The Panda Garra, Garra flavatra, is a robust algae eater from Myanmar. It has a dark coloured body and as it matures it develops yellow stripes along the body. The dorsal fin and tail also becomes orange, making this one of the prettier algae eaters available. Fully grown they can reach 7-9cms.
Panda Garra are a hardy little fish, and are easy to keep in a well maintained set up. They appreciate faster flowing and oxygen rich water, and will often be seen clinging to flat surfaces such as pebbles and glass. They require stable water perimeters, and prefer a ph of 6.5-7.5.
Panda Garra are a relatively peaceful species, but can be mildly territorial with each other. Kept on their own, they can sometimes chase other similarly shaped fish. A group of 4 or more individuals will help minimise this risk and also spread out any aggression between each other.
Panda Garra are fantastic algae eaters, grazing on green, brown, hair and black brush algaes. They are not however exclusively herbivorous, and will happily accept all manners of foods including dried, live and frozen food enriched with garlic and vitamins. Garra can become lazy if fed too well, so you should always aim to remove the cause of algae from your tank i.e. high phosphates and silicates, too much light exposure, etc.
Panda Garra have a variety of names, including Rainbow Garra, Clown Garra, Banded Butterfly Garra. They are also sometimes incorrectly referred to as a loach.