Siamese glassfish

Parambassis siamensis

Also known as Thai glassfish, Siamese glass fish

FreshwaterFish

Siamese glassfish (Parambassis siamensis) — (c) Abu Hamas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 21 gal (80 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Chao Phraya and Mekong basins, Southeast Asia
Family: Ambassidae

Overview

The Siamese glassfish is an easygoing, see-through schooler that suits a peaceful community. It is a shoaling fish that fails when kept singly or in pairs, so keep a group of at least six, and a dozen makes a striking display of animated glass. It feeds on small foods: frozen brine shrimp and bloodworm, Daphnia, and dry flakes and micro-pellets once it learns to take them. It prefers dim light, so use floating plants and a dark substrate. Keep it with other calm, similarly small fish. A planted tank of about 80 liters or more suits a school.

In the wild

Parambassis siamensis lives in the slow lowland rivers, canals and floodplains of the Mekong, Mae Klong and Chao Phraya basins in Southeast Asia. Give it a mature, densely planted tank with a dark floor, floating plants to cut the light, and open midwater to shoal in with gentle flow. Warm water at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius and pH 6.0 to 7.5 suits it. Unlike some glassfish it is strictly freshwater and should never be kept with added salt.

Good to know

Parambassis siamensis is a glassfish of the Ambassidae, reaching about 7 centimeters, with the clear, colorless body typical of the group. The skeleton, swim bladder and gut show through the flanks in life. It is a hardier, more forgiving glassfish than the tiny blackwater species, and egg-scattering spawning has been reported, though rearing the fry is challenging.

Did you know

Despite the old belief that all glassfish need brackish water, this species is strictly a freshwater fish, and adding salt to keep it does more harm than good.