By Clint Norwood

An example of a Painted Glassfish
© Stacy Malbon
Photo taken in Aqualand in Hopkins, MN.
Species/genus: Chanda ranga
Origin: India
Temperature:68-86°F (20- 30°C)
Temperament: Peaceful, sometimes timid, likes a lot of plant cover
Adult Size: Up to 3 inches [8 cm]
Minimum Tank Size: 10 Gallon
Feeding: Will eat flakes but prefers live or frozen foods
Breeding: Easy to spawn but the fry are very tiny and difficult to raise. Starting the fry off with green water would be advantageous.
Comments:
These are the fish you sometimes see in petshops with neon or dayglow stripes painted on their sides. Yes, the stripes are actually painted on, or even worse dye is injected under their skin, either way the color will soon fade away. Seems like a terrible thing to do, in my opinion, and it is sometimes fatal to the fish.
Glassfish are still an interesting fish, even without the artificial color, their body is almost clear, which is a novelty, and they are an excellent schooling species. They enjoy having a teaspoon or two of salt per gallon in their water, and would thrive in a semi brackish environment.