Garra cambodgiensis – Black Line Flying Fox

The Garra cambodgiensis, commonly known as the Black Line Flying Fox, is an active and attractive freshwater fish that makes an excellent addition to planted and aquascaped aquariums.

Recognised by its distinctive dark lateral stripe and streamlined body, this species is an enthusiastic grazer that spends much of its time exploring surfaces, searching for algae and biofilm. Its constant activity makes it an interesting fish to watch, particularly in mature aquariums with plenty of natural surfaces to investigate.

The Black Line Flying Fox is best kept in a well-established aquarium with good water movement, excellent filtration and plenty of oxygenation. Providing rocks, wood and other surfaces allows it to exhibit its natural grazing behaviour.

While it can contribute to keeping algae and biofilm under control, it should not be considered a substitute for good aquarium maintenance. A varied diet should also be provided to ensure that it receives adequate nutrition.

Aquarium Requirements

• Adult Size: Approximately 10–12 cm
• Temperament: Generally peaceful and active
• Diet: Omnivorous; algae, biofilm, sinking foods and vegetable-based foods
• Aquarium: Mature, well-filtered aquarium with good water movement
• Water Temperature: Approximately 22–28°C
• pH: Approximately 6.0–7.5
• Aquascaping: Rocks, driftwood and other surfaces for grazing
• Difficulty: Intermediate

The Black Line Flying Fox is a particularly good choice for aquarists looking for an active, useful and visually distinctive algae-grazing fish that fits naturally into a planted aquarium environment.

They are generally very good community fish, but there are a few things worth knowing.

• With small peaceful fish: Very good. They can be kept with tetras, rasboras, danios, small barbs, livebearers and similar community species.
• With shrimp: Generally safe with adult shrimp, although they may eat very small shrimplets if they encounter them.
• With other bottom dwellers: Usually fine, but they can become territorial toward their own kind or similar-looking algae grazers, particularly in smaller aquariums.
• With larger/aggressive fish: They can become stressed, so I wouldn't pair them with highly aggressive or predatory species.
• Activity level: They are quite active and constantly move around the aquarium, so they suit an active community rather than a very calm, slow-moving setup.