Panda Garra: Caring For The Fiesty Algae Eaters

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panda garra

If you’re tired of algae eaters like bristlenose plecos and SAEs, panda garras are going to be your best friends. They’re a relatively small algae eater, but they’re fantastic at their job. You can grab just one, or keep them in small groups of 5 or more.

Unlike with SAEs, you have no chance of accidentally grabbing a fish that’s going to become aggressive (I’m looking at you, flying fox!) And, unlike bristlenose plecos, panda garras are pretty active. They’re typically bustling about and getting into some entertaining antics with one another – or by themselves.

And to dispel a misconception about panda garras real quick: they’re not catfish, they’re loaches. But don’t confuse them with panda loaches (Yaoshania pachychilus) or you’ll end up with a very different fish.

panda garra
Panda garra
panda loach
Panda loach

Panda garras were found in 2004 alongside two other garra species, Garra propulvinus is one, but it didn’t gain popularity in the aquarium trade. Garra vittatula is the other, which did gain some small but fleeting popularity with aquarium magazines and specialty fishkeepers.

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Table of contents

panda garra care

FAQ

Garra flavatra Classification

IUCN Status: Vulnerable – Last assessed 2/17/10

Class: Actinopterygii are ray-finned fishes, which is a subcategory of boney fishes. These fish are characterized by the bony structures that support their webbed fins. This group makes up nearly half of all living vertebrates.

Order: Cypriniformes includes over 400 genera (the plural for genus) and more than 4,200 species of carp, minnow, loaches, and relatives.

Family: Cyprinidae, or collectively called cyprinids or the “carp family,” is composed of egg scattering species that exhibit no parental care.

Genus: Garra is a genus that contains over 140 species of suckermouth barbs and loaches between Asia and Africa. It’s a catch-all genus for bottom-dwelling cyprinids that don’t fit anywhere else.

Species: Garra flavatra

What does Garra flavatra mean?

Garra is a local name for “sand-digger” fish, which turned into the name for bottom-dwelling cyprinids “with no affinity to another genus.” Garra is basically a well-defined a catch-all.

Flavatra comes from the Latin flava, which means blonde or – in contextual cases – yellow. Atra means black in Latin.

Black  yellow gif

(Are we tired of this song reference yet?)

Find Other Fish

Looking for something specific? You can discover other fish with similar characteristics! They open in a new tab so you can keep reading too!

Distribution & Natural Habitat

Endemic to the Rakhine (or Arakan mountain) range in western Myanmar. Originally collected from a handful of streams and rivers of the western, interior, slopes, but likely occurs in more areas than we know yet.

Myanmar is a monsoon area, meaning they have a wet/dry. When panda garras were discovered, it was the dry season and they were found in parts of the stream that had dried into small pools and puddles. The water in these sections was stagnant or slow-moving and had relatively little oxygen and no plants.

garra flavatra wild habitat

During the wet season, it’s likely that the panda garras end up in main body of the river with lots of oxygen and a high rate of current. Typically, their wet season runs from May to October, while their dry season is from November to April. It might also be worth noting that panda garras have a pronounced reproductive season, typically from June – August.

Aquarium Care

Difficulty: Easy
Size: 3.5″ (9 cm) max
Lifespan: 5 – 6 years (but unsure)
Tank Size: 20 gallons (80 liters)
Diet: Omnivore – similar to bushynose pleco
Temperature: 72 – 81 F (22 – 27 C)

pH6.0 – 7.5
Hardness: 2 – 12 dKH
Temperament: Generally peaceful, same species quasi-aggressive
Breeding: Challenging
Swimming: Bottom and structures
Availability: Common online

Tank Specs

If you’re going to keep just one panda garra – and literally nothing else – you can probably do a 10-gallon with some extra maintenance every week. But, for most people, a 20-gallon is what you’re going to want to put these guys in. They’ll also need a tight-fitting lid since they’re fantastic climbers. They can literally climb up your glass and get out.

panda garra tank

Like ottos, panda garras need a biologically mature tank that promotes the growth of biofilm. They also don’t do well with deteriorating water quality, so a good cycle is a must. They’ll be okay without a heater if your house is reasonably warm (upwards of 72 F.)

