Elongate glassy perchlet

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Chanda nama is native to South Asia, widely distributed across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. It inhabits a broad range of freshwater and brackish habitats, including slow-flowing rivers, streams, ponds, canals, and flooded rice paddies. It prefers areas with dense submerged vegetation that provide shelter from predators and currents.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Belongs to the family Ambassidae (glassfishes) and the genus Chanda. It features a highly laterally compressed, slender, and almost completely transparent body, making the backbone, ribs, and silvery internal organ sac clearly visible. It reaches a maximum adult size of approximately 8 to 10 centimeters.

Social Behavior: A gregarious, active species that must be kept in schools of at least 6 to 8 individuals to prevent stress and shyness. It swims actively in the mid-water layers of the tank. While peaceful, it can occasionally exhibit fin-nipping behavior toward slow-moving or long-finned tankmates.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The body is glass-like and transparent, showing silvery and gold iridescence under direct light. The dorsal and anal fins may feature subtle dark or yellowish edges. Sexual dimorphism is visible primarily during spawning: males develop stronger yellowish-gold body hues and more prominent blue-black borders on their fins.

Aquarium Setup: Requires an aquarium of at least 80 to 100 liters to house a proper school. The setup should include densely planted zones along the back and sides of the tank to offer refuge, while leaving a large open area in the center for swimming. A dark substrate is recommended to enhance the visibility of their transparent bodies.

Diet and Feeding: Primarily a carnivore feeding on microfauna. In captivity, it can be a picky feeder and may initially reject dry foods. It should be fed regularly with live or frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, copepods, and small mosquito larvae. Over time, it can be conditioned to accept fine dry flakes.

Water Quality: Demands clean, stable water conditions: water temperature between 22 and 28 °C, pH levels from 6.5 to 7.8, and a general hardness of 8 to 15 dGH. While it can tolerate slightly brackish conditions, it thrives in hard freshwater. Efficient filtration is essential to keep ammonia and nitrites at zero.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Suitable for community aquariums with active, peaceful species such as rasboras, danios, small barbs, and Corydoras. Avoid housing it with slow-moving, long-finned fish (like angelfish or show guppies) that might be nipped, or large predatory species that would prey on it.

Aquarium Breeding: Breeding in captivity is possible. They are egg scatterers, depositing adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants (such as Java Moss). The parents do not tend to the eggs and will readily eat them, so a separate breeding tank is required to successfully raise the fry.

Risks and Diseases: Highly sensitive to sudden changes in water parameters, ammonia, and nitrite spikes. It is susceptible to Ich (white spot disease) and fungal infections if stressed or placed in an un-cycled aquarium. Exercise caution when catching them, as their sharp fin spines can easily entangle in standard nets.