Indian glassy fish
Parambassis ranga
Also known as: Indian glassfish, Glassy fish, Indian glass perch, Glass perchlet, Chanda ranga
This is the classic see-through "glassfish" where you can literally see the bones and organs-super cool in a planted tank with calm tankmates. They're happiest when you keep a little crew of them (they get braver and way more active in a group). Also: skip any dyed/painted ones-those fish are usually in rough shape from the process.
The Indian glassy fish exhibits a transparent body with a silvery hue, featuring long, delicate fins and distinctively large eyes.
This page includes AI-generated images. Why am I seeing AI images?
Quick Facts
Size
9.5 cm
Temperament
Peaceful
Difficulty
Intermediate
Min Tank Size
20 gallons
Lifespan
5-6 years
Origin
South Asia (Indian subcontinent) and parts of Southeast Asia
Diet
Carnivore/invertivore - small invertebrates; in aquariums do best with small frozen/live foods plus quality micro-pellets/flake once they recognize it
Water Parameters
20-30°C
7-8
9-19 dGH
Need a heater for this species?
This species needs 20-30°C in a 20 gallon tank. Use our heater calculator to find the right wattage.
Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Keep them in a group-6+ looks best and they're way less skittish; a lone glassy fish tends to hide and sulk.
- They do best in a longer tank (20+ gallons for a small group) with plants and some open swimming room; darker substrate makes their "glass" look way cooler.
- Aim for stable freshwater around 74-82°F (23-28°C), pH roughly 6.5-7.5, and moderate hardness; they're not fans of sudden swings, so slow changes beat big water swaps.
- They're micropredators-feed small meaty stuff like baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, and finely chopped frozen foods; many ignore flakes at first, so mix in frozen until they learn.
- Watch feeding time: they're quick but not pushy, so fast pigs like danios/barbs can outcompete them-spread food out or feed in two spots.
- Good tankmates are peaceful community fish that won't nip fins: rasboras, small tetras, corys, and gentle gouramis; skip fin-nippers (tiger barbs) and anything big enough to treat them like snacks.
- Breeding is doable: give them fine-leaved plants or spawning mops and slightly warmer water, then pull the adults after eggs show up-they'll snack on eggs/ fry if you let them.
- Common headaches: ich after stress, and "mystery deaths" from poor acclimation-drip acclimate and quarantine if you can, because they don't love being tossed into brand-new water.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Small, chill schooling fish like harlequin rasboras or rummynose/neon-type tetras - they match the glassy fish vibe and nobody bothers anybody
- Other Indian glassy fish (keep a little group, like 6+) - they're way less shy, color up better, and you'll see more natural schooling behavior
- Peaceful bottom crews like corydoras - cories mind their own business on the bottom and don't compete much with them
- Kuhli loaches - super mellow, hidey noodles that won't stress them out and help keep the tank feeling 'busy' without drama
- Small, calm gouramis like honey gourami - usually fine as long as the tank isn't cramped and the gourami isn't a grumpy male
- Peaceful livebearers like platies (or guppies if your glassies aren't too shy) - generally works in a mellow community setup
Avoid
- Anything nippy like tiger barbs or serpae tetras - they'll pick at fins and harass glassies until they just hide all the time
- Fin-nippers/disciplined bullies like some danios in a too-small tank - constant zooming and pecking stresses glassies out
- Bigger semi-aggressive stuff like most cichlids (even the 'kinda peaceful' ones) - glassies are too polite and get pushed off food
- Anything that sees small fish as snacks, like larger gouramis (three-spot types) or big predatory catfish - if it can fit them in the mouth, it'll try eventually
1) Where they come from
Indian glassy fish (Parambassis ranga) come from slow-moving waters across India, Bangladesh, and nearby areas—think weedy edges, canals, flooded fields, and calm river backwaters. They’re built for cruising in open water, weaving through plants, and picking off tiny critters.
If you’ve ever seen “dyed glass fish” in a shop: same species, sadly. Skip those. They’re injected with dye and often don’t last long.