If not, you’re going to want a heater. I’ve included the best ones below, but if you’d like more detailed information or more heaters to look at, you can check my detailed review of the best aquarium heaters.

Stocking

When you’re thinking about how many pada garras you want, remember that they are somewhat aggressive with their own kind, particularly when they’re establishing a pecking order. The footprint of your aquarium is going to be a big factor in how many you can have. A 20 long versus a 20 lowboy would be two really different numbers.

It’s worth noting that when they’re going at it with each other, you can tell if they’re being genuinely aggressive or not by the color they turn. If they’re being aggressive, they’ll start to lose their black coloring and be mostly the pale yellow. The more aggressive, the more yellow they have.

group of panda garra showing aggressive & non aggressive colors
Aggressive & non-aggressive colors

If you want a group, 5 is the minimum I would suggest getting to spread out the aggression. You can safely do that in something like a 30 long or a 40 breeder, but if you have a 20, I would suggest just getting one.

But if you’re only going to get one, make sure you don’t have any other species that look like panda garras in the tank, otherwise they might be the subject of aggression. With groups of panda garras, this doesn’t seem to be as big of an issue.

Decor

In their natural habitat, they’re found over a mixture of sand and pebbles, and there’s usually rocks – which they love cleaning off. They also appreciate the biofilm that driftwood produces, though there’s nothing I read that indicates they usually encounter it in the wild.

There are a ton of biofilm-producing botanicals you can buy. Some of my favorites for biofilm-lovers include sterculia pods, jacaranda pods, and skyfruit pods because they typically have produced the most biofilm consistently for me.

Sterculia pod from TanninAquatics.com

As far as substrate is concerned, I don’t recommend using a plant substrate with these guys because they’re so sensitive to water conditions. Instead, use something like sand, pebbles, or a mix of both. You can also keep it bare bottom, but you’ll probably miss a lot of their natural behaviors. For sand, I love HTH pool filter sand (but I don’t recommend you buy it online, the link is there just so you can see.)

Best Plants For Panda Garra

Again, panda garras don’t come from a habitat with a ton of plants. Or any plant other than algae, actually. But that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy plants.

Panda garras like perching on large leaves, and they seem to enjoy cleaning just about any plant. If you want to get plants for them, I would look at plants that can deal with the level of water movement these guys need to thrive. You definitely don’t want a heavily planted tank because you’ll want a good deal of light coming in for algae.

If you opt for taller plants, you’ll want to periodically prune them to keep the light levels in the tank high.

Anubias (Anubias barteri)

anubias barteri

The anubias barteri species has over 13 variants that call it home – so if you think you’ve seen them all, your probably wrong. They range in size, color, and shape, and are nearly guaranteed to be bulletproof. They don’t experience melt as often as most other immerse-grown aquarium plants and do well in low-tech setups – even with plant-munching fish. 

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Slow
Temperature: 72 – 82F (22 – 28C)

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Floating or attached

Java Fern

Java Fern

Java fern is a nearly indestructible low light plant that can put up with tons of abuse. It doesn’t need Co2, fertilizers, or fancy soils. There are tons of lush, beautiful, jungle-like aquascapes you can create with it too!

Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Slow
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Anywhere, basically

Broad Leaf Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)

echinodorus bleheri

Echinodorus bleheri is one of a few species that get the catch-all common name of “Amazon sword.” Like most swords, you’ll need to keep the crown exposed when planting it. It also needs high light and a decent amount of nutrients to grow well.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature:  71 – 82F (22 – 28 C)

pH: 6.5 – 7.5
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Planted, background

El Niño Fern (Bolbitis heteroclita)

El Niño Fern (Bolbitis heteroclita)

Like most ferns, you need to be careful not to bury the rhizome when planting it. It does best with a good deal of water movement, high lighting, and liquid fertilizer. Co2 helps too if you can swing it.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Growth: Moderate
Temperature:  70 – 80 F (21 – 26 C)

pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Planted, midground

Cryptocoryne wendtii

Cryptocoryne wendtii

Crypts aren’t usually known for being easily adaptable. They have a tendency to die when conditions suddenly change, but they’re easy once they are established. They can take a wide variety of parameters and anything from high to low lighting. Again, just keeping things stable as it settles is your best chance of success.

Difficulty: Tough when new, easy when settled
Growth: Slow
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Planted, foreground

Dwarf Aquarium Lily (Nymphaea stellata)

dwarf aquarium lily

There are a few lilies that are called “dwarf aquarium lilies,” but Nymphaea stellata is probably the easiest to take care of. It usually comes from a bulb that quickly sprouts huge leaves. In a short time, it’ll grow to the top of your tank and block out most of your light. This is great for fish that need cover, but if you need to get light to your other pants, it can be trimmed as well.

Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Slow
Temperature:  72 – 82F (22 – 28 C)

pH: 5.5 – 7.5
Hardness:  2 – 15 dKH
Placement: Anywhere, basically

Pennywort sp.

There are quite a few species of pennywort, but most have similar care requirements and grow quickly. Because they can be grown in or out of the water, in a variety of ways, and in a wide range of conditions, this makes them a super adaptable aquarium plant. They also make exceptional plants for summer tubs!

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Rapid
Temperature: 68 – 82 F (20 – 27 C)

pH: 6.0 – 7.8
Hardness: 3 – 25 dKH
Placement: Attached, planted, weighed down, or immersed

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato aquarium

It’s hard to describe just how magnificent these root structures look once they get going, but you really can’t ask for a better or cheaper aquarium plant for keeping the water clean. Especially since you can pick it up on your next grocery shopping trip.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 59 – 86F (15 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 3 – 12 dKH
Placement: Floating or attached

Bacopa sp.

Bacopa

Bacopa comes in a variety of species and variants – some more demanding than others – but the least demanding is Bacopa carolinia. It is banned in a few states because of its invasive species status, but it makes a wonderful addition to most aquariums if you can get it.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 59 – 86F (15 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 3 – 12 dKH
Placement: Planted in substrate

Vallisneria

Vallisneria

Vals come in a ton of varieties, but most of them are about the same to grow. They can grow rapidly, and quickly cover your tank with lush, kelp-like forests for your fish. Some species, however, do grow much shorter than others.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 63 – 82 F (17 – 28 C)

pH: 6.5 – 8.5
Hardness: 3 – 30 dKH
Placement: Planted

Anubias (Anubias barteri)

anubias barteri

The anubias barteri species has over 13 variants that call it home – so if you think you’ve seen them all, your probably wrong. They range in size, color, and shape, and are nearly guaranteed to be bulletproof. They don’t experience melt as often as most other immerse-grown aquarium plants and do well in low-tech setups – even with plant-munching fish. 

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Slow
Temperature: 72 – 82F (22 – 28C)

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Floating or attached

Java Fern

Java Fern

Java fern is a nearly indestructible low light plant that can put up with tons of abuse. It doesn’t need Co2, fertilizers, or fancy soils. There are tons of lush, beautiful, jungle-like aquascapes you can create with it too!

Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Slow
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Anywhere, basically

Java Moss

Java moss

Java moss is an almost bulletproof plant that requires almost no care. It doesn’t grow nearly as slowly as it’s java fern cousin, and can create lush moss beds that blow and billow in the current. They’re a great option for grazers, fry, or those of you with the blackest of thumbs.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 59 – 86F (15 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness: 3 – 12 dKH
Placement: Floating or attached

Lemon Bacopa (Bacopa Carolinia)

Bacopa carolinia

It’s as bulletproof as Java fern, but grows as fast as hornwortBacopa carolinia is truly the best of both worlds if you’re looking for a hardy species you can plant in the substrate. It grows up to 40″ (not a typo) and propagates quickly, which is great for larger tanks that need a ton of cover on the cheap.

