This issue we’ve teamed up with Finest Aquatics of Widnes to create an aquarium for two woefully underrated fish. Here’s how to make your own.
HERE’S AN AQUARIUM with two different fish species, each with their own unique sense of style. Look (not so) closely and you’ll see peacock gudgeons and threadfin rainbows; both come from the same part of the world, but couldn’t be further apart from each other in appearance.
This tank was conceived to show what aquarists can do away from the usual blackwater and South American aquaria that tend to dominate amongst hobbyists. Instead, we’ve gone on an exploration of the tropical wonders of Papua New Guinea, and hopefully our set up will spur others to try their own hands at something a little off the beaten track. What’s more, with the fish grown in and matured as they are, you can see past the pale, bland and dull offerings you may see in your local fish store—how fish look in sales tanks and how they look in displays are usually poles apart.
The peacock’s plumage
The true star of the show must be the peacock gudgeons, Tateurndina ocellicauda, hailing from the streams and ponds of eastern Papua New Guinea. Alas, like so many fish species today, the peacocks face massive habitat loss, mainly from deforestation. On the one hand, Papua New Guinea is in a thriving state of palm oil farming, but on the other hand the negative effects are considerable for the indigenous biodiversity. Captive breeding is of upmost importance for the species’ conservation—the peacocks we see in aquaria and retail tanks are now commercially farmed and raised.
Peacock gudgeons are manageable and friendly. These fish are small, reaching some 7.5cm fully grown, and are best kept in slightly soft, acidic-to-neutral waters—ideally in the region of 6.5 to 7.2pH, with a hardness of 5-10°H. That said, the commercially farmed specimens we’re offered nowadays can tolerate up to 7.5pH, and a little more hardness. The temperature wants to be somewhere between 22-27°C.
The best real estate for peacock gudgeons consists of a soft, fine substate aquarium with a steady (but not powerful) flow. Plenty of caves and leaf litter should feature due to this fish’s spawning behaviour—these are cave spawners and require a secure hideaway if they’re going to get romantic. Personally, I always find that peacock gudgeon are somewhat akin to dwarf cichlids, due to similarities in their care and behaviour.
Pea
