# Keeping/feeding stiphodon gobies



## Sergey (20 May 2020)

Hi guys,

I saw Stiphodon gobies (S. atropurpureus and S.elegans) at LFS and I'm totally in love with them. Having researched however, I found that it may be tricky to feed them. I've got a 60 litre heavily planted tank, but there hasn't been a lot of algae lately, I'm afraid I starved a couple of Otos before I figured that out. If I decide to keep Stiphodons, I'll have to supplement them with additional food. My question for the keepers then: what kind of food will they accept? On the Internet, people suggest Repashy foods, but it's not available in  my country. My otos seem to be fine with Zucchini slices, would that fit Stiphodons too?

Any advice on keeping them would be greatly appreciated.


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## becks (20 May 2020)

Mine scoot about pecking at the substrate, rocks and attach to the glass.  I feed them cucumber which they seem to eat and algae tablets. I love mine, they have lots of character and interact with each other quite a lot


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## Richard40 (20 May 2020)

I’ve been looking at the neon gobies. They do look great. Not sure on how many I’d get, maybe 2.


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## MirandaB (24 May 2020)

Can you get Ebo Aquaristik foods where you are as I use the spirulina paste amongst others for them?
One thing you can do is to grow algae outside on rocks in tubs to swap over in the tank if there's room.
To be honest they do better in a cool,hillstream type set up with a lot of low


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## Sergey (27 May 2020)

Hi @MirandaB , thanks for your reply. 

Seems like Ebo Aquaristik can be delivered to my country (Finland), thanks for the clue! Though, I've started to have second thoughts about Stiphodons lately, I don't think my tank is best for them. Maybe I'll set up a separate tank for them later, with lots of light, flow, and algae.


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## Steve Buce (27 May 2020)

Also have a look ar Repashey foods


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## mort (27 May 2020)

My brother has had a S. atropurpureus for about 18 months in a normal type tank and I'm surprised but it's done amazing. When he first got it I added some pebbles out of his pond but quickly saw it took the odd flake food and I've seen it eat daphnia. So biofilms and algae are important but possibly not the only food source they will take. I'd quite like some myself and the food Miranda listed definitely looks interesting.


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## MirandaB (27 May 2020)

mort said:


> My brother has had a S. atropurpureus for about 18 months in a normal type tank and I'm surprised but it's done amazing. When he first got it I added some pebbles out of his pond but quickly saw it took the odd flake food and I've seen it eat daphnia. So biofilms and algae are important but possibly not the only food source they will take. I'd quite like some myself and the food Miranda listed definitely looks interesting.



It's not exactly a cheap food but more convenient and less stinky than Repashy  only downside is most fish really like it,as do shrimp.
I can also recommend the insect paste one and the supersoft Artemia both of which I use regularly.


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## jaypeecee (27 May 2020)

Hi @Sergey

I think the following is worth taking on board:


MirandaB said:


> To be honest they do better in a cool,hillstream type set up with a lot of low



I suspect that @MirandaB meant to say 'flow' but I may be wrong. However, these gobies are gorgeous but their natural habitat is fast-moving, highly-oxygenated clear streams. You may want to learn more at the following:

https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/stiphodon-atropurpureus/

https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Stiphodon-atropurpureus.html

JPC


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## Richard40 (27 May 2020)

I was considering picking up a couple of these this week, however I’ve been put off that they can climb out of glass thanks and mine is open rim. Also they need to be added to a mature tank which mine isn’t yet.


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## Hufsa (27 May 2020)

They can definitely climb  I lost a few that way in the past.
Wonderful fish that its a shame you cant really breed in freshwater.
Best kept in hillstream setups


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