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Peacock-tail garra

Garra poecilura

Also known as Variegated-tail garra, Black garra

FreshwaterFish

Peacock-tail garra (Garra poecilura)

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cyprinidae
Origin
Rakhine streams, western Myanmar

Overview

The peacock-tail garra is a bottom-dwelling grazer for a cool tank with strong current. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The peacock-tail garra draws the eye with its tail, where most garras signal with head tubercles and snout displays. It spreads a boldly banded tail fin, which gives the fish both its common and scientific names. Its species name, poecilura, means variegated tail.

Caring for the peacock-tail garra

Give the peacock-tail garra at least 29 gal (110 L), with strong current and plenty of rock surface to graze. A substrate of sand, gravel and cobbles suits it, with smooth stones and driftwood to work for algae.

Keep it on the cool side of tropical, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Good oxygenation and clean water suit it. Feed algae wafers, sinking pellets and small frozen foods, weighted so they reach the bottom.

One peacock-tail garra is fine on its own, and a group should number three or more. It is mostly peaceful but can shove its own kind, so give it space and plenty of grazing surface. It suits a hill-stream community with current-hardened midwater fish, and it pays little attention to what swims above. Its aquarium breeding is not documented.

Good to know

Garra poecilura is a member of the carp family, Cyprinidae. Kullander and Fang described it in 2004, as one of seven new garras from the Rakhine Yoma. It holds its position in the current with the disc beneath its mouth while it grazes rock faces.

In the wild

The peacock-tail garra lives in the upland hill streams of the Rakhine Yoma in western Myanmar. The water there is clear, cool and fast-flowing.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The peacock-tail garra is a mostly peaceful, social 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 peacock-tail garra need?

A peacock-tail garra needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a peacock-tail garra need?

A peacock-tail garra is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a peacock-tail garra eat?

A peacock-tail garra eats algae wafers, sinking pellets and small frozen foods. Weight the food so it reaches the bottom, where the garra grazes.

How big does a peacock-tail garra get?

An adult peacock-tail garra reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

Related species