2) Setting up their tank
These fish look delicate, but they’re not made of glass—what they hate is unstable tanks and being kept in tiny groups. Give them a settled aquarium and a bit of space to school, and they relax fast.
- Tank size: I’d start at 20 gallons long for a group; 30+ gallons is even nicer if you want a proper school
- Group size: 8–12 is where you start seeing the real behavior (less hiding, less fin-nipping)
- Filtration: moderate flow is fine; they like clean water but not a washing machine
- Temp: mid-70s°F works well (around 24–26°C)
- Decor: plants (real or fake), driftwood, and open swimming lanes down the front
- Lighting: they look amazing under soft-to-medium light with a darker background
I’ve had the best luck with a planted tank that has “rooms”: dense plants on the sides/back and open water in the middle. They’ll hang midwater and flash that silvery see-through look when they feel safe.
They jump. Not constantly, but enough that you’ll regret an open top eventually. Use a lid, or at least cover gaps around hoses.
3) What to feed them
They’re micropredators. In plain English: they love small meaty foods, and some individuals act like flakes are suspicious at first. Once they learn, they eat like little piranhas (without the teeth).
- Staples: quality micro pellets, small flakes, and finely crushed community pellets
- Frozen: brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, bloodworms (more like a treat than daily)
- Live (if you do it): baby brine, daphnia—great for conditioning and getting shy fish eating
Feed small amounts twice a day if you can. They’re midwater pickers, and smaller meals mean less food rotting in the plants.
If you’ve got a new group that’s being picky, try frozen daphnia or brine first, then mix in pellets. Once one fish “gets it,” the rest usually copy.
4) Behavior and tankmates
In a good-sized group, they school loosely and hover midwater, facing into the current. In small groups, they get twitchy—more chasing, more pecking, and more time hiding behind the heater like they’ve seen ghosts.
- Good tankmates: peaceful tetras, rasboras, danios (not the super hyper ones), peaceful barbs, Corydoras, small loaches, peaceful gouramis
- Be careful with: long-finned slow fish (they may nip), super pushy feeders that outcompete them
- Avoid: big cichlids, fin-rippers, anything that can fit them in its mouth
They will eat tiny shrimp and very small fry if they can catch them. Adult Neocaridina sometimes survive in heavily planted tanks, but don’t count on it.
Males can spar a bit, especially if you have just a few fish. In a bigger school with plants breaking up lines of sight, the drama drops way down.
5) Breeding tips
They’re egg scatterers and will absolutely eat their own eggs if given the chance, so breeding is one of those “separate setup” situations. It’s doable though, and pretty fun if you like raising tiny fry.
- Condition the adults with frozen/live foods for a week or two
- Use a breeding tank with a sponge filter and lots of fine plants (Java moss, spawning mops, fine-leaf stems)
- After you see spawning (chasing + quick taps into plants), pull the adults out
- Feed fry infusoria/microworms first, then baby brine shrimp once they’re big enough
If you don’t want a full breeding tank, you can sometimes get a few babies in a heavily planted community tank… but most eggs and fry get picked off. Think of it as a lottery win, not a plan.
6) Common problems to watch for
Most issues I’ve seen come down to stress from small groups, newly set up tanks, or getting outcompeted at feeding time. Once they settle, they’re pretty steady fish.
- Shyness/hiding: usually a too-small group or not enough cover—add more fish (if the tank allows) and more plants
- Fin nipping: often happens in cramped tanks or tiny groups; rearrange decor, add sight breaks, and bump the group size
- Refusing dry food: start with frozen/live and transition gradually
- Ich and other common parasites: they can show it after shipping stress; quarantine new fish if you can
- Poor color/looking “washed out”: bright bare tanks do this—add background, plants, and reduce harsh lighting
Because they’re transparent, you’ll notice internal issues sooner (sunken belly, odd lumps, stringy poop). That’s helpful, but it also means you’ll see problems that other fish hide—don’t ignore early signs.
