Garra rufa at Fish Story
- Thread starter thebiggerthebetter
- Start date
I like the way you have the plain ten gallon waiting for the Gara, and when you put the fish in, it is already scaped.
Some interesting input from a peer from Singapore:
Kevin-hx2ky Man i wish ruffas were easier to find here. I've been planning to find some hardscape for them to hide in for the koi pond, but it seems no easier than to find the fish. Most of the "spa fish" here seem to be Osteochilus hasselti, which don't stick to things
Fish-Story Is the bonylip barb as efficient at pedicure as the doctor fish?
Kevin-hx2ky I can't say as I've never experienced such service from them. I can expect them to be less pleasant though, since they need to rip out more algae per bite as they can't graze properly on hardscape
Fish-Story Still interesting and good to know. Before, I'd guess only true grazers could be employed in this fashion.
Kevin-hx2ky I've went to a fish spa that used cichlids. It was a series of quite startling bites and jumping out of the water when the larger cichlids drew near lol
Fish-Story It sounds more traumatic than relaxing and enjoyable.
Kevin-hx2ky You get used to it. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be video proof of Osteochilus spas either. They're just red hybrid tilapias
Fish-Story Are you saying the Osteochilus hasselti are NOT used in the spas in Singapore(?) despite claims (?) but some cichlids and likely of the tilapia kind?
Kevin-hx2ky Oh i'm just saying that youtube seems to not have any videos on them, but i've definitely seen many cases of Osteochilus (a lot of them leucistic) being sold as "Therapy Fish". I've even seen them in a footbath, where the venue advertised them as Garra ruffa. When i tried searching "Osteochilus therapy fish" they just show cichlids including those red hybrid tilapia that are so prevalent here
Fish-Story Gotcha. Very interesting to know this from your location and experience. I appreciate it!
Kevin-hx2ky Man i wish ruffas were easier to find here. I've been planning to find some hardscape for them to hide in for the koi pond, but it seems no easier than to find the fish. Most of the "spa fish" here seem to be Osteochilus hasselti, which don't stick to things
Fish-Story Is the bonylip barb as efficient at pedicure as the doctor fish?
Kevin-hx2ky I can't say as I've never experienced such service from them. I can expect them to be less pleasant though, since they need to rip out more algae per bite as they can't graze properly on hardscape
Fish-Story Still interesting and good to know. Before, I'd guess only true grazers could be employed in this fashion.
Kevin-hx2ky I've went to a fish spa that used cichlids. It was a series of quite startling bites and jumping out of the water when the larger cichlids drew near lol
Fish-Story It sounds more traumatic than relaxing and enjoyable.
Kevin-hx2ky You get used to it. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be video proof of Osteochilus spas either. They're just red hybrid tilapias
Fish-Story Are you saying the Osteochilus hasselti are NOT used in the spas in Singapore(?) despite claims (?) but some cichlids and likely of the tilapia kind?
Kevin-hx2ky Oh i'm just saying that youtube seems to not have any videos on them, but i've definitely seen many cases of Osteochilus (a lot of them leucistic) being sold as "Therapy Fish". I've even seen them in a footbath, where the venue advertised them as Garra ruffa. When i tried searching "Osteochilus therapy fish" they just show cichlids including those red hybrid tilapia that are so prevalent here
Fish-Story Gotcha. Very interesting to know this from your location and experience. I appreciate it!
Garra rufa are a favourite of mine; they do very well with Goldfish, Gymnos and other fish that prefer or require a cool-down period. They aren't particularly colourful, but their manner of swimming and feeding is very reminiscent of the Chinese Algae Eater, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri, which was one of the first "tropical" fish I kept as a youngster. That single fish way back then caused me no end of grief and stress as it lived up to its well-known reputation for being an aggressive little bugger, always picking on tankmates. But I loved its speed, its high level of activity and its suckermouth adaptation that allowed it to cling to any surface, vertical or horizontal. Garra rufa looks very similar, is just as active, feeds the same way...but never bothers anyone else in the tank. Win/win.
I like your set-up with the small tank on top of the larger one. I use that idea a lot; it gives you a smaller, more controllable environment for smaller fish or other critters, while still taking advantage of the improved water quality and stability of a larger tank with larger filter. One of my friends is always laughing at one particular system I have like that; it's a 15-gallon tank piggybacked on top of a 240-gallon "sump" which he finds quite hilarious.
I like your set-up with the small tank on top of the larger one. I use that idea a lot; it gives you a smaller, more controllable environment for smaller fish or other critters, while still taking advantage of the improved water quality and stability of a larger tank with larger filter. One of my friends is always laughing at one particular system I have like that; it's a 15-gallon tank piggybacked on top of a 240-gallon "sump" which he finds quite hilarious.
A sump to one is a tank to another
Glad to learn that rufa leave tank mates alone. We took in a rescue beta fish and I stuck it in the rufa 10g tank and my observation so far is consistent with yours - the beta looks untouched, despite fleeing frantically away every time from one approaching rufa. They have been together for a week+ now.
Glad to learn that rufa leave tank mates alone. We took in a rescue beta fish and I stuck it in the rufa 10g tank and my observation so far is consistent with yours - the beta looks untouched, despite fleeing frantically away every time from one approaching rufa. They have been together for a week+ now.
Yep! Some of my favourite fish and other speciemens over the years have lived like trolls under the bridge...er, sorry, in the sump...of larger aquariums systems. Not really much different than being kept in floating breeding traps or baskets or other containers-within-a-container such as are used by many other aquarists to sequester their special-needs specimens without actually setting up tanks for them.
Your Betta will probably be completely safe, at least physically, in that Garra tank...but the stress of living that closely with that many rabid little speedsters may not allow him to ever relax. Maybe give him a compartment of his own...in the small tank...on top of the big tank...?
Your Betta will probably be completely safe, at least physically, in that Garra tank...but the stress of living that closely with that many rabid little speedsters may not allow him to ever relax. Maybe give him a compartment of his own...in the small tank...on top of the big tank...?
Sounds like the rufa weren’t aggressive, just too much activity for him to settle. It's always tough finding the right setup for sensitive fish like that. Thanks for sharing — definitely something to keep in mind.