TankBud

Rainbow stiphodon

Stiphodon ornatus

Also known as Ornate Rainbow Goby

FreshwaterFish

Rainbow stiphodon (Stiphodon ornatus)
Laurent Pasteur · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
2.6 in
6.5 cm
Minimum tank
13 gal
50 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Oxudercidae
Origin
Sumatra

Overview

The rainbow stiphodon is a small grazing goby for a mature tank with smooth rocks and steady flow. It needs an experienced keeper to do well.

Did you know

Young rainbow stiphodons returning from the sea can climb straight up wet rock faces and small waterfalls. They grip the stone against the falling water as they go.

Caring for the rainbow stiphodon

Keep a small group of several rainbow stiphodons in a tank of at least 13 gal (50 L). They need a mature tank with a good film of green algae and aufwuchs on the stones and glass. Use a floor of smooth pebbles and water-worn boulders, with lighting bright enough to grow algae.

Give them strong but smooth flow and plenty of dissolved oxygen, from a powerhead or spray bar. Keep the water cool to warm, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It should be very clean and low in waste.

Rainbow stiphodons cling to hard surfaces and work over them for algae and biofilm, so food is the main challenge. Top up the film with algae wafers, blanched vegetables and occasional small frozen foods. They will not do well on ordinary flake alone and can slowly starve in a bare, spotless tank.

They are mostly peaceful and do best in a group. Males color up and spar harmlessly over grazing patches on the rocks. Adults live and spawn in fresh streams, but the newly hatched larvae wash down to the sea to develop. A home tank cannot supply that marine stage, so aquarium breeding is unrecorded.

Good to know

The rainbow stiphodon belongs to Oxudercidae, among the specialized stream gobies of the subfamily Sicydiinae. Like other true gobies, it has pelvic fins fused into a suction disc on the underside. The disc gives it a firm grip on rock in fast-moving water. It is also known as the ornate rainbow goby.

In the wild

The rainbow stiphodon lives in fast, clear, oxygen-rich forest streams on the island of Sumatra. It moves over sunlit rocks and gravel where a thick film of algae grows.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The rainbow stiphodon is a mostly 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 rainbow stiphodon need?

A rainbow stiphodon needs at least 13 gal (50 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a rainbow stiphodon need?

A rainbow stiphodon is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a rainbow stiphodon eat?

A rainbow stiphodon grazes algae and biofilm off hard surfaces in a mature tank. Top up that film with algae wafers, blanched vegetables and occasional small frozen foods.

How big does a rainbow stiphodon get?

An adult rainbow stiphodon reaches about 2.6 in (6.5 cm).

How does a rainbow stiphodon breed?

Rainbow stiphodons spawn in fresh streams, and the newly hatched larvae wash down to the sea to develop. A home tank cannot supply that marine stage, so aquarium breeding is unrecorded.

Related species