs which were suspended to the clay pot by minute threads. The eggs swayed gently with the current from his fins. They were tiny, clear, peach colored eggs. As the eggs developed, they darkened. Literature suggests they hatch in 4-6 days but mine took 7-8 days. I removed the piece of clay pot to a container on about day 4 and provided gentle aeration with an air stone. The male didn’t appear too upset that the eggs were gone. I continued feeding the parent fish well and they spawned on a small piece of slate propped up against the glass about a week later.
Once the eggs hatch, the fry hang around the bottom for a few days and then get up and swim about. They resemble new rainbow fry at this point. Because they looked so small, I fed them microfood initially and after a few days, very small brine shrimp nauplii. I did 90% water changes daily and replaced the water very gently. I was surprised that I had only about 2 fry die in the first few weeks, and none since.
The first spawning was just over sixty days ago and the fry are now getting close to 1 inch long. They don’t have their stripes yet but one can see their characteristic fins. I continue to aerate with just an airstone and maintain the daily water changes. Soon however, they will need a bigger home.
Baensch writes “Tateurndina ocellicauda is one of the smallest sleeper gobies and truly one of the most beautiful.” It has been a pleasure to keep and have the beauties spawn.
Publication: Fins and Friends, Regina Aquarium Society, Canada: Regina Aquarium Society
Copyright images: Hristo Hristov
Source: Aquarticles.com (no longer available).
