Indian Glassfish
Parambassis ranga
Ambassidae
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About
The Indian glassfish is transparent enough that you can read its spine and swim bladder through the flank, which is exactly why it has been the hobby's most abused species. For decades farms in Asia injected it intramuscularly with fluorescent dye and sold the result as 'painted glassfish' or 'disco fish'. Seriously Fish describes the process as repeated injection with a large needle, after which most fish do not survive more than a few months; Maidenhead Aquatics attributes those deaths to shock and infection at the injection sites; a 1998 survey in southern England, reported by Practical Fishkeeping and summarised on Wikipedia, found lymphocystis in over 40% of painted glassfish against 10% of unpainted ones, and adds that injected fish often die with no external symptoms, presumably from kidney damage. The colour fades in six to nine months anyway. The UK trade body OATA states that it does not support the trade in dyed fish and recommends its members neither import nor sell them, while noting the contradiction that importing them remains legal in the UK even though producing them there would attract criminal animal-cruelty sanctions; rules and enforcement differ from country to country, so what is on your local shelf depends on your own jurisdiction. Undyed, it is a good fish: 8 cm, peaceful, shoaling, and easier than its reputation. Seriously Fish is emphatic that the old rule about needing salt is 'simply not true' — it lives mostly in fresh water, some of it soft and acidic, and Maidenhead warns it should never go into a full-strength brackish tank.
Care
A group, always: Seriously Fish says it will not do well singly or in pairs and asks for at least six, Maidenhead prefers ten or more. Around 80 litres over 80 cm suits a first group. Dark substrate and background, dense planting with floating cover, driftwood, gentle flow and efficient filtration — this is a shy fish that shows its colour only when it feels hidden. Fresh water is correct; it tolerates mildly brackish conditions if that is how your dealer kept it, but do not add salt on principle and never move it into a full marine-strength brackish tank. It handles 20-30 C and pH 6-8. Tankmates should be small, peaceful and similarly sized: dwarf gouramis, small barbs, rasboras, small loaches. Check what your shop is selling: several near-identical Parambassis species arrive as P. ranga, and any fish carrying an unnatural pink, green or orange stripe has been injected.
Diet
Micropredator on invertebrates, worms and crustaceans. Base the diet on small frozen and live foods — bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, Daphnia, brine shrimp. Seriously Fish calls it relatively unfussy about live, frozen and dried food and Maidenhead lists flake and micropellets, while Wikipedia says they tend not to take dry food, so watch a new fish eat rather than assuming either way.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (236)
Possible with care (142)
Avoid (40)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.
All the methods, with diagramsAlso in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Indian Glassfish need?
- A Indian Glassfish needs an aquarium of at least 80 litres (21.1 US gallons) with a footprint at least 80 cm (31.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Indian Glassfish need?
- Indian Glassfish does best at 20–30 °C (68–86 °F), pH 6–8 and a general hardness of 5–20 °dGH.
- What group size does a Indian Glassfish need?
- Indian Glassfish is a social species — keep a group of at least 6 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Indian Glassfish suitable for beginners?
- Indian Glassfish sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.