All fish / Cyprinidae

Hindi Garra

Garra hindii

Also known as hindi garra, indian garra, garra

No free-to-use photo of this fish yet. Took one yourself? Send it to us and we will credit you.

A slim, brownish grey bottom dweller with a sucker-like disc under the mouth that it uses to graze algae and biofilm off rocks in fast hill streams. It is kept by enthusiasts who build river-style tanks with strong flow, smooth stones and plenty of oxygen.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

18 to 25 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: biofilm, algae wafers, sinking pellets, blanched vegetables and small frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India (Western Ghats rivers, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra)

Breeding

It scatters eggs over gravel and stones in flowing water, and there are few reliable records of spawning in home aquariums.

Good to know

Needs cool, well-oxygenated, fast-moving water and can squabble with its own kind or other bottom grazers over territory. Wild-caught fish are rarely sold, and other Garra species may be mislabelled with this name.