Red Belted Goby (Sicyopus zosterophorus)
The Red Belted Goby is an excellent looking, active, peaceful and friendly small fish. You can have them in a community aquarium provided tankmates are chosen with care. Fish that are similar in size and temperament is ideal. However, please don't keep them with large, boisterous fish as they will be hunted or outcompeted for food.
The Red Belted Goby only appears to be slightly territorial when breeding so you can keep several together as well as other stream-dwelling gobies providing there is plenty of space and enough food source.
Gobies are capable of climbing the aquarium glass and jumping out of the water so it would be better if you kept them in a covered aquarium to prevent them from jumping out and dying.
The Red Belted Goby has a dark-black body with the back half being bright reddish-orange colour. The dorsal fin is darkish black with white edging, and they have a second dorsal fin that is a yellowish colour. The rest of the fins are transparent. The females are almost colourless.
These Gobies do appear to exhibit differences in colour pattern depending on locality.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sicyopus zosterophorus |
| Other Names | Flaming Arrow Goby, Belted Rock-climbing Goby, Ornate Goby |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Gobiiformes |
| Family | Oxudercidae |
| Genus | Sicyopus |
| Origins | China, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Palau Island, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, Vanuatu |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom - Middle |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Groups 5+ |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | up to 5 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.0 - 7.5 |
| GH | 5 - 10 |
| TDS | 36 - 215 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 71 - 79℉ 21.7 - 26.1℃ | |
Feeding
Because the Red Belted Goby is a carnivore; it would be best if you aimed to feed your fish on a diet primarily of meaty foodstuffs such as live and/or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp, lobster eggs, cyclops, Mysis shrimp and bloodworm. Bloodworm should be used sparingly as it is hard for your fish to digest.
You can also cut up earthworms from your garden or chop up shop brought mussels, prawns, krill and fresh fish (be sure only to use fresh or frozen fish and not fish canned in oil).
You can also try your fish with dried foods formulated for predatory fish and made up of insect material such as Fluval bug bites, which can also be used to supplement the diet.
Get to know your fish and test which foods they prefere and which they ignore but always be sure not to overfeed your fish and remove excessive uneaten food whenever possible.
Tank Mates
1 interesting tank mate ideas for the Red Belted Goby could include:
Sexual Dimorphism
Males display long unpaired fins, and the first dorsal fin is noticeably longer. Also, the males are more colourful, with the front portion of the body being darkish grey/brown and the lower part being orange to red.
In contrast, the female's unpaired fins and first dorsal fin are not extended and are virtually colourless. However, some maturer fish may have pale orange pigmentation in the anal fins and the basal dorsal.