European gudgeon
Gobio gobio
The European gudgeon is a small bottom-dwelling cyprinid with a slender body, sandy-brown mottling, and distinct barbels at the corners of the mouth used to locate food in the substrate. It is an active schooling fish that prefers well-oxygenated water and a sand or fine-gravel bottom, often resting on the substrate between foraging bouts. Best kept in cool, river-style aquariums with moderate flow rather than warm tropical setups.
The European gudgeon features a slender, elongated body, silvery-grey coloration, and a pronounced barbel on its upper jaw.
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Quick Facts
Size
21 cm
Temperament
Peaceful
Difficulty
Intermediate
Min Tank Size
20 gallons
Lifespan
5-8 years
Origin
Europe and Asia
Diet
Omnivore/micro-predator - sinking pellets, frozen/live foods (bloodworms, daphnia), insect larvae, small crustaceans; will also take some plant matter
Water Parameters
2-18°C
7-7.5
10-20 dGH
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Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Give them a long tank with a sandy or fine-gravel bottom-these guys root around constantly and sharp gravel will tear up their barbels.
- They're river fish, so aim for cool, well-oxygenated water with steady flow (a strong filter or powerhead); they sulk fast in warm, stagnant setups.
- Keep temps roughly 10-20°C (they handle cooler fine) and don't let nitrate creep up-big weekly water changes beat chasing numbers.
- Feed like a bottom-picker: sinking micro pellets, chopped earthworms, bloodworms, and frozen daphnia; small portions 1-2x/day so food doesn't rot in the substrate.
- They're schooling fish-keep a group (6+ if you can) or you'll just see a shy fish that hides and refuses food.
- Tankmates: other cool-water, peaceful fish (minnows, small loaches, hillstream-type fish) work; skip aggressive cichlids, big perch/trout-y predators, or anything that outcompetes them at feeding time.
- Breeding is doable if you mimic spring: cool wintering, then a gradual warm-up and lots of smooth stones/gravel to spawn over; adults don't guard eggs, so the fry do better in a separate grow-out.
- Watch for barbel erosion and "mystery" mouth infections-usually from dirty substrate or sharp gravel; improving flow/cleanliness fixes the root cause way faster than meds.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Small schooling minnows that like cooler water too (white cloud mountain minnows, zebra danios). Gudgeons are chill and these guys won't bully them, plus everybody likes a bit of current.
- Other peaceful European river-type fish if you can get them legally/ethically (sticklebacks, bitterling, similar mild-tempered natives). Similar vibe: active, not bitey, likes flow and oxygen.
- Bottom-dwelling buddies that won't compete too hard for food (Corydoras in cooler setups, small loaches like weather/dojo loach in bigger tanks). Gudgeons mostly nose around and won't start drama.
- Calm midwater community fish that aren't finny or aggressive (harlequin rasboras, small barbs like cherry barbs). As long as they're not hyper-nippy, it stays peaceful.
- Armored, non-aggressive algae crew (bristlenose pleco if the tank isn't too chilly, or hillstream loaches if you're doing a high-flow 'river' setup). They mostly ignore each other.
Avoid
- Fish that are much bigger and predatory (pike cichlids, big perch-type fish, large catfish). Gudgeon are small and will eventually look like a snack.
- Anything nippy or pushy that hogs food (tiger barbs, some larger/meaner barbs, aggressive livebearer strains). Gudgeons aren't fighters and can get stressed out or outcompeted.
- Warm-water species that want it tropical-hot (discus, many gouramis, lots of common 'tropical community' staples). The gudgeon do better cooler with plenty of oxygen-mismatched temps is a slow fail.
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