Scientific Name:  Hypseleotris compressa

Overview:

The Empire Gudgeon is a stunning and underrated freshwater fish known for its vibrant blues, yellows, and reds—especially in males. Peaceful and full of personality, it’s a great centerpiece for a calm community tank.

Care Level: Moderate

Temperament: Peaceful (can be slightly territorial with males)

Size: 3–4 inches

Lifespan: 3–5 years

Tank Requirements:

Minimum 20–30 gallons. Provide plants, driftwood, and hiding spots. They enjoy gentle flow and a well-structured tank.

Water Parameters:

Temperature: 72–82°F

pH: 6.5–7.5

Soft to moderately hard water

Diet:

Carnivore. Prefers live or frozen foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia. May take high-quality pellets once acclimated.

Tank Mates:

Best with peaceful species like tetras, rasboras, Corydoras, and other non-aggressive fish. Avoid fin-nippers and overly aggressive tank mates.

Behavior Notes:

Males display bright colors and may spar lightly. They often perch on surfaces and dart quickly to grab food.

Breeding:

Possible in captivity. Males guard eggs laid in caves or crevices.

Notes:

Assortment includes a mix of colors and patterns; Exact colors and markings will vary; Stock photo used; fish received may differ.

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Domestic shipping only! Sorry, we cannot ship to anyone in Hawaii & Washington State.

We ship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday via USPS Priority Mail. Once we get your order, we will ship it within 1 to 5 business days. For the safety of the animals, we do not ship aquatic life on Thursday and Friday. We do not want live aquatic animals sitting in USPS warehouse over the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Any orders placed before 12:00 PM on Tuesday will be shipped out that same week. orders placed after 12:00 PM on Tuesday will now be processed the following week

Male/Female: Will be picked at random (no custom orders)

Note: color may be slightly off from photo.

We placed a penny at the corner of the tank so you can have an idea of the size of the fish.

Guaranteed to arrive alive you have one hour of delivery to report any death. You must take a picture while the fish is dead in the bag before it’s opened.

Fish’s color might be off first 3 days due to shipping and stressed fish.

we do not refund shipping costs