Peacock Gudgeon Care : A Complete Guide (With Pictures)

Peacock Gudgeon is a unique, and one of the most beautiful colored freshwater fish and it is worth the consideration of most aquarists.

Peacock Gudgeon are also known as Peacock Goby but they are not a member of the Goby family.

Peacock Gudgeon

Peacock Gudgeon is also a good choice for community tanks because they can easily cope with other species of freshwater fish.

Quick Facts

Temperament : Peaceful
Freshwater / Saltwater Fish : Freshwater
Care Level : Easy
Colour : Vibrant colors
Diet : Fish Flakes, Blood Worm, Java Moss
Adult Size : 3 inches
Lifespan : 4-5 years
Water Temperature : 720F to 790F
Water Ph : 6.0 to 7.8
Tank Size : Min 5 Gallon

Overview

The key to keeping Peacock Gudgeon in your tank is ensuring proper maintenance of their tank. Even though they are easy to keep, it is still essential to ensure the stability of their tank.

Under suitable conditions, Peacock Gudgeon will live long, healthy, and beautiful. They will add both color and life to your tank because of their reminiscent of peacock feathers as their name suggests.

Typical Behaviour

Peacock Gudgeon are very peaceful in most parts of their lifetime. However, they won’t cause any trouble if you keep them alone or with non-aggressive tank mates of similar size. They have limited swimming strength; therefore, they don’t crave for too much space.

Peacock Gudgeons are happier when you put them together as a group rather than keeping one alone in isolation. Also, you would see your fish playing in open water and playing with plants if they are happy and comfortable in their tank.

Are Peacock Gudgeons schooling fish?

Peacock Gudgeons are schooling because they are happier in groups. It is best to keep them in a group of 6 to 8. The essential thing is that you keep them in tanks that can comfortably accommodate them.

Although you might notice slight aggression between males in groups, it is nothing serious. This aggression will only last for a few minutes before returning back to their normal activities. It will most likely result in injury for any fish.

Are Peacock Gudgeons aggressive?

Peacock Gudgeon are not aggressive. In fact, they are one of the most suitable members of community tanks because of their peaceful nature. They maintain their peaceful nature almost through their entire life time.

The only time you might find them slightly aggressive is when you keep many male together in the same tank. They might act slightly aggressive towards another, but it is light-hearted and will only last for a few minutes.

Appearance

Peacock Gudgeon are exceptionally beautiful and colorful; thus, you can easily distinguish them from other members of the tank. They have standout   and vibrant colors which are dominantly covered with silvery-blue or electric blue shade. Also, their belly is covered with subtle yellow hue.

Peacock Gudgeon usually have long slender bodies and the males will sometimes have hunchbacks. Also, they usually have a large black spot somewhere around the base of their tail fin. The unique and beautiful color blend of this fish species explains why “peacock” is attached to their name.

Life Span

Peacock Gudgeon will live up to about 4 or 5 years in captivity. However, they might live slightly longer if the conditions are right with them and they receive proper care.

There are several factors that influence the lifespan of Peacock Gudgeon. These factors include feeding habits, diet, tank conditions, water conditions, tank mates, stress level, etc.  In addition, It is better to influence these factors to favor the living condition of your fish

Size

Peacock Gudgeon are moderately sized. Also, the average size of a full-grown Peacock Gudgeon is about 3 inches. The female can stop growing at about 2-1/22 inches.

Most juvenile Peacock Gudgeon will reach full maturity within 6 to 8 months. Even if they don’t attain full size within this period, they will be close to attaining full size. However, you must ensure that you feed them with an appropriate diet, ensure proper tank conditions, and keep their stress level to barest minimum if you want them to grow to maximum size.

Sexing

How can you tell if a Peacock Gudgeon is male or female? Identifying the differences between the male and female members of the tank is one of the biggest problems of most aquarists.

However, Peacock Gudgeon have distinguishable features that separate the males from the females. Females have more vibrant colors on their bellies while the males are slightly larger than the females. Similarly, females have a trademark thin strip of black on the edge of their fin while the males grow forehead hump.

