All fish / Cyprinidae

Glass barb

Pethia guganio

Also known as glass barb, mola barb, guganio barb, puntius guganio, barbus guganio

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This small, slim barb has a translucent silvery body with a faint dark mark near the tail, and it shows a soft golden sheen under good lighting. It is an active, peaceful shoaling fish that suits planted community tanks containing other small, calm species.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworm, plus quality flakes and micro pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

India, Bangladesh and Nepal (Ganges and Brahmaputra basins)

Breeding

It scatters its eggs among fine plants and gives no parental care, so adults will eat the eggs. Spawning is fairly easy in a separate tank with fine-leaved plants or a mesh, and the adults should be removed once the eggs are laid.

Good to know

Fish sold under this name are occasionally mixed up with other small silvery cyprinids such as Chela or Laubuka species. Keep it with calm tankmates, because large or boisterous fish will stress it.