TankBud

Panda garra

Garra flavatra

FreshwaterFish

Panda garra (Garra flavatra)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
26 gal
100 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Myanmar

Overview

The panda garra is a busy, mostly peaceful bottom dweller that grazes rock and wood in a flowing tank. It is easy enough for a beginner.

Did you know

The panda garra gets its name from the bold black and cream banding along its body. Few members of its genus are so boldly marked. That pattern, on a hardy algae grazer, is a big part of why it became popular so quickly after it reached the hobby.

Caring for the panda garra

Give a group of panda garras at least 26 gal (100 L), which gives them enough floor and grazing space. Use strong flow, a substrate of sand, gravel and smooth stones, and plenty of water-worn rock and driftwood to graze over and shelter beneath. High oxygen and clean, clear water matter more to them than dense planting, which the current would fight anyway.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They spend much of the day grazing biofilm and algae from stone and driftwood. Offer algae wafers, spirulina, blanched vegetables and sinking foods, plus some frozen items.

Keep panda garras in a group of five or more. They forage together over rock and wood, and any squabbling is spread out rather than aimed at one fish. They can be a little territorial with each other but rarely trouble tank mates, so they suit a community of calm, current-loving fish. Panda garras are regarded as difficult to spawn, with little established breeding success in home aquariums.

Good to know

Garra flavatra is a member of the family Cyprinidae. Like other members of the genus, it has a flattened belly and a sucker-like mouth for gripping rock and grazing in fast, tumbling water. It was described by science only in the mid 2000s.

In the wild

The panda garra comes from clear, fast-flowing hill streams in the Rakhine region of western Myanmar. It clings to rock there, in cool, oxygen-rich, current-swept water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The panda garra is a mostly peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the bottom. 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 a panda garra need?

A panda garra needs at least 26 gal (100 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a panda garra need?

A panda garra is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a panda garra eat?

A panda garra eats algae wafers, spirulina, blanched vegetables and sinking foods, with some frozen items. It also grazes biofilm and algae from stone and driftwood.

How big does a panda garra get?

An adult panda garra reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Does a panda garra need a group?

Yes. A panda garra is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Related species