TankBud

Blue neon carnival gudgeon

Hypseleotris leuciscus

Also known as Leuciscus carp gudgeon

FreshwaterFish

Blue neon carnival gudgeon (Hypseleotris leuciscus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Eleotridae
Origin
New Guinea lowland waters

Overview

The blue neon carnival gudgeon is a small, active schooling fish for a planted community tank. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The blue neon carnival gudgeon is a carp gudgeon, one of the restless athletes in a family famous for sitting still. Its cousins spend the day propped on their fins in one spot, but this little sleeper schools in open water like a minnow.

Caring for the blue neon carnival gudgeon

Give blue neon carnival gudgeons a planted tank of at least 14 gal (54 L). Open swimming space and gentle flow keep the shoal settled. Dark substrate, floating cover and a few open lanes to swim in bring out their best color.

Keep the water warm and soft to neutral, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Feed small foods, such as fine flakes and micro pellets, plus frozen daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp.

Keep them in a group of at least six, and better eight or more. They are peaceful and community safe with other small, calm fish. Very tiny tank mates and fry are a poor mix, since they can fit in a gudgeon's mouth.

Males color up in a group and display to each other, flashing blue and silver sheens with raised fins. Captive breeding is not well documented, so this gudgeon is kept mainly as a peaceful display shoal.

Good to know

Hypseleotris leuciscus is a member of the sleeper goby family Eleotridae and one of the carp gudgeons. It is also sold as the leuciscus carp gudgeon.

In the wild

The blue neon carnival gudgeon comes from lowland fresh and slightly brackish waters of New Guinea and its neighboring islands. It gathers in loose shoals among plants and submerged roots, in still to slow current.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The blue neon carnival gudgeon is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a blue neon carnival gudgeon need?

A blue neon carnival gudgeon needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a blue neon carnival gudgeon need?

A blue neon carnival gudgeon is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a blue neon carnival gudgeon eat?

A blue neon carnival gudgeon eats small foods such as fine flakes and micro pellets. Add frozen daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp to its diet.

How big does a blue neon carnival gudgeon get?

An adult blue neon carnival gudgeon reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

Does a blue neon carnival gudgeon need a group?

Yes. A blue neon carnival gudgeon is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male blue neon carnival gudgeon from a female?

Males color up when kept in a group, flashing blue and silver sheens and raising their fins as they display to each other.

Related species