White-cheeked goby

Where they come from (the quick, interesting version)

White-cheeked gobies (Rhinogobius duospilus) are little stream gobies from East Asia. Think shallow, fast-ish water, lots of rocks, leaf litter, and little pockets of calm behind stones. That background explains basically everything about how they act in our tanks—perch, pounce, and argue over “their” favorite rock.

Setting up their tank

If you set these up like a tiny riverbank, they’ll reward you with great behavior and color. They don’t need a huge tank, but they do want floor space and a layout that breaks line-of-sight.

• Tank size: I’d start at 20 gallons long for a small group, or 10–15 gallons for a single pair. More footprint beats more height.
• Substrate: sand or smooth small gravel. They spend a lot of time on the bottom and you don’t want sharp stuff.
• Hardscape: piles of rounded rocks, pebbles, and driftwood. Make multiple caves and “nooks” so everyone can claim a spot.
• Flow + oxygen: a decent filter and some current is your friend. Add a sponge prefilter if you use an intake—these guys explore everything.
• Plants: optional. They’re not plant murderers, but they’ll appreciate hardy stuff like Java fern, Anubias, Bolbitis, moss, or floaters for shade.
• Temperature: cool to mid-range temps tend to suit them best. Room-temp tanks often work great unless your house runs hot.
• Lid: they can hop, especially during squabbles or chasing. A tight lid saves heartbreak.

They do best in clean water, but you don’t need to chase numbers like a maniac. Stable, well-filtered freshwater with regular water changes is what keeps them looking sharp and acting normal.

What to feed them

These are little predators. Mine acted like tiny ambush hunters—sit still, then lightning strike. Most will learn pellets, but it’s a lot easier if you start with foods that wiggle.

• My go-to staples: frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and mysis (chopped if needed).
• Live foods (great for conditioning and picky eaters): baby brine shrimp, blackworms, grindal worms, mosquito larvae where safe/legal.
• Pellets: small sinking pellets or micro pellets once they recognize it as food. Drop them near their perches.

Feed smaller portions more often at first. If you dump a big cube of frozen food in, the boldest goby and any tankmates will hog it, and the leftovers rot in the rocks.

Behavior and tankmates

White-cheeked gobies have big personalities in small bodies. They’re not “community peaceful,” but they’re also not murder machines if you set the tank up right. Expect posturing, fin flaring, and short chases—especially between males.

• Temperament: territorial around caves and favorite rocks, especially during breeding mode.
• Best groupings: one male with one or more females usually goes smoother than multiple males in a tight space.
• They’re bottom-oriented: most conflict happens down low, not midwater.

Tankmates should be fast, not nippy, and comfortable in similar cooler, well-oxygenated water. I’ve had the best luck with small schooling fish that keep to midwater, plus peaceful inverts if you don’t mind some risk.

• Usually okay: danios, white clouds, smaller barbs (the peaceful kinds), some hillstream-type setups with the right space/flow.
• Avoid: long-finned slow fish (they get stressed), aggressive bottom dwellers, and anything that will outcompete them for sinking foods.

Breeding tips (if you want to go down that rabbit hole)

They’re cave spawners, and watching the male guard a nest is honestly one of the best parts of keeping Rhinogobius. If you give them snug caves and feed them well, they’ll often figure it out without you doing anything fancy.

• Give choices: multiple tight caves (small clay tubes, stacked stones, coconut cave) with a single entrance.
• Conditioning: heavier feeding with frozen/live foods for a couple weeks.
• Water changes: a good-sized cool-ish water change can act like a “rainy season” hint.

The male usually claims a cave, courts a female, then guards the eggs. If you want fry, be ready: parents won’t read your plans and the community tank will happily eat babies.

Common problems to watch for

Most issues I’ve seen come from three things: too-warm stagnant water, not enough hiding spots, and fish slowly starving because food never reaches the bottom.

• Bullying and stress: torn fins, hiding constantly, or one fish pinned in a corner usually means the tank needs more caves/line breaks or fewer males.
• Skinny goby syndrome: the shy one gets outcompeted. Fix with target feeding and adding more feeding stations.
• Dirty pockets in rock piles: leftover food rots and you get cloudy water or mystery deaths. Vacuum around hardscape and don’t overfeed.
• Heat + low oxygen: rapid breathing, hanging near flow, lethargy. Add aeration, increase surface movement, and keep temps from creeping up.

If you keep the tank clean, give them lots of little territories, and make sure each fish actually gets food, they’re pretty straightforward. And honestly? Watching them stake out a rock and do that quick goby “hop” around the tank never gets old.