Compatible Tank Mates

Compatible tank mates for Peacock Gudgeon fish include

  • Cory catfish
  • Cherry Barb
  • Ember Tetra
  • Celestial Pearl Danios
  • Apistogramma

Water Conditions

Peacock Gudgeon requires stable water conditions for them to thrive comfortably. In addition, You should carry out a routine examination of the water parameters as often as possible.

Avoid making drastic changes to their water conditions and make sure you don’t go above their tolerance level.

Temperature

Peacock Gudgeon loves fairly warm temperatures. They thrive best at a temperature within the range of 720F to 790F. This range shows that they are flexible in their temperature requirements but they will find it hard to cope in extreme conditions or drastic change.

It is recommended to use an aquarium heater to keep the water temperature at the recommended setting. If you are after a heater check out the ones available on amazon

PH Level

Peacock Gudgeon prefers to live in a near-neutral pH. Peacock Gudgeon prefers near neutral pH but will thrive best at exactly neutral points. Thus, they will thrive best in the pH within the range of 6.0 to 7.8 but they thrive best at exactly 7.0.

You can monitor your aquariums water using a PH water tester kit available on amazon

Oxygen level

As with most fish it is important for these fish to live in well oxygenated water, For this I recommend to install an air pump in to your aquarium as this will insure that the water is well oxygenated. You can pickup an air pump online from amazon.

Tank Setup

There are certain things we need to consider when we are selecting a tank, we know the needs of this fish are

  • Prefers a lot of space as they are active and love to swim around
  • Peacock Gudgeon interact with live plants to make them feel comfortable
  • They prefer dark sand substrates to gravel in their tank
  • Include driftwoods and rocks as the complementary substrates in their tank
  • Prefers mild currents and gently moving water

With this information we can now select a tank.

endlers tank setup

Tank Size

The suitable tank size of any fish is largely dependent on the size of the fish. Peacock Gudgeon does not need a gigantic tank, thanks to their noble size. Likewise, they aren’t really strong swimmers, so you don’t need to start creating a large swimming space.

The suitable tank size for Peacock Gudgeon is 15 gallons. This tank size is suitable for the noble school fish size of Peacock Gudgeon (6 to 8 gallons). They will live comfortably in this tank because of their moderate size and limited swimming ability.

How many Peacock Gudgeon to keep in a 5 gallon tank? Peacock Gudgeon can cope with moderate tank size as long as they are not overcrowded. You can only keep one or two Peacock Gudgeon in a 5 gallon tank if you want them to be comfortable.

If you are looking to purchase a fish aquarium I recommend you check out the aquariums on amazon

Filtration

The cleaner your tank water is the more chance your fish have of thriving and living a happier and healthier life. Also, I have always used a fluval aquarium filter which I highly recommend, Check them out here

Heater

It is recommended to use an aquarium heater to keep the water temperature at the recommended setting. If you are after a heater check out the ones available on amazon

I also recommend that you monitor your aquariums water temperature by using an aquarium digital thermometer. Check out these ones from amazon

Tank Decorations

Peacock Gudgeon love the presence of live plants and other decorations in their tank because it provides a hiding space for them. Likewise, it provides facilities for graceful swimming.

Some of the most preferred java fern, water wisteria, and Anubias.

Diet

How often do Peacock Gudgeon fish need to be fed? Peacock Gudgeon are picky eaters but not fussy eaters. You can feed your Peacock Gudgeon once or twice daily with the appropriate diet.

Ensure that you are only feeding them with food that can fit into their mouth and avoid overfeeding them. Likewise, you should get rid of all leftover food from their tank to avoid the buildup of organic waste.

What should I feed my Peacock Gudgeon? Peacock Gudgeon are quite picky in their choice of food.  However, they prefer live foods like small critters, insects, shrimps, daphnia, bloodworms, and larvae. You can feed them with high-quality dried food, live or frozen food.

