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No federal permit to keepIndian glassy fish
Parambassis ranga
Fishes › Damselfish and dottybacks (Ovalentaria) › Ambassidae (Glassfish)
Parambassis ranga, commonly known as the Indian glassy fish, Indian glassy perch, or Indian X-ray fish, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish in the Asiatic glassfish family Ambassidae.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 3.7 in / 9.5 cm).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Temperature: 68–86°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 7–8.
- Hardness: 9–19 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 31 × 12 in (roughly 19 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–86 °F, pH 6.5–8, 8–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “A dark substrate will help to make this shy species less nervous and encourage it to display its best colours.”
- Diet: “Relatively unfussy and will accept most live, frozen and dried foods.”
- Breeding: “Not too difficult, although the fry are difficult to raise.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Glassfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Indian glassfish inhabit slow or still water, whereas humphead glassfish inhabit clear, fast, well-oxygenated freshwater streams with rocky substrates in Myanmar. [fg243-ranga, fg243-pulcinella]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Parambassis ranga, provide at least 80 × 30 × 30 cm (about 31 × 12 × 12 inches).
- For P. pulcinella, provide at least 90 × 30 × 30 cm (about 36 × 12 × 12 inches).
- Give shy P. ranga a dark substrate, densely planted refuges and floating vegetation.
- Match flow to species: calm refuges for P. ranga and well-oxygenated water for stream-dwelling P. pulcinella.
- Maintain freshwater P. pulcinella at pH 7.0–7.5; P. ranga's cited range is pH 6.5–8.0.
Diet
- Appropriately sized quality flakes or pellets.
- Live or frozen bloodworms.
- Live or frozen brine shrimp.
Social life
- Keep P. ranga in groups of at least six with peaceful companions. P. pulcinella can be grouped but may chase conspecifics and intimidate smaller fish.
Health watch
- Ammonia-related illness in inadequately established aquariums.
- Nutritional deficiencies from an unsuitable diet.
- Infectious skin or gill disease introduced by unquarantined stock.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is native to an area of South Asia from Pakistan to Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. The Indian glassy fish has an extraordinarily transparent body, revealing its bones and internal organs; the male develops a dark edge to the dorsal fin.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Parambassis ranga” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater and brackish water, in rivers and streams, marshes and swamps, rice paddies. Stays near the bottom. Found in sluggish and standing water. A common species proliferating in impoundments. Most abundant during the rainy season. Feeds on invertebrates. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water, 68–86 °F (20–30 °C), pH 7–8, hardness 9–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 68–86 °F.
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 94°F (up to 104°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 56°F (down to 49°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 74–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 66–76% on average (driest month about 59%) |
| Rainfall | about 1812 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons |
Measured at 133 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Parambassis ranga, commonly known as the Indian glassy fish, Indian glassy perch, or Indian X-ray fish, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish in the Asiatic glassfish family Ambassidae. It is native to an area of South Asia from Pakistan to Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh. The Indian glassy fish has an extraordinarily transparent body, revealing its bones and internal organs; the male develops a dark edge to the dorsal fin. The fish grows to a maximum overall length of 80 mm. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Found in sluggish and standing water. A common species proliferating in impoundments. Most abundant during the rainy season. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 31 × 12 in (about 19 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Indian Glass Fish (Parambassis ranga) Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Parambassis pulcinella Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
