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Sewellia Lineolata 1/29/16
<... 4.5 megs? Why ten times the size necessary? Twice? Limited mail space here>
Hello. I have a problem with my Sewellia Lineolata. It has white worm like
things on the fins.
<I see... mucus strands on the pectoral fins trailing off. I would sample this
material, look under a microscope Re; not treat here as yet w/ a vermifuge,
other med.>
Can only see them from underneath the fish so i don't know if they are anywhere
else on the body. I have an hillstream type
setup. The tank is 100 cm long and 150 litres. There are Sicyopterus gobies,
Stiphodon gobies, Sicyopterus gobies and Sewellia Lineolata which are breeding,
i have fry from the Sewellia. Ph 7.2, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20.
<I'd lower this; keep under 10 ppm. See WWM re>
Two 25 percent water changes a week. Temperature 23 - 24 c. There are two
external filters an Aquamanta 200 and Fluval 306.There are plants in the tank
and pebbles. None of the fish scrape and they all eat well. I have had these
fish for just over a year now. I have kept many fish over the years and i
haven't seen anything like this before. I have attached some photos,
sorry for the quality. I would appreciate any advice as i don't want to treat
without knowing what I'm dealing with. Thank you for any advice you can give me.
<Read our mail requirements as well. Bob Fenner>
Hillstream loach.
<Same msg.s same resp. B>
Hello. Please can you help me with a
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re: Sewellia Lineolata 1/29/16
Thank you for such a quick reply. My first thought was anchor worm.
<Assuredly not>
I don't know anyone where i live with a microscope or any knowledge of what it
could be.
<... try searching and reading on WWM re 'scopes et al. This animal is
stressed somehow, hence the excess body mucus...
BobF>
Re: Sewellia Lineolata 1/30/16
Just a note to say thank you for the advice earlier.
<Certainly welcome>
Glad i didn't treat the fish. The Sewellia Lineolata in question spawned this
evening. Thank you again for your advice.
<I too am very glad you didn't treat the system... you have some quite sensitive
fish species.
Cheers, Bob Fenner>
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Zebra Snails and Plecos; mis-mix in wrong env.
4/6/15
Hello,
<Hello Elliot,>
I have a 20 litre
<Really? 20 litres? As in 4.4 Imperial gallons? Did you mistype 200
litres perhaps? 200 litres makes sense; 20 litres would be an act of animal
cruelty.>
coldwater tank in my kitchen.
<Coldwater? Yet one of your fish is a subtropical, the other tropical. What
gives? Why this incorrect mixing of species?>
I have 2 fantail goldfish, 1 Chinese Algae Eater and (used to have) one Stingray
Pleco. They were all doing fine,
<No, they really weren't. They just weren't dead yet. But let's continue...>
until one day we did a full cleanup of the tank, as it was getting green and
dirty on the bottom. We took all fish out easily, part from the Pleco. He kept
staying onto the side of the tank. Eventually, about after 20 minutes, we got
him off and into the temporary bucket. We did the cleanup and put all of the
fish back in, but the Pleco wasn’t very well. He stayed to the bottom with his
tail up and barely moved.
One day, I purchased a Zebra Snail to help clean up the algae, and he seemed to
fit in well, but the day after we put the snail in the tank, my Pleco sadly
died.
I was just wondering whether this was a coincidence
<Yes.>
or the snail did something to kill my Pleco.
<Probably the environment, lack of food, insufficient oxygen. Let's be clear,
the Stingray Pleco is neither a stingray nor a Pleco. It's a Hillstream Loach,
one of a group of Asian fishes adapted to subtropical, fast-flowing mountain
streams. Their lifespan in community tanks is dismal, though they make excellent
aquarium fish if you set up a biotope tank. They need lots of water movement
(we're talking 10-12 times the volume of the tank per hour) which makes them
completely incompatible with fancy Goldfish, or even regular Goldfish, though
mixing them with Danios and White Cloud Mountain Minnows works quite well. The
Zebra Nerite would probably be okay, too. But basically, a lack of research on
your part led to the inevitable death of this fish. The next victim will either
be the Chinese Algae Eater or the Goldfish. Why? Because the Chinese Algae Eater
(neither from China nor much of an algae eater when mature) becomes a big fish
(35 cm/14 inches) that needs tropical conditions and robust tankmates (they're
notoriously aggressive when mature). So a coldwater tank that measures 20 litres
(5 US gallons!) will eventually become such a cesspit the poor thing will die.
