Panda Garras and Water Conditions

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kgoerg
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Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by kgoerg » Wed Feb 19, 2020 11:32 am

I have a 100G tank (60x18x20) with very soft, ~7.5PH, cycled and balanced conditions. It is at a constant 84 degrees. There are a shoal of HY511 tets, assorted plecos (sailfin, royal and BNs), some peacock gudgeons, lots of corys, kuhli loaches, and 8 medium discus. Will Panda Garras do okay under these conditions. I'm worried most about the temp, not the compatibility. I am getting a biofilm buildup on some driftwood and some algae. I am hoping someone has experience with the garras in warmer water like this.
Thanks in advance for the info,
Ken
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Popeye
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NancyD
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by NancyD » Wed Feb 19, 2020 11:30 pm

Gee, I think your tank is already overstocked when your fish approach adult sizes. They must be pretty small now.

I've kept panda garras only twice now but that high of temp doesn't allow for enough oxygen without more flow than your discus like. Time to make some choices or get another tank.
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kgoerg
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by kgoerg » Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:27 am

Thank you Nancy for replying. I did consider the things you mentioned, especially oxygen in the warm water.
I have two long mist air stones that keep the tank well oxygenated. The fish are small. my plecos (4) are all under two inches, the corys (8) are albino small guys, the tets (12) are, well - candy cane tetra size, the peacock gudgeons (3) may be an inch each, all the discus are 3 to 4 inches. As the discus grow and some pair off (hopefully) they will be separated out. I also have 2 50G tanks that have "Vacancy" signs on them. Although one is a quarantine tank, I could use either if needed. My concern is temperature.
Again, thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated and I share the concerns and hopefully have addressed them already.
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Popeye
Who knows, ya know, I dunno?

NancyD
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by NancyD » Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:00 pm

It's your sailfin & royal plecos that will grow large, like 17+ inches! I wonder if they'll fight as they grow...I haven't kept either let alone together.

Good luck from a former Michigander. How about a pic or 2 please?
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Bas Pels
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by Bas Pels » Fri Feb 21, 2020 2:04 am

When I got my gibbies, in 2003, they meassured around 6 cm. After a year it was 17 cm, and by that time they lost their shyness.

Now they are half a meter. That´s 20 inches. They do grow large, but are also beautifull

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kgoerg
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by kgoerg » Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:26 am

Sorry, Bas Pels, I am not familiar with the term "gibbies" - been keeping fish since ~1980, but not heard that term. Always wanting to learn - please explain.
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Bas Pels
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by Bas Pels » Fri Feb 21, 2020 1:19 pm

That would be Pterogoblichthys gibbyceps. No hard to find where gibby comes from.

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kgoerg
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by kgoerg » Fri Feb 21, 2020 1:36 pm

Sailfin Pleco works for me. I am going to go to my LFS and asked if they have any Gibbies. The people there know me so they will either ask "WTF is that" or say "Yeah, sure in tank #34." We'll see.
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Popeye
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NancyD
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by NancyD » Fri Feb 21, 2020 9:50 pm

It's always good to know the real scientific names of our fish. "Royal" plecos can be several similar kinds. Pangios is preferred, it's the genus, kuhlis is a species of pangio. But we all know some common names, clowns, sids etc. for some loaches, & we know what you mean by kuhlis...unless you want to try breeding. Then they really do need to be the same species ;) not just striped or black. The fish know they're different! It's the same for corydoras, there are now other albinos beside aeneus. & some are just confusing peppered corys are different than salt & pepper corys

BN is pretty universal for those ancistrus everyone keeps, but again there are many others in that genus. But also keep in mind this is a pretty international board, common names in the US may not be the "common" names in other countries.
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kgoerg
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by kgoerg » Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:18 am

This is all wonderful info, yet I haven't gotten an answer to the question I posted - can Panda Garras do well in 84 degree water.
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Popeye
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NancyD
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by NancyD » Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:17 am

Well, I kind of did answer you, 84F doesn't hold as much oxygen as lower temps. Discus are happier at high-ish temps with slow flow, garras not so much. I have very young garras in a tank that seldom gets to 77F even in CA summer. They seem active & healthy at that maximum temp, as were older pandas I kept 10 years ago at even lower temps. Your fish are not compatible in terms of water current & temperature...or eventual size. 17+ inch fish will not be happy in a 50g tank.

Airstones or wands only minimally move the tank's surface, that's what oxygenates the water, rapid surface movement, not bubbles.

You need to make some better long term choices for your tanks & current fish. I know a 110g seems large as your fish are small now but that won't be the case in a year or 3. Think about what we've said & not that you want it to be OK, it won't be for long...& that's what we all want, long term happy compatible tanks. Most of your fish should live for 10 years or more with proper care & housing, plan for that. I'm sorry that's not what you wanted to hear...
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Bas Pels
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by Bas Pels » Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:49 am

What Nancy wrote is true, but there is more.

life is Chemistry, and Chemistry goes faster when the temperature is higher. In fact, life goes twice as fast for each 3 C, which is around 5 F.

So, while I still have no clue what species Panda Garra is, and I most certainaly don´t have any experience with them, in 24 C they need only half the oxygen from what they need in 27 C.

And @ 24 C there is, in fact, more oxygen available.

Imagine 2 lines, one going up, the other going down. Where they cross you will not be able to keep the fishes.

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Cockroach
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Re: Panda Garras and Water Conditions

Post by Cockroach » Mon May 30, 2022 10:58 pm

My shoal of panda garras have had the temps go up to 30C in summer. They were far less affected than other loaches. Their colors do fade a bit but they do not seem ill-affected after 3 summers. I did have one of of the group of 8 die one summer which I thought could have been attributed to high temp but all the other sewellia and garra in the tank were fine. This is just my personal limited experience.
An important caveat, I have a huge amount of oxygenation in that tank.
Multiple Sewellia species breeding tanks
Dwarf chain loach and mixed loach paludarium
Clown loach, Yoyo Loach river tank
Rhinogobius, gastro's, panda garra and other loaches/gobies.

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