TankBud

Glass goby

Gobiopterus chuno

Also known as Chuno goby

FreshwaterFish

Glass goby (Gobiopterus chuno)
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
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
South and Southeast Asian lowlands

Overview

The glass goby is a tiny, transparent goby that hovers midwater in a loose school instead of sitting on the bottom. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The glass goby is so clear that its backbone and internal organs show through the flesh.

Caring for the glass goby

A gentle, mature tank of at least 11 gal (40 L) suits a school of glass gobies. Plant it well and keep it calm, with soft, diffuse light. Use gentle filtration that will not draw in such a small fish.

Keep the water very clean and warm, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. It feeds on very small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops and microworm, which it picks from open water.

Keep a good group of at least eight to ten, and more if you can, since lone fish and small groups fade and hide. It is mostly peaceful and far too small to bother anything. It is easily out-competed, though, so give it equally tiny, gentle tank mates or a tank of its own. There is no established record of it breeding in aquaria.

Good to know

Gobiopterus chuno is a member of the family Oxudercidae, described by Hamilton in 1822. It is one of the smallest fish kept, and it is also known as the chuno goby.

In the wild

The glass goby hangs midwater in the slow, lowland reaches of rivers, backwaters and swamps, from India across to Southeast Asia. It lives in fresh and sometimes lightly brackish water, feeding on drifting zooplankton.

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Tank mates

The glass goby 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 glass goby need?

A glass goby needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a glass goby need?

A glass goby is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a glass goby eat?

A glass goby eats very small live and frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops and microworm. It picks them from open water.

How big does a glass goby get?

An adult glass goby reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

Does a glass goby need a group?

Yes. A glass goby is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a glass goby breed?

The glass goby has no established record of breeding in aquariums.

Related species