On the other hand, should you mean 200 litres, which is still too small for the
Chinese Algae Eater, chances are that this fish will harass (and suck the mucous
from) your poor fancy Goldfish, leading to their deaths.>
I would like to know so none of my other fish get harmed or die.
<I wouldn't blame the snail here, Elliot. The fault, as the poet said, is not in
the stars (or snails) but in ourselves.>
Thanks for your time,
<Most welcome.>
Elliot
<Hoping that this is a belated April Fools to be honest! But if not, lots to
digest here Elliot, and time to go a-shopping. Cheers, Neale.>
Gastromyzon & Whitespot 1/1/13
Dear Crew.
Happy New year to you all, and sorry to bother you when I expect you are
all on Christmas & New Year holiday, or recovering from it!
<Pretty much…!>
I have 3 indoor fish tanks but the questions I have relate to a 20
gallon coldwater, unheated tank. I have a pond outside, and have
one baby goldfish, taken from the pond, which I am trying to rear inside
until large enough to go back outside in the pond. It is now about 2
inches long. About a week before the Christmas break I purchased 4 fish
labeled Hong Kong Pleco at the LFS.
<In the UK, most commonly Beaufortia kweichowensis, but there are
numerous similar species.>
They were housed with goldfish and labeled for coldwater, and are now in
my 20 gallon aquarium with the one goldfish.
<Yes, they are often sold this way. Not a good way to keep them though.
While Beaufortia, Sewellia, Gastromyzon and Pseudogastromyzon spp. are
subtropical (like Goldfish) they are adapted to fast-flowing,
oxygen-rich environments -- the complete opposite to what Goldfish are
adapted to! While they can coexist in aquaria for a time, the reality is
that Goldfish are so big and messy they pollute the aquarium to such a
degree that the sensitive Beaufortia end up suffocating (for want of a
better word).>
I have been trying to identify them better, using the internet and
comparing to the pictures available, and I think I may have 2
Gastromyzon zebrinus, and 2 Gastromyzon stellatus, but I am finding ID
difficult, especially with the 2 spotted ones.
<Do visit Loaches.com; they have a very good photo gallery as well as a
forum.>
At the time of release into the aquarium I thought one of them had a few
white spots, and now I can see that the goldfish has suddenly acquired
Whitespot as well.
<Unfortunately all too common when buying new fish.>
I have been looking up how best to treat this, and can find very little
information. I am considering salt treatment, which I have used
with success in another tank several months ago. I have not used
it with Plecos and definitely not with Hillstream loaches. I am
wondering how salt tolerant they are?
<They aren't brackish water fish, that's for sure! But at the 1-2
gram/litre concentration they're no more sensitive than Neons, Corydoras
or any other freshwater fish.>
I have in my store cupboard a new unused eSHa EXIT that I purchased to
use in the previous outbreak in a different tank, and in the end I was
not brave enough; I used salt and increased temps with great success, in
a tank containing tetra and dwarf Cory cats, and Debawi catfish.
Catfish are my favorite but I am aware that salt and all medications
must be used with great care with all fish, particularly catfish and all
scaleless fishes.
