Redtail Garra (Garra pantivogni)

Common Name

Burmese Red Tail Garra

Origin and Habitat

Red Tail Garra are native to the Ataran River drainage of the Salween River basin in southeastern Myanmar and western Thailand. They live in shaded headwaters and riffles with clear, well-oxygenated water over sand, larger gravel, cobble, and bedrock. Biofilm coats the stones and becomes their dining table, while deeper pools offer rest between feeding runs.

Temperature and Water Conditions

Preferred temperature is 72 to 78°F (22 to 26°C). Keep pH near neutral with moderate hardness. Strong, directional flow and high oxygen are more important than chasing a precise number, except for specific breeding projects. Use mature filtration and frequent small water changes. A river manifold or multiple powerheads along a long tank helps replicate their moving water.

Appearance and Size

Adults show a glowing red to orange tail with warm golden to olive body tones and a neat, pointed snout. A thin blue line often highlights the small proboscis, giving a sharp, athletic look. Males usually color up more strongly and look a touch slimmer, females grow rounder when ripe with eggs. Maximum length is about 9 cm (roughly 3.5 inches).

Diet in the Wild

An aufwuchs grazer that spends the day scraping diatoms, soft green film, and the tiny invertebrates living in that biofilm. They also pick at small insect larvae carried along the current.

Feeding in Captivity

Give them a stream buffet. Offer:

• Spirulina and herbivore wafers
• Quality grazer pellets
• Gel foods that hold together on rock
• Blanched vegetables such as zucchini and spinach
• Small frozen items like daphnia, cyclops, and baby brine shrimp

The best technique is to grow your own algae rocks in a shallow tub under bright light, then rotate those stones into the tank so they can graze naturally.

Behavior and Tank Setup

Active, curious, and social. Keep a group for natural skirmishes and chase games that establish a pecking order without real harm. Use a long footprint tank with powerful current, abundant oxygen, and smooth stonework. Larger gravel and rounded river stones create lanes and perches, with a few flat slabs as feeding stages. Plants are optional, but hardy river plants and mosses tied to rock look great and tolerate flow. Good neighbors include:

• Danios
• Rasboras
• Hillstream loaches
• Small barbs that do not nip
• Other current-loving fish

Provide a tight lid since these are strong climbers.

Breeding

Conditioning

Reports of home aquarium breeding are still limited for this species, but the pattern appears to mirror congeners that scatter eggs among stones with no parental care. Keep oxygen very high and flow strong. Feed well with quality prepared grazer foods and small live or frozen items. Rotate algae-covered stones from a grow tub so natural food is always present.

Spawning Cues

Cool, fresh water changes after a period of rich feeding often act as a rainy season cue. Courtship is subtle and quick.

Rock Piles and Larger Gravel

Build several rock piles over a base of larger gravel. The gaps between the larger gravel create a safe egg and fry zone. Aim a steady current across each pile so eggs drift down into the lattice where adults cannot reach them. This same structure traps biofilm and micro-life for first foods.

Egg and Fry Care

Leave the rock piles undisturbed for the first weeks so eggs and tiny fry remain protected in the gravel lattice. Rotate in algae-covered pebbles, keep pre-filter sponges clean, and maintain very high oxygen. Begin with very fine powdered foods and tiny portions of newly hatched brine shrimp delivered downstream of the piles so the current carries food through the gaps. Perform small daily water changes and hold temperature steady.

Quick Facts

• Scientific name: Garra panitvongi
• Common name: Burmese Red Tail Garra
• Origin: Ataran River drainage, Salween River basin, Myanmar and Thailand
• Adult size: About 9 cm (roughly 3.5 inches)
• Temperature: 72 to 78°F preferred
• Wild pH: Near neutral, moderate hardness
• Temperament: Active grazer, best in a group, enjoys strong current
• Diet: Biofilm and tiny invertebrates, accepts spirulina-based prepared foods with veggie and frozen supplements
• Breeding type: Likely egg scatterer among stones, eggs and fry develop in rock piles over larger gravel

Tropical Fish Co. Notes

Adults look like a swimming rainbow when the tail lights up and the body warms under good light, and garra are one of the only fish that truly seem to play. Give them a current to surf, a pile of smooth rocks to graze, and clean, cool to mid-seventies water. If you want to try breeding, let the rock piles and larger gravel do the work, then grow out the youngsters on rotating algae stones. This is a fantastic show fish for a fast-water aquascape and a great ambassador for river-style tanks.