# Stiphodon sp. - great algae eater



## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Wow beautiful! 

Do you know how big they get and what the requirements for them are?


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Karackle said:


> Wow beautiful!
> 
> Do you know how big they get and what the requirements for them are?


Around 2"....they can be kept in a wide range of ph. I have them in ph of 7.2 and temp of 76F.


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## suebe333 (Feb 17, 2009)

Oh neato ,, those are cool


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## Minsc (Jul 9, 2006)

I love the look of these guys!
How is their personality, aggression level? Good candidates for community tanks?


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Minsc said:


> I love the look of these guys!
> How is their personality, aggression level? Good candidates for community tanks?


I have them with fry and they do not bother them. Good for community and planted tanks.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

I PMed you about this too, but I figure it would be good common knowledge - do you know if these need to be housed in groups? or can you have just one in a tank? 

And what would the minimum tank size be?


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## SleepySin (Mar 2, 2009)

Came across this thread when I saw milalic's post:
http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=15686

It full of gorgeous pictures and videos from a keeper who has lots of them.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

if you have them with fry doesnt that mean they are pretty safe with shrimp babies?


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

fishman9809 said:


> if you have them with fry doesnt that mean they are pretty safe with shrimp babies?


I will say so. They pretty much seem to eat detrious and algae.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

the ones you got in, how big do they get?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

They _will_ eat a bit of meaty fare Pedro, but hikari algae wafers are eagerly taken. They love melon & organic zucchini. I like to make sure they have plenty of rocks from which to graze. They hate CO2, I've been thinking of moving them to my low light for this reason. They do best in a group & like caves.


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## o snap its eric (Jan 12, 2004)

waterfaller1 said:


> They _will_ eat a bit of meaty fare Pedro, but hikari algae wafers are eagerly taken. They love melon & organic zucchini. I like to make sure they have plenty of rocks from which to graze. They hate CO2, I've been thinking of moving them to my low light for this reason. They do best in a group & like caves.


There goes my hopes in getting it. CO2!!!!


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## nikonD70s (Apr 6, 2008)

SleepySin said:


> Came across this thread when I saw milalic's post:
> http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=15686
> 
> It full of gorgeous pictures and videos from a keeper who has lots of them.


is that the same type of goby milalic posted on top?

also how much will you be selling them for milalic? male and female


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## purplecity (Jul 28, 2008)

thats the sexiest algae eater i have seen


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

waterfaller1 said:


> They _will_ eat a bit of meaty fare Pedro, but hikari algae wafers are eagerly taken. They love melon & organic zucchini. I like to make sure they have plenty of rocks from which to graze. They hate CO2, I've been thinking of moving them to my low light for this reason. They do best in a group & like caves.


What would be the minimum tank size and would they do well in a pair?


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Karackle said:


> What would be the minimum tank size and would they do well in a pair?


They are not easy to sex at all, so lets just start there. I have a few in a 10G tank without problems. I have two in a 20G and they are doing fine.


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

waterfaller1 said:


> They _will_ eat a bit of meaty fare Pedro, but hikari algae wafers are eagerly taken. They love melon & organic zucchini. I like to make sure they have plenty of rocks from which to graze. They hate CO2, I've been thinking of moving them to my low light for this reason. They do best in a group & like caves.


Mine tend to ignore bloodworms...


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

nikonD70s said:


> is that the same type of goby milalic posted on top?
> 
> also how much will you be selling them for milalic? male and female


Very hard to sex the species I have. THey are fairly new in the hobby I believe. I will update the list by tomorrow with what I have and prices.


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## Batch (May 10, 2007)

Hey,
Do all Stiphon species act basically the same?? I have a "Red Sunset Goby".










He (she?) love bloodworms/shrimp/etc. and never seems to eat algae off the rocks at all...

Batch


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Batch said:


> Hey,
> Do all Stiphon species act basically the same?? I have a "Red Sunset Goby".
> 
> 
> ...


I can't say they act the same. There are other gobies that are being sold and stiphodons and are not the same species. The stiphodon and this other goby have teeth which they use to scrape food from rocks and hard surfaces.

Maybe yours got interested more in all those foods you are feeding them and ignore the algae.


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## Batch (May 10, 2007)

Hi,
They are definately different species. It will be interesting to see if your
stiphons and this one will get along. When I added some Rhinogobius wui to the mix a short while ago, he flared at the Wuis until they left his rock. No biting tho... 
Anyone want to share experiences with mixing goby species?

Batch


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Batch said:


> Hi,
> They are definately different species. It will be interesting to see if your
> stiphons and this one will get along. When I added some Rhinogobius wui to the mix a short while ago, he flared at the Wuis until they left his rock. No biting tho...
> Anyone want to share experiences with mixing goby species?
> ...


I have some stiphodon ornatus with other gobies and they are fine at this moment. They flare to each other but no aggression.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

I have two types I believe. A Sumatran red male and neon blue females. The male has become beautiful and is definitely different and dominant of the females. There was one I added later that is blue, it could be a subordinate male, the red flares and chases him away.

My fav pic


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## B16CRXT (Feb 7, 2009)

wow those are beautiful! I'd love to have some but the co2 is an issue...


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## Minsc (Jul 9, 2006)

waterfaller1 said:


> They hate CO2


Could you elaborate on this, please?


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

As the CO2 begins to reach it's peak, they start climbing the glass. When I first got them, it was shortly after getting my CO2. I hadn't learned then, quite how much was too much. I almost killed them. Now that I know how to adjust the CO2 they do ok, but I can still tell they do not like it.


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## leviathan0 (Oct 6, 2007)

Stiphodons come from areas with high water movement and oxygenation, that should explain their behavior when you had too much CO2. For that reason, I don't think they're good candidates for the typical high-tech planted tank, as their care is much more similar to hillstream fish.

The fighting/display between males is typical of gobies. Harmless though.


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## Batch (May 10, 2007)

leviathan0 said:


> Stiphodons come from areas with high water movement and oxygenation, that should explain their behavior when you had too much CO2. For that reason, I don't think they're good candidates for the typical high-tech planted tank, as their care is much more similar to hillstream fish.


So its simply a matter of not enough oxygen? That makes sense for river fish.



leviathan0 said:


> The fighting/display between males is typical of gobies. Harmless though.


But entertaining! 

Batch


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Karackle said:


> What would be the minimum tank size and would they do well in a pair?


I think a pair might do ok in a 10 gal, but a 20 would be better for the fact more rocks could be placed to grow algae.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Well that sounds ok because I was thinking about putting a pair in my 30g, the thing i'm worried about is all of my other fish in there are tiny little buggers (CPDs, Ember tetras, male Endlers) and I'm a little worried they'll become snacks if the gobies want something other than salad one day :tongue: and I have 6 pygmy cories in there, would that be too many bottom dwellers? Hmmm.....my 20 is in need of a rescape....perhaps that would be better...


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

Karackle said:


> Well that sounds ok because I was thinking about putting a pair in my 30g, the thing i'm worried about is all of my other fish in there are tiny little buggers (CPDs, Ember tetras, male Endlers) and I'm a little worried they'll become snacks if the gobies want something other than salad one day :tongue: and I have 6 pygmy cories in there, would that be too many bottom dwellers? Hmmm.....my 20 is in need of a rescape....perhaps that would be better...


I have them with baby endlers without problems.


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## Karackle (Dec 11, 2007)

Oh cool! Great to know!


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