Palawan lentipes goby

Where they come from

Palawan lentipes gobies are from Palawan Island in the Philippines. Picture steep, forested streams that roar after rain and run clear over smooth boulders the rest of the time. Males can light up with a vivid red that looks unreal in sunlight. Like many sicydiine gobies, they are amphidromous: adults live and spawn in freshwater, but the tiny larvae drift to the sea before returning upstream.

Setting up their tank

Give them a long river-style tank, not a tall cube. I like a 20-long or larger for a small group. Let the tank mature first so rocks grow real biofilm.

• Flow: strong directional current. A river manifold or dual powerheads on one end, plus a big sponge or canister intake with a prefilter.
• Oxygen: keep heavy surface agitation and an airstone. These gobies come from whitewater conditions.
• Substrate and structure: sand or small rounded gravel with piles of smooth cobbles. Build ledges and narrow crevices. Avoid sharp lava rock.
• Light: moderately bright to grow algae on stones. Give shaded retreats too.
• Lid: tight-fitting. They jump when spooked.
• Parameters: 22-26 C (72-79 F), pH 6.8-7.6, moderate hardness (TDS ~80-200). Keep ammonia and nitrite at 0, nitrates under ~20.
• Maintenance: big, regular water changes (30-50% weekly). Rinse prefilters often; grit clogs fast in river setups.

What to feed them

They spend the day picking at biofilm, diatoms, and tiny critters on rocks. Dry foods rarely hook them at first. Think small, moving, and frequent.

• Live or freshly hatched baby brine shrimp, cyclops, daphnia.
• Frozen cyclops, baby brine, calanus, and finely chopped mysis (tiny pieces only).
• Repashy Soilent Green or similar gel smeared onto warm rocks to harden, then placed back in the flow.
• Crushed spirulina flakes and powdered algae foods dusted onto stones so they can graze.

Feed lightly but often at first, and let a real algal film build up. Once settled, some individuals accept quality flakes or pellets, but dont bank on it. Avoid big, fatty worms like bloodworms; they choke or bloat on them.

How they behave and who they get along with

Expect perching, short dashes, and constant grazing. Males posture and flash at each other, especially in tight quarters. It is usually bluffing if there are enough rocks and sight breaks.

• Group setup: 1 male with 2-4 females works well. Multiple males need a bigger footprint and lots of rockwork.
• Good neighbors: Stiphodon gobies, hillstream loaches (Sewellia/Gastromyzon), small peaceful midwater fish that do not bully or outcompete, Amano shrimp, snails.
• Use caution: fast feeders like danios and barbs can starve them if you do not target feed.
• Avoid: cichlids, bettas, large shrimp, or anything nippy or predatory.

Breeding tips

They will court and spawn in freshwater under a rock ledge or inside a tight crevice. The male cleans a spot, lures the female in, then guards the eggs. Its fun to watch, and it tells you they feel secure.

Raising fry is the hard part. The larvae are planktonic and drift downstream to the ocean in nature. Without moving them to a marine setup and feeding rotifers and microalgae in a gentle kreisel, they will not make it. Most hobbyists just enjoy the displays and let nature take its course.

Common problems to watch for

• New, too-clean tanks: no biofilm means slow starvation. Mature the tank and seed rocks first.
• Low oxygen or weak flow: you will see rapid breathing and lethargy. Crank up surface agitation and current.
• Import stress and parasites: quarantine new fish. Many arrive thin. Offer gentle foods and consider a deworming protocol per product directions.
• Heat spikes: warm water holds less oxygen. Above ~27 C/81 F they go downhill fast.
• Scrapes and fungus: they wedge into rocks. Keep surfaces smooth and handle them minimally.
• Food competition: fast schooling fish eat everything midwater. Target feed along the rocks.
• Male-on-male pressure: in small tanks, the dominant male can lock the others out of feeding lanes. Add line-of-sight breaks or re-balance the ratio.