Difficulty: Bulletproof
Growth: Fast
Temperature:  64 – 86F (18 – 30C)

pH: 5.0 – 8.0
Hardness:  2 – 25 dKH
Placement: Background

Vallisneria

Vallisneria

Vals come in a ton of varieties, but most of them are about the same to grow. They can grow rapidly, and quickly cover your tank with lush, kelp-like forests for your fish. Some species, however, do grow much shorter than others.

Difficulty: Easy
Growth: Moderate
Temperature: 63 – 82 F (17 – 28 C)

pH: 6.5 – 8.5
Hardness: 3 – 30 dKH
Placement: Planted

Lighting & Filtration

You’re going to want a lot of light, but you definitely don’t need to go out and buy a fancy light to get enough. You can grow plenty of algae with a florescent light. Filtration, on the otherhand, is super important.

You don’t need to crank your filter up, per se, you just need a ton of oxygen. A canister filter connected to a spraybar makes a great setup. Throw a few airstones in and you’re probably good – if not overdoing it.

Bonus: it’s almost identical to their breeding setup so you might see some fry!

panda garra fry

Some suggest you should look at a turnover of 10x GPH – but I don’t think that’s needed if you have a good cycle, some air stones, and a good deal of surface agitation. They do live in stagnant pools for half the year, so unless you’re planning on breeding them, they can definitely thrive somewhere between a raging rapid and stagnant.

As a refresher on GPH and turnover, if you want to go with the 10x recommendation, multiply your tank size by 10 and that’s the GPH you’ll need. Which is likely somewhere in the 200+ range. If you have anything larger than a 20-gallon, you’re basically looking for a pond filter. A cheaper method, if you want to keep the 10x idea, would be building a sump with a massive pump.

Something much more manageable would be 5x turnover with a spraybar and a few air stones – which you can run off one air pump if you get a gang valve. If you need help picking out the best canister filter or air pump, I have some suggestions for your panda garra tank below.

Water Care

Panda garras don’t do well in low oxygen environments and they don’t cope well with any water deterioration. Just how much water you should be changing ever week depends entirely on your setup and your filter, but shooting for 25% every week and adjusting from there is a safe bet.

Keeping ammonia and nitrites as close to 0 ppm as possible is also a safe bet. Nitrates you probably have some wiggle-room with, without it algae is kinda hard to grow.

Intentionally growing algae isn’t super complicated, unless you’re trying to grow a particular type. Which we kinda are. You obviously don’t want green water, blue-green algae, BBA, diatoms, or hair algae – because they won’t eat those.

green water algae
Green water

They typically only eat green dust, green spot, or brown algae. If you’re not usually good at growing those and don’t want to tinker with that, you can always supplement with algae wafers (suggestions below in the feeding section!)

You’re obviously going to want dechlorinator – I like Prime and it comes in super handy when you’re keeping fish that have next to no ammonia tolerance. You’re also probably going to want to stock up on meds to treat illnesses that are common with panda garras, which isn’t many, to be honest.

Feeding Panda Garra

Feeding panda garras is pretty similar to feeding bristlenose plecos. Though both eat a lot of algae, neither is an exclusive algae eater – or even a herbivore. Panda garras are omnivores and they’re generally opportunistic.

They’ll gladly accept bloodworms, tubifex worms, brine shrimp, chopped prawn, repashy, white worms, and sinking pellets and wafers. They’ll also accept cucumbers, melons, blanched spinach, green beans and – again – anything you’d consider feeding to a bristlenose is probably fair game.

