Has anyone had or is keeping Panda Garras?

[Gamegurl]

Hiya gang,

I am considering getting one Panda Garra. I wonder if anyone has experience with them.

They seem to be good solo and are said to be only aggressive to their own or it said fish that look like them.

I have at present 3 Powder Blue female dwarf Gourami's, they will be fine. I also have 5 Panda Cory's. The Corys dont look like them but do kinda have stripes. You dont think theyed hassle my Corys or outcompete my Nerite snails for food?

Thanks in advance

GG

[Lennie]

On 5/5/2023 at 9:23 AM, Gamegurl said:

outcompete my Nerite snails for food?

your nerites eat food? 

what do they eat

[Gamegurl]

Their food is algae and biofilm

One did munch on cucumber once but I had to put him on it then he liked it. I have been unsuccessful getting them to eat anything else even algae tabs. 

[Lennie]

On 5/5/2023 at 10:10 AM, Gamegurl said:

Their food is algae and biofilm

One did munch on cucumber once but I had to put him on it then he liked it. I have been unsuccessful getting them to eat anything else even algae tabs. 

yea same. My friend @beastie has a group of panda garras either 4 or 5, I can't recall. As far as I remember, she said they are not really great at eating algae. So I don't think it would cause much problem in that regard.

[H20 Plecos]

Hey Gamegurl, 

The Panda Garra are fine to keep as in small groups rather than individuals. What size is the tank? 

Also, using the algea and biofilm will only last so much. Having algea tabs is a must for them. I would try to zucchini once again where you put it overnight, do not feed algea tabs. Take it out in morning. Also, you can grab canned green beans with no salt added. 

[Gamegurl]

Thanks for all your replies.

After reading a post on another forum where the Garra sucked the slime coat off two of the guys Angelfish, Garras are out.

How horrid.

Mine is a 29 gallon and I was going to get just one but have changed my mind. Maybe in a different tank.

Thanks!

GG

[Lennie]

On 5/5/2023 at 10:56 AM, Gamegurl said:

After reading a post on another forum where the Garra sucked the slime coat off two of the guys Angelfish, Garras are out.

That kinda sounds like chinese algae eater instead.

You can easily find so many horror stories about basically anything online. Don't worry about it too much, I would say.

Many people buy CAE instead of SAE, and turn everything into a disaster blaming SAEs online. Considering they have a similar body shape and sucker mouth as juveniles, I wouldn't be surprised if that person actually has a CAE lol

[beastie]

All my panda garras do is constantly graze on rocks/glass, but... The second I drop in any food, fluval bug bites, dennerle shrimp king, sera vipachips, frozen cyclops, frozen daphnia... they will wiggle under rocks, all four of them at the same place, standing on their heads, stuck under whatever and munch at it and actively hunt it down.

They even try to catch live bbs and their like the most frozen blood worms, like corydoras, sit on it and suck.

 

They may graze on algae, but they are not algae eaters for sure. and they are awesome. Mine dont fight, but they are still sort of young, four months in the tank, 150l, four fish group, loads of rocks, so if they want to hide, they can.

 

[Andy's Fish Den]

I have kept panda garra before in groups of 4-6 in a tank and have not noticed any aggressive behavior between the individual fish. I had got them because I had read as well as saw a YouTube video that they will eat black beard algae. I can not say that they actively eat it and will help with a BBA problem, but I would see them eating in the patched of the BBA i had in the tank, now whether or not they were eating the algae or some biofilm or some little morsel of food that got trapped in it, I don't know. 

[anewbie]

I have 6 in a 40 (basically 2 aquahuna packs); i've had them for a while now - 5 months - they are like otto on steriod - instead of being eclusive and shy they are extremely aggressive eaters and disrupts other fishes trying to eat - they are fearless - they will fight among themselves but it seems infrequent - other than the aggressive eating they have left other fishes alone. They do eat bba which is a bonus. I think overall i prefer otto but otto can be more fragile and less entertaining if that matters.

[TOtrees]

When i had them they would jump onto my hand when it was in the tank and nibble away like their doctor fish cousins garra garra. Made for fun and great pics. But after a few months they were a bit too boisterous for my community tank. A lot of infighting, and they also went after anything yellow, ie lemon bn. 

[Gamegurl]

Thanks so much for all the information!

Sounds like these guys are quite the characters. I got carried away on pay day so if they still have any next month I might grab one.

The girl that showed me them at my lfs said hers latch onto her arm when shes cleaning her tank. That's pretty cool.

Ya'all have a great weekend

[lefty o]

i have them as singles in 2 tanks. they do fine, and dont bother any of the fish, shrimp, or snails.

[Gamegurl]

Sweet. That's good to know Lefty.

If I get one I was planning on a single one.

[TheChosenOne]

On 5/5/2023 at 9:47 AM, TOtrees said:

When i had them they would jump onto my hand when it was in the tank and nibble away like their doctor fish cousins garra garra. Made for fun and great pics. But after a few months they were a bit too boisterous for my community tank. A lot of infighting, and they also went after anything yellow, ie lemon bn. 

I notice mine seem to chase my forktail rainbows from time to time. Didn't realize it was a yellow thing. 

[Scrum Fish]

I have a group of them and really enjoy them!  They are always, always, ALWAYS moving and eating.  They graze nonstop on the glass, rocks, leaves, etc.  I have seen them eat just about every type of food I've ever put in the tank, as well, from Repashy (Soilent Green and Grub Pie), to algae wafers, to green beans, to catfish pellets, bloodworms, etc.  They especially seem to love when I stick a cube of tubifex worms to the glass!

Although they can be rambunctious I've never seen them be aggressive with anyone other than themselves.  I've seen them chase each other briefly and occasionally change color as a sign of aggression, but it never lasts long and none of them have injured each other or anyone else in the year or so I've had them.  They get along fine with the corydoras and bristlenose that live on the bottom of that tank.  It may help that the BN is red and doesn't look remotely like them.