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Tanganyika Clown Goby
Eretmodus cyanostictus
📍 Lake Tanganyika, Africa
The Tanganyika Clown Goby is a small, colorful cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, known for its vibrant blue spots and peaceful demeanor. These bottom-dwelling fish are excellent for specialized African cichlid aquariums and add unique behavior and coloration to the tank. They are relatively hardy but require specific water conditions and careful tankmate selection.
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Care Guide
Diet
Feed small live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia 2-3 times daily. Supplement with high-quality sinking pellets and occasional vegetable matter like blanched spinach. These fish are micropredators and benefit from frequent small meals.
Behavior
Tanganyika Clown Gobies are benthic feeders that spend most of their time on the substrate searching for food and exploring rocky crevices. They are territorial but generally peaceful with non-competing species, though males may display aggression toward each other. They exhibit interesting hovering and darting behaviors while foraging.
Breeding
Breeding is moderately difficult and requires stable water conditions and proper cave structures for spawning. Pairs are monogamous and will guard eggs and fry aggressively. Provide small caves or PVC tubes as breeding sites and maintain excellent water quality during the breeding cycle.
Tank Mates
Similar size and habitat preference, both peaceful bottom-dwellers
Comparable size and temperament, occupy similar ecological niches
Both are small cichlids; may compete for territory but can coexist in larger tanks
Similar size and behavior; territorial tendencies require adequate space and hiding
Non-competing bottom-dweller that occupies different microhabitats
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, flashing against surfaces
Gradually raise temperature to 28-30 C (82-86 F), use aquarium salt at 1 teaspoon per gallon, perform daily water changes, treat with copper-free ich medication
Fin Rot
Frayed or deteriorating fins, discoloration at fin edges, lethargy
Improve water quality with frequent water changes, reduce stress, use antibiotic medication or salt baths, ensure proper nutrition
Bloat (Malawi Bloat)
Swollen abdomen, loss of appetite, difficulty swimming, pale coloration
Perform large water changes, feed high-quality foods sparingly, avoid overfeeding, use medicated food if bacterial infection suspected
Bacterial Infection
Open sores, ulcers, cloudy eyes, torn fins, behavioral changes
Maintain pristine water conditions, use broad-spectrum antibiotic medication, isolate affected fish if possible, increase aeration
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Quick Facts
- diet
- omnivore with preference for small invertebrates and algae
- lifespan
- 5-8 years
- max size
- 9 cm (3.5 in)
- tank size
- 20 gallons minimum
- temperament
- semi-aggressive
Water it likes
- ph
- 7.5-8.5
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 10-20 dGH
- temperature
- 75–81°F (24–27°C)