Panda garra feeding

If you’re feeding things like cucumbers, melons, or any other semi-large foods, just make sure you take it out within a few hours so it doesn’t ruin the water quality. Like always, I have a shopping list for you below if you don’t know where to find something but, frankly, they’ll do fine with pretty much anything.

Common Panda Garra Diseases

Panda garras aren’t typically prone to illnesses. Even wild-caught panda garras don’t have a ton of issues that you’d expect. Most of their issues seem to be directly related to skin conditions that come from water quality issues.

Bacterial Infection

bacterial infection

Bacterial infection is a broad term, the bacteria family can cause a wide range of symptoms and come from varying causes. Generally, you can treat them with a broad spectrum antibacterial regardless of the particular bacteria at hand. It’s diagnosing that’s usually the hard part.

Making matters even more difficult, fish can have an internal or external bacterial infection.

Symptoms:

  • Red streaks
  • Red ulcers
  • Fuzzy growths
  • Pop eye
  • Bloating

Causes:

  •  Poor water quality
  • Food that’s gone bad
  • Keeping fish in inappropriate water parameters
  • Stress

Columnaris (Cotton Mouth Disease)

columnaris disease

Occasionally called false neon tetra disease or cottonmouth, this is caused by a gram-negative bacterium. it can also, quite understandable, be confused with fungal infections. 

Symptoms:

  • Discolored scales
  • Scales appear to be popping off (not “pineconing”)
  • Grey spots
  • Lesions on the back
  • Legions around the mouth
  • May result in fuzzy patches due to secondary infections

Causes:

  •  Flavbacterium columnare (bacteria)

Fungal Infection

fungal infection

Fungal infections are a tricky bunch – not only do they have a huge family that presents a wide variety of species and symptoms – but some bacterial infections look strikingly similar to a fungus. 

If you’re not sure if you’re dealing with a fungus or a bacterial infection, I find it helpful to treat with Ich X and Erythromycin (provided it’s 100% erythromycin) at the same time to be sure I’m treating for both.

Symptoms:

  • Cottony growths on body, fins, eyes, and/or gills

Causes:

  • Prior untreated injury
  • Stress
  • Water quality-related issues
  • Prior untreated infection (bacterial, parasitic, etc.)

13 Panda Garra Tank Mates

Panda garras are pretty good tankmates. If you keep just one, you might need to be careful with things like ottos or other loaches. But if you house them in a loose group, they don’t have issues with ottos, hillstreams, or other species of loaches.

You will want to look for fish that don’t mind a little bit of a current and at least a decent level of overhead light. This isn’t a complete list, but I hope it gives you some ideas to work with!

Harlequin Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)

harlequin rasbora

Harlequins are a shoaling species that prefer friend groups of six or more. They’re not known to be nippy fish and are quite peaceful as long as they’re provided plants, space to swim, and the company of their own kind.

pH: 5 – 7.5
dKH: 1 – 12
Temp: 70 to 83 F (21 to 28 C)

Size: 2″ (5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful
Swimming: Mid to top-water shoaling

Lambchop Rasbora (Trigonostigma espei)

You can think of the lambchop as a smaller cousin to the harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) they look and act similarly and their care requirements are about the same. These guys are just a bit smaller with slightly different coloring.

pH: 5.5 – 7.5
dKH: 1 – 10
Temp: 74 – 83F (24 – 28C)

Size: 1.2″ (1 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful shoaling fish
Swimming: Mid to top

Silvertip Tetra (Hasemania nana)

If you like fish that will follow your finger like ravenous sharks, these are your fish. They’re a nearly unspookable little shoaling fish that like to be kept in groups of six or more. 

