TankBud

Lipstick goby

Sicyopus rubicundus

Also known as Rubicundus goby, Red lipstick Sicyopus goby

FreshwaterFish

Lipstick goby (Sicyopus rubicundus)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Sumatran and Javan streams

Overview

The lipstick goby is a small stream goby that hunts rather than grazes. It needs a river tank with strong current, and it is hard to keep well.

Did you know

A displaying male lipstick goby turns crimson across his whole rear. The lipstick spreads as courting begins.

Caring for the lipstick goby

Keep lipstick gobies as a group in a river tank of at least 14 gal (54 L). Give them cobble, strong current and high oxygen, with real current across the substrate rather than a single directional powerhead. The red develops properly only in moving, well-oxygenated water.

Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 7.8. Feed small meaty foods delivered into the flow, such as frozen cyclops, daphnia and bloodworm. Expect it to feed off the stone as well.

The lipstick goby is peaceful and ignores anything it cannot fit in its mouth. Males carry a deep red rear body against a paler front. It is amphidromous, so it will not breed in an aquarium.

Good to know

Sicyopus rubicundus is a goby in the family Oxudercidae. Its fused pelvic fins form a suction disc that holds it in position in the current. Every lipstick goby in the trade is wild collected. It is also known as the rubicundus goby or red lipstick Sicyopus goby.

In the wild

Sicyopus rubicundus lives in clear, fast streams on Sumatra and Java. It keeps to the broken water of the steeper reaches.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The lipstick 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 lipstick goby need?

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

What temperature and pH does a lipstick goby need?

A lipstick goby is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.8.

What does a lipstick goby eat?

A lipstick goby eats small meaty foods delivered into the flow, such as frozen cyclops, daphnia and bloodworm. It will also feed off the stone.

How big does a lipstick goby get?

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

How can you tell a male lipstick goby from a female?

Males carry a deep red rear body against a paler front.

How does a lipstick goby breed?

The lipstick goby is amphidromous, so it will not breed in an aquarium.

Related species