Peacock Gudgeon’s are native to eastern Papua New Guinea, where they inhabit slow flowing creeks and prefer habitats that are heavily vegetated. The Peacock Gudgeon is a brightly coloured fish, with a light blue body and orange, yellow and red markings on the body. These markings also extend into the fins and tail. There is also a black spot on the caudal peduncle at the base of the tail.
Male Peacock Gudgeon’s reach a maximum length of between 5cm and 7cm, while females are slightly smaller.
Peacock Gudgeon’s are a great addition to the community tank and will swim in all parts of the tanks. They prefer planted aquariums with plenty of hiding places with caves where they can spawn. They are best kept as pairs or small colonies.
Due to their small size, Peacock Gudgeon’s can be housed in relatively small aquarium. An aquarium with base dimensions of 45cm x 30cm x 30cm or approximately 40 litres is adequate for a pair. If keeping a colony then a larger aquarium should be used.
Fortunately for hobbyists, Peacock Gudgeon’s are tolerant of a wide range of water qualities. A pH between 6.5 and 7.5 and a GH between 100 and 300ppm are suitable for this species. Temperatures between 23 and 28 degrees Celsius are suitable.
Peacock Gudgeon’s are insectivores by nature. In the aquarium they will accept a wide range of live and frozen foods. They will also accept dry foods, such as flakes and pellets. However, they will not survive on dry foods alone, so should be fed a varied diet.
Peacock Gudgeon’s are peaceful and well suited to the community aquarium. Males can become slightly aggressive when spawning and defending the eggs.
Sexing Peacock Gudgeon’s is easy in mature specimens. Males are larger with a large rounded head or nuchal hump. Females have a yellow patch on the stomach when ready to spawn. Peacock Gudgeon’s are cave spawners and are known to spawn in community tanks.