Please note – Size, colour and sex may vary. Many of our livestock species are sold as juveniles and have not yet reached their full size and colour potential.

Scientific Name: 
Garra Flavatra

Approximate purchase size: 
5cm

How easy are they to care for?
Not difficult to keep in a well-maintained set-up, but a display arranged to resemble a flowing stream or river, with a substrate of variably-sized, water-worn rocks, sand, fine gravel and perhaps some small boulders, is highly recommended. 

How large can they grow?
Up to 9cm

Where in the world are they from?
Endemic to the Rakhine Yoma/Arakan mountain range in Rakhine state, western Myanmar (Burma).

What is the ideal number to keep together?
If kept singly it tends to behave more aggressively with similarly-shaped fishes so we recommend the purchase of 3-4 or more should space permit.

What water conditions do they require?
Will accept temperatures from 22 to 27°C and a pH range between 6.5 - 7.5.

What should you feed them?
Although it will graze algae if available, this species is not an exclusive herbivore. Offer meaty foods such as live or frozen chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, Artemia, chopped prawn, etc., along with good quality, sinking dried products, at least some of which should contain a significant proportion of vegetable matter such as Spirulina or similar.

How compatible are they with other fish?
Relatively peaceful and makes a good subject for the well-chosen, larger community of stream-dwelling Indochinese species.

Can they be bred in captivity?
The breeding behaviour is generally not well known and breeding is not often achieved in the aquarium; presumably, like many of their relatives, they migrate upstream or (if they otherwise inhabit lakes) into the rivers to spawn.