TankBud

Indian glassy fish

Parambassis ranga

Also known as Glass fish

FreshwaterFish

Indian glassy fish (Parambassis ranga)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–86°F
20–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Ambassidae
Origin
South Asia, South East Asia

Overview

The Indian glassy fish is a small, peaceful, see-through shoaling fish for the middle of a planted community tank. It is best kept by someone with a little experience.

Did you know

The Indian glassy fish's clear body is misused in the trade. Some fish are injected with colored dye and sold as painted or disco glassfish. The process damages their health, and the color fades within months.

Caring for the Indian glassy fish

Keep Indian glassy fish in a group of at least six, in a well-planted tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. Kept alone or in twos they turn shy and hide, but a proper group comes out and swims in open water. Leave open swimming space in the middle, and add driftwood and a darker substrate that shows off the glassy body.

Keep the water clean, stable and close to neutral, with gentle flow. Aim for 68 to 86°F (20 to 30°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They can be slow to accept dried food, so offer small live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia.

The Indian glassy fish is peaceful and mixes well with other calm, similarly sized fish. When buying, avoid dyed fish, since the injected dye harms them.

Males develop a dark edge along the dorsal fin. Breeding is challenging. They scatter eggs among fine-leaved plants, and the tiny fry are difficult to feed and raise, needing very small live foods in their first days.

Good to know

The Indian glassy fish belongs to the family Ambassidae, the Asiatic glassfishes. Its tissue is so clear that the skeleton, swim bladder and other organs show through, giving it a glassy, x-ray look.

In the wild

The Indian glassy fish lives in slow and still fresh waters across South and Southeast Asia, from ponds and ditches to sluggish rivers. It is often found among plants, and it also enters brackish water during the rainy season.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Indian glassy fish is a peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Indian glassy fish need?

An Indian glassy fish needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Indian glassy fish need?

An Indian glassy fish is comfortable at 68–86°F (20–30°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Indian glassy fish eat?

An Indian glassy fish eats small live and frozen foods, such as bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia. It can be slow to accept dried food.

How big does an Indian glassy fish get?

An adult Indian glassy fish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Does an Indian glassy fish need a group?

Yes. An Indian glassy fish is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How can you tell a male Indian glassy fish from a female?

Males develop a dark edge along the dorsal fin.

How does an Indian glassy fish breed?

Indian glassy fish scatter their eggs among fine-leaved plants. The tiny fry are difficult to raise and need very small live foods in their first days.

Related species