Kangal nibble fish - Garra rufa

The reddish sucker mullet is also known as kangal nibble fish, kangal fish or simply nibble fish (Garra rufa). Very well known from beauty salons - so-called fish spas - and therapeutic practices, where these funny little aquarium fish are used as part of a fish pedicure or so-called ichthyotherapy to nibble loose skin scales and horny skin layers, especially from human feet. Fish are also at the forefront of alternative medical treatment for psoriasis, freeing people suffering from psoriasis from superfluous skin scales. This useful barb comes from the Middle East, where it can be found in running waters in Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Iraq and northern Syria. When not eating dander, they scrape algae from all sorts of surfaces. Reddish sucker barbs are therefore highly prized as algae eaters in cichlid tanks, for example.

This funny carp fish grows to around 14 cm. The coloration of the body is silvery in juveniles and becomes dark gray and light gray marbled with time. Older specimens become solid dark gray. A dark spot sits at the base of the caudal fin. As they age, the fins take on a reddish tinge. At the mouth sit the barb-typical barbels. The males are usually somewhat slimmer than the females.

The Kangal Nibblefish is quite adaptable and hardy. These lively group fish are feisty and eager to swim, and in an aquarium with Garra rufa, there won't be a dry eye in the house! Small groups are not well suited, the larger the group, the more interestingly the fish interact and the more there is to observe. In an aquarium of 120 cm you can already keep a larger group of 8-10 kangal fish. They are too lively for shrimps and reserved fish, they should rather be socialized with equally robust ornamental fish. Since Suckermouth Barbs also like to stay on the bottom, crayfish are also not suitable aquarium companions.

The aquarium must be well covered in any case, the lively fish jump when playing. The tank can be planted properly, but finer plants have no easy stand with the playful fish. The fact that reddish sucker barbs also like to scrape algae off surfaces doesn't help either. Better suited are robust, perch-resistant plants such as ferns, anubias or vallisnerias . Hiding places in the form of roots or Caves and stones are necessary, so that individual sucking barbs can also rest sometimes. Since energetically everything is grazed, which could have somehow algae growth, you should pay attention in any case to smooth surfaces without sharp corners and edges.

In nature, Kangal Nibbles occur in fairly hard water, but in the aquarium they can be kept and even bred in soft to medium hard water. A water temperature of about 24-28 degrees tolerates the Reddish Sucker Barb without problems.

The omnivorous red suckermouth barb eats algae coverings as well as live food and frozen food and very gladly fresh vegetables and catfish tablets or simply a good granulated food for omnivorous aquarium fish.

The breeding of the reddish sucker barb is relatively easy in a separate breeding tank, in the normal community aquarium with fine substrate, however, only a few fry come up rather accidentally, because the older sucker barbs eat the eggs away. For courtship, the Kangal nibblers chase and nibble each other - here it can come to bright spots, but do not worry, this behavior is simply the courtship ritual, and the nibbled areas heal very quickly (an addition of Humic substances can help here). Spawning takes place mainly at night. Garra rufa are free spawners, the eggs sink down immediately. The substrate should consist of very coarse pebbles in which gaps the eggs can fall down to avoid being eaten. A spawning grid also serves this purpose. Fine feathery plants, on the other hand, are plucked up during the courtship games. Of course you can also set up the aquarium with the Kangal Nibblefish directly with very large pebbles on the bottom, but then you have to suck off food remains well during the water change. The reddish sucker barbs usually do not chase the once hatched fish larvae very strongly, so that also in the aquarium with the old fish young fish come up. They are raised with artemia euplii.

A few words about fish pedicure: It is quite possible, although not very likely, that pathogens are transmitted from person to person by the nibbling fish. Especially people with diabetes or a weakened immune system run a risk here and should therefore better not do fish therapy. Basically, one must always keep a quarantine here and keep the fish under high hygiene standards so that they do not transmit aquarium germs. There are also doubts as to whether such use is compatible with animal protection laws. We therefore advise against therapeutic use of the Kangal Nibble Fish and point out that you undertake such therapy at your own risk and that we cannot accept any responsibility for this.

Our Food Recommendation: The NatureHolic Catfish Feed for all aufwuchs feeding ornamental fish in the aquarium is a balanced tablet food, which does not cloud the water and which the fish like to eat. The catfish tablets also contain NatureHolic active ingredient complexes, which provide Garra rufa with everything they need for a strong immune system, healthy growth and great, contrasting coloration. As a snack, supplementary food or vacation food we recommend the CatfishPlates, as a variety for every day the popular NatureHolic main feed for omnivorous aquarium fish.

Our Plant Recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.