Spotfin goby cichlid

Tanganicodus irsacae

Also known as Tanganyika clown goby cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika surf zone
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The spotfin goby cichlid is a delicate specialist, best kept as a pair or small group in a mature, species-only tank. It picks tiny invertebrates from the rocks all day and loses out quickly to greedy or fast tankmates, so it should not share a tank with pushier fish. It needs very high oxygen and steady flow over rounded cobble. Feed small, frequent portions of frozen and fine prepared foods it can graze at leisure. A tank of around 110 liters, well-oxygenated and cobbled, suits a pair.

In the wild

Tanganicodus irsacae lives in the wave-battered surge zone of Lake Tanganyika, picking food from among pebbles and cobble where the water is churned and oxygen-rich. Recreate it with rounded stones, strong flow and aeration, and hard, alkaline, warm water at pH 7.8-9.0 and 24-27 C.

Good to know

Tanganicodus irsacae is a cichlid of about 7 centimeters, the smallest and most pointed-faced of the Tanganyikan goby cichlids, marked by a dark spot on the dorsal fin. It is a biparental mouthbrooder in which the pair passes the developing brood between them, and it is difficult to breed.

Did you know

Its fine, pointed snout works like tweezers, plucking single small invertebrates out of the algae film on the rocks. It does this precise, patient feeding in the roughest water of the lake, where the surf hits like weather.

Tank mates

Spotfin goby cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.