Water Parameters For Stiphodon Elegens (Red Neon Goby)

[BeckyCats]

I saw this fish in the fish index and am very interested but am having trouble finding info on its preferred water parameters (pH, kh, etc). Does anyone know? Thank you?

 

[Essjay]

Fishbase gives its parameters as pH 6.0 to 8.0 and GH as 5 to 19 German deg. That covers all but the very soft and very hard. Temperature 24 to 28  deg C.
 
KH doesn't matter to fish (except for stabilising pH); it is GH that is important.

 

[BeckyCats]

Thank you very much! I'll look up fishbase for future questions.

 

[BeckyCats]

Just checked out fishbase. It is great! Thank you for telling me about it. I had never heard of it before.

 

[magpie]

I have a stiphodon elegans in a typical SA planted community tank, somewhat soft, just below neutral pH water, 78-80 temp.  He's been happy there for 4 years now. I had a female initiallyt but he really bullied her and she didn't make it. I am not sure if that's normal, but he was a jerk to her despite many hiding places. 

 

[BeckyCats]

Thank you Magpie. I ended up getting a stiphodons atropurpureus. Well, three actually, one male and two females. The male didn't survive more than a few hours, poor fellow. The females are still doing very nicely months later. I have been hesitant to get another male because the ladies have a good stable relationship with each other and I have been worried about how a male would affect that. After reading your experience, it makes me feel better about not getting a male. I imagine the behavior of the atropurpureus and the elegens would be similar to each other.