Garra Cambodgiensis

[fishorama]

Well, I think I've read of those garras being a bit obnoxious in small numbers. I hoped it wasn't your species with enough room. Not what you've found out. I'm happy they're working as individuals, they are pretty fish! But you know I'm a hoplo fan & hope the big guy isn't a pest too often to them...Shouldn't the hoplos grow too large eventually for a pesty garra to bother? I dunno, I haven't kept either...but I have a crush on hoplos as you may remember

 

[NoodleCats]

Well, I think I've read of those garras being a bit obnoxious in small numbers. I hoped it wasn't your species with enough room. Not what you've found out. I'm happy they're working as individuals, they are pretty fish! But you know I'm a hoplo fan & hope the big guy isn't a pest too often to them...Shouldn't the hoplos grow too large eventually for a pesty garra to bother? I dunno, I haven't kept either...but I have a crush on hoplos as you may remember

Hahaha my hoplo species are smaller ones, max 4-5" where the garra species I have reportedly gets 6", so the garra gets bigger! But the hoplos are fairly tough fish and don't seem stressed over it.
But it's something to monitor because while it's just the odd chasing here and there, it could escalate.

Decided to name him Bruce the Brute.

Still up for debate for names on the other one.

The other one is a very sweet individual, very docile. He will share food with the cories, he hangs out with the rainbowfish, never chases anyone. He's a very friendly little fish.

Id like to think if Bruce had the same docile personality it could have worked with both together, but no, he's a jerkface haha

 

[NoodleCats]

Bruce the Brute




Phillip P. Chonker





I love them, such fun fish. I've yet to see more of them though.
Phillip gets along fantastically with the cories and rainbowfish.

Bruce can pick fights sometimes with the hoplos and the rubberlip pleco, but they also dish back the same to him just fine. Not Phillip though, Phillip is a gentle buddy.

 

[fishorama]

So nice to see you & your garras again, Noodle! It's been a while.

Without any much knowledge, I'm going to guess Bruce is a fat short pectoral finned "beachy" female. & colorful Phillip with the longer pec fins is a (possibly wimpy, lol) male. They do live with different species so that might be part of the differences.

 

[NoodleCats]

So nice to see you & your garras again, Noodle! It's been a while.

Without any much knowledge, I'm going to guess Bruce is a fat short pectoral finned "beachy" female. & colorful Phillip with the longer pec fins is a (possibly wimpy, lol) male. They do live with different species so that might be part of the differences.

Both are male. Males develop white bumps on the nose, like white freckles, and have red inside the mouth, females would lack these.

 

[fishorama]

Huh, so why do they have different fins & coloring? I'm not doubting your IDs...& I live where there can be some "in between-ish-ness" & it's all good...So are the facial "freckles" difinitive? There's something similar in some hillstream loaches & other fish...maybe sunken "pores" rather than bumpy dots? I don't remember anymore...If they still lived together I'd think 1 was dominant, but they don't Bruce looks way more interested in food, Phillip not as much...

 

[NoodleCats]

Huh, so why do they have different fins & coloring? I'm not doubting your IDs...& I live where there can be some "in between-ish-ness" & it's all good...So are the facial "freckles" difinitive? There's something similar in some hillstream loaches & other fish...maybe sunken "pores" rather than bumpy dots? I don't remember anymore...If they still lived together I'd think 1 was dominant, but they don't Bruce looks way more interested in food, Phillip not as much...

The White bumps combined with the red in the mouth confirms, if it was just the white bumps, it could be either or...
And also if they lived together, they'd likely get along better if they weren't both solo males lol

Garra cambodgiensis – False SAE (Garra taeniata, Garra parvifilum) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

Bruce shows darker because darker substrate in the goldfish tank. The substrate is sand mixed with black gravel.
Phillip is on plain light sand. So the colours aren't as dark on him.

Here's a frontal view of Phillip, showcasing the bumps and red mouth

 

[fishorama]

It was more the pectoral fin length than coloring or freckle count. Some fish like weather loaches are sexed that way (as I'm sure you know) Maybe Bruce is so chubby it makes his pecs look shorter? Although Phillip isn't missing any meals...I did notice more red on Bruce's dorsal...different lighting? Or like you said, different substrate color, interesting anyway.

I remember reading about zebra loaches back in the day when I had them. (I think garras are related in a vague cyprinid kinda way) Males often get a red mouth, not always but females can too, but more rarely. Yoyos too I think but I never kept them.

 

[NoodleCats]

It was more the pectoral fin length than coloring or freckle count. Some fish like weather loaches are sexed that way (as I'm sure you know) Maybe Bruce is so chubby it makes his pecs look shorter? Although Phillip isn't missing any meals...I did notice more red on Bruce's dorsal...different lighting? Or like you said, different substrate color, interesting anyway.

I remember reading about zebra loaches back in the day when I had them. (I think garras are related in a vague cyprinid kinda way) Males often get a red mouth, not always but females can too, but more rarely. Yoyos too I think but I never kept them.

Bruce is a pig he's much more bulky. Plus gets larger pieces of food since he has access to the goldfish and big pleco sized foods lol
Phillip gets smaller bits of food along with the rainbows and cories. Have to wonder if that plays a role.

But Bruce has always been the larger of the two of them.

 

[fishorama]

What about diets? The same? I know there are goldfish foods but never used any. Are they higher in veggies & carbs than proteins?

Of course it's probably just individual variations