TankBud

Chiangmai stream goby

Rhinogobius chiengmaiensis

Also known as Chiengmaiensis goby

FreshwaterFish

Chiangmai stream goby (Rhinogobius chiengmaiensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–75°F
18–24°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Ping basin, northern Thailand

Overview

The Chiangmai stream goby is a calm, cool-water goby for a flowing tank full of stones. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

The Chiangmai stream goby is a Thai fish that does not want a tropical tank. Its mountain streams stay cool all year, so keeping it as warm as a typical community fish shortens its life.

Caring for the Chiangmai stream goby

Keep a small group of Chiangmai stream gobies in at least 14 gal (54 L), with gentle to moderate flow and clean water. Build a bed of gravel, pebbles and boulders, with caves, crevices and hiding spots between the stones. Give each male a hollow or doorway to display around.

In most homes, keep it without a heater, since it comes from hill streams rather than warm lowlands. Hold the water at 64 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0, and keep it well oxygenated.

It feeds as a small predator on insect larvae, small shrimp and tiny fish. Offer frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and small crustaceans, plus sinking micro pellets.

The Chiangmai stream goby is calm and sociable, and it stays on the bottom. Males are territorial and spar with raised fins. Pick calm, cool-tolerant companions rather than warm-water community fish. It is a stream resident rather than an ocean migrant, and there is no established aquarium breeding record.

Good to know

Rhinogobius chiengmaiensis is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described by Fowler in 1934. It is named for Chiang Mai province, its home region. The species is considered vulnerable in the wild.

In the wild

The Chiangmai stream goby lives in cool hill streams of the upper Chao Phraya system in northern Thailand, including the Ping and Nan rivers. It keeps to gravel, rock and exposed bedrock, where the flow swings with the seasons.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Chiangmai stream goby is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. 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 Chiangmai stream goby need?

A Chiangmai stream goby needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Chiangmai stream goby need?

A Chiangmai stream goby is comfortable at 64–75°F (18–24°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a Chiangmai stream goby eat?

A Chiangmai stream goby is a small predator of insect larvae, small shrimp and tiny fish. Offer frozen and live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and small crustaceans, plus sinking micro pellets.

How big does a Chiangmai stream goby get?

An adult Chiangmai stream goby reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

How does a Chiangmai stream goby breed?

The Chiangmai stream goby is a stream resident rather than an ocean migrant. There is no established record of it breeding in aquariums.

Related species