Garra Rufa Facts...   Originating from the Carp family of fishes, the Garra Rufa are commonly found in hot springs with temperatures of up to 42 Degrees Celsius!    This is why they are free from any form of diseases in such an environment!   With an average life span of 7 years, they are currently the number 1 species which make investment sense for anyone venturing into the Fish Spa business.   Watch how our Garra Rufa (Wild Breed) fishes nibble...   Other Alternatives or Garra "look alike" fishes will only swim around your hands or feet without nibbling or worst still, they run away from you! Many persons have reportedly purchased the Garra "look alike" due to very low prices and came to realise that they either do not nibble or they only "brushed" against their skin for awhile. The worst part of it is the mortality rate of these Garra "look alike" fishes. With more than 200 species in the Garra family, many sources are disguising Garra species as "Garra Rufa". These Garra species are mostly algae eaters which are not meant for skin treatment. Using of Garra "look alike" or alternatives might pose a danger to your water because they cannot survive in high temperatures. This means that the temperature of water has to be lower which might cause fungal infections.   Only the Garra Rufa (Wild Breed) ensures 100% Nibbling & Safety as seen in this video. This 2nd video shows the signature characteristics of the Wild Breed Garra Rufa fishes. Due to their wild nature, they will attempt to jump out of the tanks! This is because they have never been in any man-made environment before. Therefore proper care & precautions have to be made before receiving your order of Wild Breed Garra Rufa fishes. As seen in the next video, the jumping will gradually subside as days go by until they are settled in your tank.   This is why they are the most responsive Doctor Fish, Dr Fish or Garra Rufa Fish for the Fish Spa Industry. The 3rd video will give you a better picture of how your Fish Spa business will be like as it shows a customer having treatment with our Authentic Wild Breed Garra Rufa at Wonderfish Spa located in Hong Kong. WARNING!!!   Alternatives like the Chin Chin fish from the Tilapia family of fishes and has a biting characteristic. They are deemed to cause micro-scopic damage to the human skin after long term usage.   It is found that the Chin Chin does not assist in any form of treatment for skin conditions. Chin Chin has high mortality rate and can grow up to 32cm in size!  Chin Chin produces strong hard bites and they are definitely not for the faint hearted! High replenishing frequency is needed (once evey 1-2 months depending on the quantity you have). Chin Chin has been banned in some countries and are deemed as "pest fishes".   Besides the Chin Chin, there are also Garra "look alike" fishes which are being sold as the Garra Rufa. The Garra "look alike" are distant relatives of the Garra Rufa. In fact they are all from the Garra family of fishes but do not possess similar qualities & abilities as the Garra Rufa. NOTE: Imitations such as the Chin Chin or Garra "look alike" fishes do not possess similar qualities & abilities. Please be careful when enquiring with others. Look out for close up photos or videos like the ones in this website to confirm it's authenticity. Formula:  Garra Rufa + High Temperature of Water = Safe See the following video slides for examples of Garra Species: Garra Species (Beware) Slideshow: The’s trip from Thailand to 6 cities China, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan was created by TripAdvisor. See another China slideshow. FAKE GARRA RUFA SPECIES There are many suppliers around the world supplying fake Garra Rufa for less than US$1.00 each. These fishes are not Garra Rufa but they are Garra Species from the same family of fishes. They do not provide nibbling and prefer eating each other when they are hungry.    The problem is identifying them!   They may look like Garra Rufa with all the black dots at the right places but they do not have the same abilities. The safest way is to get references and videos to ensure that the supplier is providing you with Genuine Garra Rufa fishes. For anything less than US$1.00 what do you really expect to get?   See the following video of Fake Garra Rufa bought for less than US$1.00 each.