Garra Ruffa Breeding?

Hi all

My wife is really into these fish, I finally found some nice big one's today. Has anyone on this forum ever kept or bred Garra Ruffa's? If I read one more site on the web about delightfully vague info on Dr. Fish I will do something in my pants I really don't want to do. I only get info about Spa's....yada yada yada!!!

So if anyone has any sound info regarding this fish, please post on this tread. Found the following info:

Life span: 4-7 years
Origin: Turkey
Temp: 28*C - 38*C (Do well at 32*C)
Diet: Algae mostly but will eat just about anything
Breeding maturity: 8 months old
Size tank needed for breeding: 4ft min
Spawning: Group spawning

Things I need to know:

Can they be tank bred?
Best diet?
How to raise fry (type of food, substrate, water parameters etc)
What plants can be used that will tollerate high temps?
Lighting conditions?
Driftwood or hardwood or both?
Filtration?
UV light filtration?
Current strenght?
Any specific info on this specific species.

Thanks in advance

Kind regards

Charles

 

Here is a link I trust: Garra rufa
Filtration will be as for any other minnow type fish, and depends on if your tank is planted, and how much veggies you feed them. Raising fry would be the same as for any minnow I believe, and BBS should be best to feed the fry, although this answer is speculative.

 

I have one of them. Got it about a week ago. It adapted so easily into my tank. There weren't even the normal hiding stage at first. It eats algae, flakes, and all the veggies I've fed them.

My tank is planted and I have the temp. on 23/24C. I have wood, rocks sand, Very strong lighting, flow isn't too much but I have good filtration. As far as I can see it's doing great and a friend of mine also has one under almost the same conditions and it's also doing great.

 

Please post pics of your garra rufa.
I bought a school of them from Moolis - will take pics and post them soon. Currently they are eating mostly a variety of veggie discs (fed to plecos, etc) and flake.

 

Hi @Charles If you rermember when you were here last I have about 150 in my 500L witch I am growing out to breed they normaly only start breeding from 8 - 9 month's when they become adults water ph of mine is between 6 - 6.5 they get a algea waffers tetra cichlid sticks tetra flakes and they do love bloodworm for pudding once a week.
Substrate must be a fine sillica type substrate they love driftwood cause they also feed on that you can put some fast growing plants in (one's with broad leaves) they like that aswell and some rocks.

Lighting you have to have enouph to sustain the plants (light do not bug them)

Filtration must be very good, Tank turnover at 6 times atleast

UV you don't need if you are not going to stick your hands in to let them eat of you.

Current they like but not to strong.

 

Hi All

Thanks @DigiGram, @Razer2007, @Pauline, @Willem and @Reedfish. All comments highly appreciated. Will take some pics tomorrow and post, they are about 7cm long. I noticed tonight that they are swimming in a circular motion near the power filter, clockwise and anti clockwise. They are busy fish. Very lively. I keep them at 28*c, Ph 7.0 buffered, lots of plants, 1 x 20000k blue 39W T5 globe, 1 x 6500 PlantGrow 40W T8 globe, 1 x power filter(1450 l/h), 1 x XL corner filter, 1 x 30cm airstone, 4ft tank with slider tops and canopy, lots of betta female's in the tank. So far they are doing great. Oh yes, substrate is medium size gravel from Daro, adding Seachem Excel and Seachem Comprehensive Plant Growth. One of them has only one eye, looks like it was born this way.

Once again, thanks to all for the info, keep it coming.

Regards

Charles.

 

Hi all

One of my Garra Ruffa's died a while back, only got the one left and he/she is very big.

@Willem I took these pics specifically for you... see it's a real Garra Ruffa.lol.

 

Pics not uploading as they should, I understand that @HennieRoux also had some problems with this.

 

HaHa LOL I believe you so bring her so we can breed with her

 

@Willem, will do, will let you know when.