Similar Species
Other freshwater peaceful species you might be interested in.
Amapa tetra
Hyphessobrycon amapaensis
This is a tiny, super sleek little tetra with a clean red stripe down the side that really pops once its settled in. It does best in a planted, slightly tinted "creek-style" setup and looks way cooler when you keep a proper group so they school and flash that line together. If you can give it soft, slightly acidic water and a calm community, its an easy fish to fall for.
Armoured stickleback
Indostomus paradoxus
This is that goofy little "freshwater seahorse"-looking fish that just kind of perches and scoots around like a tiny armored twig. Its whole vibe is slow, sneaky micropredator - once its settled in, you will catch it stalking microfoods and doing these subtle little posture displays. The big trick is feeding: they do best when you can provide lots of small live foods in a calm, planted tank.
Bishop toothcarp
Brachyrhaphis episcopi
This is a tiny Panamanian livebearer that does best when you treat it more like a shy wild fish than a fancy guppy-lots of cover, calm vibes, and really clean water. The fun part is watching the males posture and spar while the females cruise around dropping fully-formed fry about once a month.
Black Neon Tetra
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Black neons are one of those little tetras that look kinda understated until the light hits them-then that bright stripe pops and they shimmer when the school turns together. They're super chill, always cruising mid-water, and they make a tank feel "alive" without being hectic. If you keep a nice group, they get bolder and you'll see way more of their personality.
Black Skirt Tetra (Black Widow Tetra)
Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Black skirts are those little "suit-and-tie" tetras with the dark bands and flowing fins that look way fancier than they should for how tough they are. They're super active midwater fish, and when you keep a proper group they do that tight, zippy schooling thing that makes the whole tank feel alive. Just give them enough buddies and finny tankmates they won't be tempted to nip.
Black morpho tetra
Poecilocharax weitzmani
Poecilocharax weitzmani is one of those tiny blackwater oddballs that acts more like a little darter than a typical tetra - it hangs low, darts between cover, and the males can get pretty showy with fin-flares. The really cool part is they are cave breeders with male brood care, which is not what most people expect from a small characin. Give them very soft, acidic, super-clean water and lots of leaf litter and hidey holes, and they settle in and start showing their best colors.
More to Explore
Discover more freshwater species.
Arrowhead puffer
Pao suvattii
Pao suvattii is that sneaky Mekong puffer that likes to sit low and ambush food, and it has that super recognizable arrow/V pattern on its back. Gorgeous fish with tons of personality, but it is absolutely not a community guy - plan on a solo, species-only setup if you want everybody to stay in one piece.
Banded Leporinus
Leporinus fasciatus
Banded Leporinus are those torpedo-shaped, black-and-yellow striped fish that look like they're wearing a little prison outfit-and they stay on the move. They've got a ton of personality and they're awesome to watch cruising and picking at stuff, but they're also the kind of fish that will redecorate your tank and "taste test" anything soft-looking.
Betta
Betta splendens
Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are popular for their striking colors and flowing fins. They are known for their territorial nature, especially males, which can display aggressive behavior towards each other.
Blue discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus
This is one of the classic wild discus from the Amazon-big, round, and super "cichlid-smart," but way more chill than most cichlids. The coolest part to me is the parenting: the fry actually feed off a mucus layer from the parents' skin for a while, which is just wild to see if you ever breed them.
Blue gularis
Fundulopanchax sjostedti
This is the big, flashy West African killifish with the ridiculous triple-point tail and electric blue-green body covered in red spotting. Males can be real attitude machines with each other, but if you give them room, cover, and a tight lid, they make an awesome centerpiece fish that will absolutely demolish live and frozen foods.
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Melanotaenia boesemani
Boesemani rainbows are basically little swimming fireworks once they settle in-males get that wild split-color look (blue up front, orange in back) and they'll flash and posture at each other all day. They're super active and way happier in a real group with a long tank to cruise, not a cramped setup where they can't stretch out.
Looking for other species?