Family: Balitoridae
Vanmanenia gymnetrus — a Balitoridae from southern Chinese mountain streams, calm but assertive around its chosen perch. Reaches 7.4–10.8 cm; singly or in a loose group on open rockwork. 18–26 °C.
A Balitoridae species native to southern Chinese mountain streams: Vanmanenia gymnetrus lives bottom-dwelling on rock surfaces over fast-flowing mountain streams, clinging to rocks. Calm but assertive around its chosen perch. Adults reach 7.4–10.8 cm. It is one of the aquarium-kept Vanmanenia species we profile, alongside Vanmanenia pingchowensis, Vanmanenia stenosoma, Vanmanenia intermedia.
Difficulty: moderate. Calm but assertive around its chosen perch. Singly or in a loose group on open rockwork.
Set the heater to 18–26 °C and avoid swings. pH 6.5–7.5, GH 5–15 dGH suit it.
Expect 7.4–10.8 cm as an adult, living bottom-dwelling on rock surfaces. A 140 L tank or larger gives it room.
Grazes rock surfaces; feed spirulina-rich foods. Feed two small meals a day rather than one large one.
Yes, with care. Calm but assertive around its chosen perch — pair it with Hillstream loaches of similar size — Graze side by side on open stone and skip Warm-water community fish — Need different temperatures.
Native to southern Chinese mountain streams, where it lives in fast-flowing mountain streams, clinging to rocks. Very strong, highly oxygenated current; Requires very high dissolved oxygen.
In the aquarium: spawning unknown in home aquaria. Difficult to distinguish.