<The "scaleless fish" is a bit of a red herring; sharks and moray eels
are scaleless, yet clearly live in the sea! You are correct that some
catfish are intolerant of salty water, but then at least two catfish
families (including dozens of species) live primarily or exclusively in
the sea, so there again, you can see the salt intolerance thing is
overrated. Even Common Plecs and Sailfin Plecs inhabit brackish water in
the wild (albeit in non-natural parts of their range, i.e., Florida). So
rather than focusing on salt as a binary thing -- "safe" vs. "not safe"
-- look at salt as something to use carefully, with an understanding
that *overdosing* can cause harm, and that overdosing a tank of strictly
freshwater fish like Neons or Hillstream Loaches would be easier to do
(i.e., with less salt) than fish that have some degree of salt tolerance
(such as Guppies or Kribs).>
I wonder if you have any advice on how to get rid of this irritating
(both for me & the poor fishes) problem, and I wonder if the Anti
Whitespot Treatment medication I have is safest,
<I have used eSHa 2000 with a variety of supposedly sensitive fish, such
as South American Puffers, as well as catfish without problems. I
haven't used it with Hillstream Loaches though. Would I try it? Yes; but
I'd use salt/heat first.>
or if I should go with what I have done before i.e. salt and increased
temps - bearing in mind I have coldwater fish to treat!
<Goldfish and Hillstream Loaches will be fine at, say, 25 C for the week
or so required. Indeed, Goldfish can tolerate A LOT more heat than that!
For the sake of the Hillstream Loaches, increase aeration and maximise
water turnover; they're more sensitive to low oxygen levels than
ANYTHING else.>
Also, having looked up all I can find on your pages about these cute
little fish, I noticed people have had difficulty feeding them.
<Yes.>
I chopped the round end off a courgette, put a veggie-coil through it to
make it sink, and after a couple of days it was showing signs of
starting to go a bit soft, and I was ready to take it out. But the next
day I noticed it was mostly eaten! I have now replaced it with a
fresh piece. I don't think goldfish eat courgette - do they?
<Yes. Goldfish are herbivores, and eat most anything soft and gooey.>
And I have actually seen the HK Plecos excreting!
<pedant>Biology teacher that I am, let me remind you excretion is
removal of metabolic wastes, in the case of freshwater fish ammonia from
the gills, which should be invisible. Defecation is the removal of
indigestible remains of food. That's presumably what you saw!</pedant>
Thanks for your help with this.
VWG - Cornwall UK
<Welcome, Neale.>
Re: Gastromyzon & Whitespot 1/3/13
Dear Neale
Thank you for your reply! And for your information!
<Welcome.>
I have visited Loaches.com and yes they do have very good pictures, as
do seriouslyfish.com.
<Cool.>
The 2 fish I have that I think are G. zebrinus seem to be different to
each other in colouration, but their patterning is the same. One
is dark grey with bluish markings, but the other seems darker but with
paler markings, almost golden, especially on the tail end. The
pattern is spotted (but not uniformly round spots) on the head, and
striped across the body. They are young fish, less than an inch
long, so I am expecting them to change as they grow. The 2 spotted fish
I thought are G. stellatus I am now even more confused about. The
spots are uniform and very round, sometimes looking pale blue and
sometimes yellow. There seems to be a red flash on the tail, but
they open & close the tail so fast that it is hard to be sure of
colouring. The eyes are black but have a yellow circle around
them, which the zebrinus (?) do not have.
<Indeed. In any case, all these Hillstream Loaches are much of a
muchness. Small, sensitive to warm water, need lots of oxygen, and
prefer a diet based on green algae and tiny invertebrates. Have you seen
the newish "Loaches" book from TFH? Worth picking up; I got mine
discounted, so shop around!>
I am using API aquarium salt, and have so far added 2 tablespoons to 20
gallons. You mentioned 1-2 grams per litre, but I have no way of
measuring this.
<Kitchen scales for the weight of salt? One level teaspoon is about 6
grams. One US gallon is 3.75 litres.>
A website that I have visited suggests a maximum of 1 tablespoon
<3 teaspoons, i.e., about 3 x 6 grams… 18 grams.>
in 5 gallons,
<18.75 litres…>
for sensitive fish,
<18 grams/18.75 litres, i.e., about 1 gram/litre.>
and I wonder if you agree with this for use with Hillstream loaches?
<I'd use twice as much. But sure, go ahead, see what happens. If the
Whitespot clears up, it works! If not, then double the salinity. Do put
all of this in perspective. Seawater is 35 gram/litre, so 1 gram/litre
is one thirty-fifth of seawater salinity, which is easily drinkable, let
alone stressful to freshwater fish.>
The temperature is at 20 degrees C at the moment. I am all for doing
things slowly! I can not seem to find an explanation of how this
treatment works - is it the salt or the heat that kills the Whitespot?
