Indian Glassfish

Oddball fish are some of the most unique and eye-catching varieties to keep. Glassfish are among one of the most interesting as they have transparent bodies. The glassfish’s see-through body gives light to what’s going on internally. Their bones, muscles and organs are completely visible right through their skin giving the name “glassfish”. This allows observation and deeper insight into the fish and how they live. Here at PetZone we carry many varieties of glassfish as we appreciate their uniqueness and schooling ability.

The Indian Glassfish (Parambassis Ranga) is a very small variety of glass fish that is often kept in aquascapes and planet tanks for their eye-catching appearance. The Indian glassfish grows to around 3 inches which make them an excellent choice for smaller aquariums. Also known as the x-ray fish they are extremely transparent and their hearts can be observed beating in real time. Indian glassfish occur in still waters where they feed on crustaceans worms and tiny invertebrates. Originating from South Asia they can be found in still waters that are slightly acidic and soft in nature. They appreciate the temperature range of 78 to 82 in the aquarium. Indian glassfish inhabit the middle and lower levels of a tank and will eat small live worms and frozen foods as well. They tend to not like dried foods so availability to frozen foods is the best option.

The Indian glassfish has been part of some controversy over the years with hobbyists. Originally they were thought to inhabit brackish water and were labeled difficult to keep. Overtime it has been found that they are mostly in freshwater with softer and acidic parameters. We have had much success keeping them this way in planted aquarium‘s. Early on in their introduction sellers would inject dye into the fish to produce neon coloration known as painted fish or disco fish. This is considered inhumane and causes health issues with any dyed or injected fish. At Petzone we do not support this practice and we do not carry dyed fish.