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp:  74 – 82F (23 – 28C)

Size: 2″ (5 cm)
Temperament: Active shoaling fish
Swimming: Mid to top

White Clouds (Tanichthys albonubes)

These fish are best kept in groups of eight or more, though 10 is better. There’s little information of just how far spread these fish are, but they’ve been observed slow-moving white and blackwater streams in and around China. 

pH: 6.0 – 7.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 60 – 72F (15 – 22C)

Size: 1.5 – 2″ (3 – 5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful shoaling fish
Swimming: Mid to top

Dwarf Scissortail Rasboras (Rasbosoma spilocerca)

scissortail rasbora

Because scissortails and dwarf scissortails look so similar, it’s important to get these from a vendor that you trust. If you buy regular scissortails (Rasbora trilineata,) you’ll end up with a bunch of 6″ fish! It’s a shoaling species that should be kept in groups of 8 – 10.

pH: 6.0 – 7.0
dKH: 2 – 10
Temp: 73 – 79F (22 – 26 C)

Size: 1.2″ (3 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful shoaling fish
Swimming: Everywhere

Zebra “Danio” (Brachydanio rerio)

zebra danio

Zebra danios belong to the minnow family. They’re fast, outgoing, peaceful, and need room to swim with their shoal (6 or more being ideal.) They can handle a range of temperatures and water conditions – from stagnant to faster-flow, making them a versatile community fish.

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 5 – 20
Temp: 65 – 77 F (18 – 25 C)

Size: 1.5 – 2″ (4 – 5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling

leopard spotted danio

Leopard Danio (Brachydanio froskei)

Leopard danios have amazing color and, if you look hard enough, you may even be able to find some dazzling color morphs of this fish as well! They do best in groups of six or more and zip around the tank quite a bit, so ensure you have swimming space for a shoal of this size. 

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 2 – 20
Temp: 64 -75F (17 – 23C)

Size: 2.4″ (6 cm)
Temperament: Active
Swimming: Mid to top

Rosy Barbs (Pethia conchonius)

rosy barb

Rosy barbs are notoriously housed improperly and, as a result, most become fin-nippers. To avoid this behavior, your best bet is to get a shoal of six or more – more being better. They’re active, colorful, easy to feed, and make fantastic beginner fish.

pH: 6.0 – 7.5
dKH: 2 – 15
Temp: 65 -78 F (18 – 26 C)

Size: 5.9″ (15 cm)
Temperament: Active
Swimming: Mid to top

Gold Barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus)

gold barb

Gold barbs are a brighter variant of the naturally greenish-colored Barbodes semifasciolatus, but most people don’t recognize the wild coloration as a gold barb. They make great beginner fish, they’re easily adaptable, easy to feed, and pretty agreeable when kept in groups of at least six, but eight or more is best.

pH: 6.0 – 8.0
dKH: 2 – 20
Temp: 61 -75F (16 – 24C)

Size: 2.9″ (8 cm)
Temperament: Active, peaceful
Swimming: Mid to top

Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus)

congo tetra

Wild populations are endemic to the Congo River in Africa, but thankfully, we have plenty of captive-bred fish on the market. They do best in groups of at least six.

pH: 6.0 – 7.5
dKH: 3 – 18
Temp: 73 – 82 F (23 – 28 C)

Size: 3.2″ (8 cm) max
Temperament: Peaceful shoaler
Swimming: Mid to top

Diamond Tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri)

Diamond tetras make a great addition to most community tanks, but they can be nippy. They’re typically peaceful, active, unfussy, and generally mind their own business. They do best in shoals fo 6 – 8. If there’s more than that, they tend to nip tankmates instead of each other.

pH: 5.5 – 7.0
dKH: 5 – 12
Temp: 75 – 82 F (24 – 28 C)

Size: 2.4″ (6 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful shoalers
Swimming: Mid to top

Corydora (Corydora sp.)

Panda Cory Catfish

While each species will vary slightly, all require smooth substrates or bare bottom and do best when they’re kept in groups of at least six or more.

