Panda Garra (Garra flavatra)

Information about the Panda Garra has been obtained via: https://aquapedia.wiki/animals/panda-garra/
 
The Panda Garra (Garra flavatra) is a freshwater fish that thrives in tropical water and originates in Southeast Asia. In the wild you will find Panda Garra in shallow and fast-moving waters like streams or small rivers. Their natural habitats usually have little vegetation and lots of rocks. They are popular aquarium fish because they will make themselves useful by nibbling away on the algae and biofilm in your tank.
 
Panda Garra are a relatively small fish as adult animals only grow to between 2 and 4 inch (6 and 10 cm) in length. The final size of an adult Panda Garra also depends on their genetics and the type and amount of available food sources. The more food is available, the more the animal will max out on its potential growth.
 
Panda Garra have a greenish brown color with yellow stripes or dots. They sometimes change color when they are stressed, e.g., in case of a fight or bullying by other fish. When looked at from above or below, the bodies of Panda Garra seem teardrop-shaped: a broad round head with a body that tapers toward the caudal fin. Their underside is completely flat with the mouth located towards the front. This makes them perfectly adapted to lying on smooth surfaces and scraping off the algae. This distinctive shape and behavior are the reason they regularly get confused with catfish and loach.
 
Panda Garra are tropical water fish, which means they thrive in temperatures between 70 °F (21 °C) and 81 °F (27 °C). They are fairly adaptable when it comes to water parameters but they don't respond well to extremes, such as very sudden and big changes or huge deviations from their preferred parameters. The pH levels of the water should be between 6.5 and 7.5.
 
Every Panda Garra should have at least 5 gal (19 l) of water to themselves. So, if you want to keep 5 small Panda Garra, there should be at least 25 gal (95 l) in your tank. They usually dwell in the middle or bottom area of the tank but can also be found along the glass panels when scraping off algae. They can be kept in planted tanks, but they're habitat shouldn't be planted too densely as they originate in habitats with little vegetation and lots of woods and stones. They enjoy fast-flowing water and a stable water temperature.
 
Panda Garra are a peaceful species of small freshwater fish and will usually leave tank mates alone. They do however establish a rank order within their group and can get a bit aggressive with each other at times.
If your Panda Garra are swimming in circles of quickly up and down along the glass panel, it may be an indicator that the tank is too small. On the other hand, Panda Garra are rather energetic and get a bit hectic, which means they shouldn't be put together with aggressive fish that are sensitive to movements.
 
Panda Garra are omnivores but primarily eat algae and biofilm in their natural habitat and will also prefer these food sources when kept in an aquarium. If your tank doesn't provide enough food resources to sustain the Panda Garra naturally, you can also add feed them algae wafers or pellets, mosquito larvae, small worms and even regular fish food.
 
Common Problems
Jumping: Panda Garra like to scrape algae and biofilm off the glass panels of an aquarium and will sometimes come very close to the edge of the tank, especially if water levels are relatively high. When startled or a bit over-motivated, they can easily jump or fall out of the aquarium this way. Make sure to keep a lid on your tank to prevent this.
Fighting: While Panda Garra are a peaceful species overall, they do establish a rank order amongst themselves and can get pretty rough with each other while doing so.
 
Information about the Panda Garra has been obtained via: https://aquapedia.wiki/animals/panda-garra/