Gobiobotia tungi – Tung’s Gudgeon (≈12–13 cm TL / ≈5″)

📦 Description

Gobiobotia tungi is a small gudgeon native to the Fuchunjiang River system in eastern China, attaining a total length of about 13 cm. It has a stocky, cylindrical body with a pale sandy base color accented by 4–5 broad, diagonal brown lateral bars. These fish are schooling bottom dwellers found in clear, fast-flowing river habitats with sandy and rocky substrate  

In captivity, they’re peaceful and social, often forming small groups and grazing on benthic invertebrates and detritus.

🧰 Care Instructions

• Tank Size: Minimum of 20 g (~75 L), ideally wider tanks that mimic riverine habitats.

• Water Conditions:

  • Temperature: 68–75 °F (20–24 °C)

  • pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline (~7.0–8.0)

  • Hardness: Soft to moderate (up to ~12 °dGH)  

• Substrate & Decor: Use fine sand or small gravel. Add smooth rocks and driftwood to create shaded grazing zones. Provide gentle flow to replicate native current.

• Diet: Omnivorous bottom feeder—offers sinking pellets, small live/frozen invertebrates (e.g. daphnia, microworms), and grazing on biofilm.

• Behavior & Social Structure: Peaceful and social; best kept in small shoals of 4+ to reduce stress and encourage natural behavior.

• Maintenance: Keep aquarium well-filtered and mature. Weekly partial water changes (20–30%) essential. Preserve natural biofilm on surfaces and avoid over-cleaning.