All fish / Cyprinidae

Stonelapping Minnow

Garra cambodgiensis

Also known as stone lapping minnow, stonelapper, cambodian garra, siamese garra, red fin garra, redtail garra, ceratogarra cambodgiensis, garra taeniata, ปลาเลียหิน, ガラ・カンボジエンシス, 柬埔寨墨头鱼

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A slim, sucker-mouthed river cyprinid with a greyish body, a dark lateral stripe and red or orange tinted fins when in good condition. It is kept for its active grazing habits and for its usefulness in eating soft algae in hill stream style tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

120 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: biofilm, algae wafers, sinking pellets, blanched vegetables, bloodworm and brine shrimp

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mekong and Chao Phraya basins and Malay Peninsula: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia

Breeding

It is an egg scatterer that spawns in flowing streams during the wet season. Captive breeding by hobbyists is rarely reported, and trade fish are mostly wild caught or farmed with hormones.

Good to know

Needs clean, well oxygenated water with good flow and a tight lid, as it can jump. Individuals squabble over grazing spots, so provide plenty of rocks and space; it is also sometimes confused with the Siamese algae eater.