TankBud

Indian glowlight carplet

Horadandia brittani

Also known as Brittan's carplet, Dwarf fire rasbora

FreshwaterFish

Indian glowlight carplet (Horadandia brittani)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Danionidae
Origin
Coastal floodplains of Kerala, southern India

Overview

The Indian glowlight carplet is a tiny, peaceful schooling fish for a planted nano tank. It is best with a little experience.

Did you know

The Indian glowlight carplet was filed for decades as a local form of the Sri Lankan carplet. Work in 2013 confirmed the two as separate species, one on each side of the narrow Palk Strait that divides India from Sri Lanka.

Caring for the Indian glowlight carplet

A group of Indian glowlight carplets needs a quiet tank of 11 gal (40 L) or larger. Set them up like their Sri Lankan sister, with heavy planting, a dark substrate, gentle filtration and soft light. They do best in still or barely moving water with plenty of cover.

Warmth suits them, so hold the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed the smallest foods, such as micro pellets and crushed flake, with small frozen or live cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

Keep a dozen or more, and pair them only with equally tiny, calm fish. They are peaceful and live in the middle of the tank and among the plants. Indian glowlight carplets are egg scatterers, and breeding them is of moderate difficulty.

Good to know

Horadandia brittani belongs to the danio family, Danionidae, as the Indian counterpart of the Sri Lankan carplet. Remi Devi and Menon described it in 1992. The name honors the American ichthyologist Martin Brittan.

In the wild

The Indian glowlight carplet lives in coastal floodplain wetlands of Kerala and neighboring southern India. Its home water is weedy, slow and warm.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Indian glowlight carplet is a peaceful, schooling 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 glowlight carplet need?

An Indian glowlight carplet needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Indian glowlight carplet need?

An Indian glowlight carplet is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does an Indian glowlight carplet eat?

An Indian glowlight carplet eats the smallest foods, such as micro pellets and crushed flake. It also takes small frozen or live cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp.

How big does an Indian glowlight carplet get?

An adult Indian glowlight carplet reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

Does an Indian glowlight carplet need a group?

Yes. An Indian glowlight carplet is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does an Indian glowlight carplet breed?

Indian glowlight carplets scatter their eggs. Breeding them is of moderate difficulty.

Related species