The Panda Garra (Garra flavatra) is an attractive, active and quite fun fish to have in a freshwater tank. Due to its interesting behavior and beautiful colors, the species is easy to recognize and has become a favorite of many hobbyts around the world.
These fish are endemic to the Arakan and Rakhine Yoma mountain ranges in Rakhine State, western Myanmar, Asia. They inhabit very shallow, slow-flowing streams with low vegetation and rich in oxygen, as well as small natural pools with mixed substrates formed by gravel, pebbles and rocks.
The Panda Garra color pattern can vary greatly, with some exhibiting very intense yellow or red spots, but it’s not yet clear whether these differences represent natural variation within species populations. The Panda Garra is the only member of the Garra genus to have alternating light to dark brown sidebars and red markings on its fins.
Overall, the species is considered easy to keep, although it needs to live in groups to feel more comfortable and secure.
Keep reading the post to learn about the main features and needs of Panda Garra.
Technical Details
Name: Panda Garra, Panda Nibblefish, Striped Garra, Rainbow garra;
Scientific Name: Garra flavatra (Kullander & Fang, 2004);
Family: Cyprinidae;
Species Origin: Asia (Myanmar);
Length: Up to 2,4 inches;
Life Span: 6 years;
Care Level: Easy / Moderate;
Water Parameters
pH: Maintain the pH of the water between 6.5 – 7.5;
Water Hardness: Between 2 – 12;
Temperature: Must be kept between 21 – 25°C;
Care
Food
Although the Panda Garra is an excellent algae eater, the species still needs a varied diet to stay healthy.
You should offer protein-rich foods such as live or frozen brine shrimp, earthworms, chopped shrimp and tubifex, as well as high-quality pellet feeds.
Feeds in particular should be rich in plant matter, such as spirulina.
In addition, you can also offer fresh fruits and vegetables such as spinach, cucumber and melon.
Temperament / Behavior
The Panda Garra is considered a peaceful fish and needs to be accompanied by at least 5 individuals of the species, if space allows. The group of these fish will develop a noticeable hierarchy among them.
However, unlike some other algae-eating fish, the Panda Garra is usually quite active and spends most of its time scouring the tank for food. Above all, they are also very tame and associate the owner with food very quickly. That means they can even eat out of your hand.
Tank Mates
As I mentioned before, the Panda Garra prefers to live in groups with at least 5 individuals of its species. If you know how to choose your tank mates carefully, chances are there will be no problems with aggression.
Although it’s a peaceful fish, it can still end up fighting among themselves from time to time. Of course, it’s a good idea to always be monitoring the behavior of these fish to avoid problems.
You can add them, for example, with barbs, tetras, corys, rasboras, plecos, zebra danio, among others.
As they are very active fish, I don’t recommend that you add them with shrimp.
Breeding / Mating
The Panda Garra usually spawns between May and July. So, to instigate spawning, you must feed them live food and a diet rich algae food. Males will develop tubercles on their heads when they are ready to spawn, while females will be noticeably plumper.
Once they are in spawning condition, you should select a couple and move them to a smaller, highly oxygenated, moderate current tank.
The next morning the eggs will be laid and will hatch within 24 and 30 hours. As soon as they are born, the fry swim freely around the tank and can be fed with egg yolk or specific food for fry.
Finally, the constant flow of water is believed to stimulate their feeding and growth rate.
Fish Tank Size
The fish tank needs to have at least 10 gallons for a single fish or 20 gallons for a group of 4 of them, that is, anything smaller than that can cause problems and they will not feel comfortable.
Note: The Panda Garra is an excellent jumper, so be sure to add a tight lid to the tank;
Regarding water quality, perform partial water changes every week. The substrate can be sand or pebbles, but a mixture of them is recommended.
The Panda Garra can survive in slow-moving waters, but they tend to prefer slightly rougher waters. This preference contributes to the evolution and growth of the fish over time.
To maintain good quality water, add air pumps and plants so that there is enough dissolved oxygen for these fish.
Just keep in mind that plants compete with algae. So, you must have strong lighting so that there is a stimulus for the growth of both in the fish tank.
References
Kullander, S. and F. Fang, 2004. Seven new species of Garra (Cyprinidae: Cyprininae) from the Rakhine Yoma, southern Myanmar. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 15(3):257-278. (Ref. 52314)