In summary, Peacock Gudgeon will only feed comfortably on live foods that can fit into their mouth.

How long can Peacock Gudgeon live without food? Peacock Gudgeon are like other living organisms that need the right diet to stay healthy and stay happy. However, in cases where it is unavoidable, Peacock Gudgeon can live between 5-12 days without food.

It is not advisable to leave your Peacock Gudgeon without food, except it becomes unavoidable. Also, leaving them without food can starve them, make them susceptible to disease, and limit their growth.

Breeding

Peacock Gudgeon do not have difficult breeding requirements. The breeding process begins with the pairing off of male and female fish. Once you notice these pairing, you can move them to a separate tank.

Also, you have to ensure that your breeding tank meets certain requirements before moving in your breeding pair. First off, the breeding tank should contain cavities or some kind of cave. You can create this cavity by using different types of materials such as PVC, terracotta pot, or an already constructed cavity

Furthermore, as part of the preparation for their breeding process, you must also make some adjustments to their water parameters and diets. You should feed the breeding pair with plenty of protein-rich live food.

The male will dance for the females in a bid to attract them when they are ready to mate. He will flare his fins and swim around the entrance of the cavity to attract the females.

Female Peacock Gudgeon will lay up to 50-100 eggs per spawning. The males will take it up from there by fertilizing the eggs. They will also incubate it, fan the eggs, and protect the area fiercely.

It will take about 8 to 10 days for these sticky eggs to hatch into fry. Parents will show care for a while and will stop caring once the fry can fend for themselves. At this point you can separate the parents and their fry. It will take a few weeks for the fry to be able to swim freely on their own.

How to tell if Peacock Gudgeon is pregnant? Peacock Gudgeon do not get pregnant because they are not livebearers. However, they carry fertilized eggs for spawning. When the females bear eggs, their belly will change from its original color to orange or yellow.

 

Diseases

The last thing I want to go through is the common diseases these fish could suffer from.

Ich

Like most other fish, Peacock Gudgeon are prone to ich. It is usually a result of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis which is an ectoparasite that is common to fresh water. It is highly contagious and will mostly affect fishes that are stressed.

Once you discover Ich in your tank, the first thing is to quarantine the affected members. Next, you can treat them with copper-based medicines.

Hole-in-Head Disease

Hole-in-head disease particularly affects Peacock Gudgeons’ head. It is very contagious and primarily transmitted through feces. Peacock Gudgeon will be more vulnerable under poor water conditions or when they are stressed.

In addition, resultant effect of this condition in Peacock Gudgeon is that it leaves a visible hole on the head and results in sores. The first line of treatment is making the tank conditions right for the fish.

Skin and gill Flukes

Peacock Gudgeon are prone to skin and gill disease, particularly when the water condition is not right. This disease is caused by Trematodes and can leave a severe damage on skin and gills if proper care is not taken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the frequently asked questions about this fish

What is the best substrate for Peacock Gudgeons?? The best substrates for Peacock Gudgeon are fine dark sands. You can also add suitable rocks and driftwoods to complement the fish tank.

What do Peacock Gudgeons eat? Peacock Gudgeon are picky eaters. They prefer live foods such as small critters, insects, shrimps, daphnia, bloodworms, and larvae. You can also consider feeding them with pellets.

Will Peacock Gudgeons eat fry? No, Peacock Gudgeon will not eat their fry. In fact, they show a level of parental care until the fry can fend for themselves.

Why Are My Peacock Gudgeons Hiding? Aside from the fact that your Peacock Gudgeon might just need to get some rest, they might be hiding if they have bullying tank mates. They can also hide if the conditions are not right with them.

How Much Do Peacock Gudgeons Cost? The cost of Peacock Gudgeon varies with location and there is no standard price for it. Nevertheless, you can purchase a Peacock Gudgeon within the range of $10-$20.

jbarr3tt1979

Hello, I'm Jason. I'm the guy behind HelpUsFish.com. I volunteer at my local fish shop and I created this site to offer tips and advice on the fish I care for.

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