Some larger options would be better here, anywhere from 2.5″ (6.5 cm) and up. Good candidates would include bronze, emerald, Sterbai’s, and peppered cories.

pH: 5.5 – 7.0 – species dependent
dKH: 3 – 10
Temp: 72 – 80 F (22 – 26 C) – species dependent

Size: 1 – 3.5″ (2.5 – 9 cm) – species dependent
Temperament: Peaceful, can be boisterous for less active species
Swimming: Bottom (most) in a shoal of 6 or more

Red-Tailed Rasbora (Rasbora borapetensis)

Not the easiest fish to find, and you’ll likely need to special order them, but they make great community tank inhabitants. They’re hardy, peaceful, colorful, and not easily spooked. You’ll want to get them in shoals of 8 – 10, though likely order more in case of casualties.

pH: 5.5 – 7.0
dKH: 2 – 12
Temp: 72 – 78 F (22 – 26 C)

Size: 2″ (5 cm)
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: Top to midwater shoaling

Hillstream Loach (Sewellia sp.)

hillstream loach

Not the easiest fish to find, and you’ll likely need to special order them or order them online, but they are just a joy to have! There are almost 100 species of hillstream loaches, but most of them stay pretty small and need medium- to fast-flowing water. Typically, they do better in groups, but individual species research is definitely suggested.

pH: 5.5 – 7.0 – species dependent
dKH: 8 – 15
Temp: 72 – 78 F (22 – 26 C)

Size: 3″ (8 cm) usually
Temperament: Peaceful and active
Swimming: On structures

Breeding Panda Garras

Sexing panda garras isn’t the easiest task, but it’s doable. Obviously, in order to sex them, you need mature fish. Prior to maturity, they look pretty much the same. After maturity they look pretty similar, but there’s one big difference: tubercles.

Males develop tubercles on their head, along their lateral line, and by their caudal peduncle. Tubercles are small- to medium-sized deposits of keratin that make small bumps (tentacles, maybe?) It looks like ich, but not quite. It’s hard to explain, but pictures should help.

male panda garra
Male: you can see the additional extensions by the mouth, but also some small bumps on the “nose” as well.
female panda garra
Female: lack of mouth “extensions” or small, white “nose bumps”

Of course, it’s not always possible to sex panda garras on the glass from that exact angle, which makes things a little bit trickier when you’re working in a real life situation. In that case, here’s an example from the side:

Male: you can see the white “spots” right on his upper lip and up the head
female Garra flavatra
Female: not bumps on the head or face or around the lateral line.

Spawning

It’s been done… but we don’t fully understand it on a non-commercial scale. Commerical breeders collect the fish from the wild between May and July, which is the peak of their spawning season. They keep the males and females together and feed feeding lots of different high-protein foods. Chopped earthworms, tubifex, and meaty products mixed with algae are a good start, but the full suggested list of food is in the feeding section.

Males only develop tubercles when they’re in breeding condition, when they’re not in breeding condition they disappear. Females are also only plump when they’re in breeding condition. So if you’re able to sex your panda garras, that’s a good start.

Once they’re in breeding condition, they select individual pairs and place them in their own 20-gallon tank. Each tank is highly oxygenated and has running water with a conductivity of 80 µS and pH close to neutral. Most of these commercial setups include a spray bar with a few air stones and a high-powered turnover. Again, I covered the setup in more detail in the filtration section.

There’s little to no coverage on what the actual spawning or spawning behavior looks like, but eggs are usually deposited in the morning. If you’re running anything other than a sponge filter, you’re probably going to want a sponge prefilter to prevent fry from being sucked up.

Egg & Fry Care

There’s very sparse information on fry care. The eggs usually hatch in 24 – 36 hours – though at what temperature was unspecified. They feed off their yolk sack for an additional 72 hours. Once they’re free-swimming, they’re fed egg yolk particles and within a week, they’re large enough to eat artemia.

There are a few reports of panda garras breeding (and the fry living!) under much less controlled conditions. There isn’t any information about if they eat their own fry but it’s very likely that they’ll eat their own eggs.

Further Reading & Resources

PFK – Panda Garra (note: interview with breeders and discoverer)

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