'Red Lipstick' Goby

To protect our animals and to ensure they get to our customers healthy, we will only ship orders with Nano Fish via UPS Next Day Air.

The Red Lipstick Sicyopus Goby is a rare freshwater dwarf goby prized for its bold male coloration, active behavior, and big personality in a small package. Mature males can develop striking red to orange markings on the lips and rear body, paired with a bright yellow second dorsal fin. Females are more subtle in color but remain active, curious, and entertaining to watch.

Native to fast moving, clear streams in Indonesia, this goby does best in mature aquariums with excellent water quality and strong flow. It is a great choice for peaceful community tanks with small fish, hillstream species, and larger shrimp that are too big to be seen as prey.

🐟 About This Fish

The Red Lipstick Sicyopus Goby is an active dwarf goby from Indonesia. Males are known for their bright red/orange markings and yellow second dorsal fin, while females have more understated coloration. Both are fun to watch and bring lots of movement to a well maintained aquarium. Great for Algae eating.

🌊 Aquarium Care

This species needs a mature aquarium with clean, oxygen rich water and strong current. It comes from shallow, fast flowing freshwater streams, so it is not a good fit for low flow tanks or unstable new setups.

A secure aquarium lid is strongly recommended. Like many gobies, this fish may climb glass or jump if given the chance.

🪨 Tank Setup

Provide smooth rocks, driftwood, caves, and open areas where the goby can perch, explore, and establish small territories. Hardy plants such as Anubias work very well because this fish will not damage live plants.

For a single fish or pair, a 10 gallon aquarium may work if water quality and flow are excellent. For groups, especially with more than one male, a larger aquarium is recommended.

🍽️ Diet

The Red Lipstick Sicyopus Goby is a micropredator and should be offered small meaty foods. It typically does best with frozen or live foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, and other appropriately sized foods.

Dry foods are often ignored, so this is not a fish to buy if you need something that will reliably eat flakes or pellets.

🤝 Tankmates

This goby is generally peaceful with most small, calm fish. Good tankmate options may include small rasboras, peaceful tetras, hillstream loaches, and other non aggressive community fish.

Use caution with dwarf shrimp. This species may eat very small shrimp or tiny invertebrates if given the opportunity. Larger shrimp are usually safer, but tiny shrimp should not be considered fully safe tankmates.

Males may show territorial behavior toward each other, especially in smaller tanks. If keeping a group, provide extra space, strong flow, and plenty of rockwork to break up sightlines.

🐣 Breeding Notes

Breeding has reportedly occurred in aquariums, but raising the fry is extremely difficult. In the wild, adults spawn in freshwater, and the larvae are carried downstream to marine or brackish environments before later returning to freshwater as they mature. This complex life cycle makes captive rearing very challenging.

📏 Recommended Water Parameters

Temperature: 72° to 79° F
pH: 6.0 to 7.5
KH: 4 to 8 dKH
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons for one fish or a pair, 30 gallons or larger for a group
Adult size: 1.5 to 2 inches
Typical purchase size: Around 1.5 inches
Origin: Indonesia

❤️ What We Like About This Fish

• Rare dwarf goby with beautiful male coloration
• Active, curious, and full of personality
• Great choice for high flow community aquariums
• Peaceful with most small fish
• Safe with plants
• Can be kept with larger shrimp that are too large to be eaten

⚠️ Important Notes

This fish requires strong water flow, excellent water quality, and a mature aquarium. It is not recommended for brand new tanks. It may prey on dwarf shrimp or tiny invertebrates, and it should be fed frozen or live meaty foods rather than relying on dry foods.