Will it be killed with salt alone if the dosage is sufficiently high,
or even with heat alone, - if the fish were heat or salt tolerant?
<Heat speeds up the life cycle of the Whitespot parasite. Depending on
water temperature, the parasite lives in the skin of the fish for 1-7
days, during which time it is immune to any medications. This is the
"white spot" phase you can see. Then, once the parasite reaches
maturity, the cyst burst open and a free-living stage comes out and,
among other things, multiplies itself and the "babies" go off to find
new fish to parasitise. Heat reduces this phase from 7 days (or more)
down to 1 day. Now, only with the baby parasites swimming about, is the
medicine or salt able to kill the parasites. Medicines like cooper
poison them, salt stresses them to death. Make sense?>
On the matter of being pedantic, I would agree that things need to be
right where written words are involved, and I tried to use the word
"fishes" correctly; i.e. to describe plural fish but of different
species, but I missed an apostrophe, because 'the problem' is belonging
to the fishes! [(both for me & the poor fishes) problem] Therefore is
*fishes'* more correct? I stand corrected on the use of the word
excrete, as I thought wrongly that it was from the word excrement ! (As
in excrement!)
<Fair enough!>
I have increased aeration in the tank with use of an air stone, and plan
to add a second power head type filter. I forgot to mention also, that
since adding the loaches I have noticed a few very very tiny white worm
like things clinging to the glass of the aquarium.
<Nematodes. Harmless (usually) especially if they're moving about on the
glass. There are some parasitic nematodes, part these tend to be inside
the fish so you don't see them, the exception being Camallanus worms.>
I have watched the loaches and they do not eat them, they pass over
them.
<Indeed.>
The worms seem to curl up and then when the loach has passed over the
top, uncurl back into a straight line again. They are very tiny,
no more than 3mm long, and very thin. There can not be many as now
I am looking for them I can not see any!
<Mostly these nematodes feed on organic matter. They're everywhere in
the wild. Apparently there's one that lives in beer mats! It's called
Panagrellus redivivus.>
There are also a few odd looking cling-on things that look like the
scale insect you get on houseplants. There are a few here and there on
the filter and on the glass, and I can't say as I have noticed them
before the introduction of the loaches!
<There's presumably something they're eating. Algae possibly, but more
often uneaten fish flake etc.>
On the subject of compatibility - hopefully the goldfish can go in the
pond when big enough - do you have any suggestion for a few suitable
tank mates for the loaches? - if this the road I decide to embark upon
that is - is it correct that tiger barbs can be kept at low water
temperatures?
<Wouldn't be my first choice. But there are some good, low-end tropical
barbs. Rosy Barbs are lovely but a bit big. Golden Barbs (Puntius
semifasciolatus) are one option, as would many of the Danios and of
course White Cloud Mountain Minnows (but don't mix these with Danios
larger than they are!).>
Thank you for your time & knowledge!
VWG
<Most welcome, Neale.>
Trouble feeding Hillstream Loaches (Sewellia lineolata)
10/17/12
Hello. A very knowledgeable woman from my local pet shop recommend
that I post here for help, so here I am. I am having a great deal
of difficulty getting food to my group of 5 Hillstream Loaches and am
hoping that you can help me find the best solution.
<Ok>
I got my first aquarium when I was 14 and have had a few tanks since
then, so I had a little fish keeping knowledge, but I haven’t had a set
up for the last 15 years or so and I’m 45 now. I‘ve wanted one for years
and finally found a beautiful 30 gallon complete setup for $40 this
Summer! I’ve learned the bulk of what I know now by looking stuff
up on the Internet over the last few months. I never even knew about
cycling before, so I’m pretty amazed that I had the success that I did
with my tanks in the past! Must have been beginner’s luck.
<A bit perhaps>
I had never even heard of Hillstream Loaches.
<Neat animals... rarely kept long or well by home hobbyists... as their
needs (fast moving, high DO water of moderate temp.... are not met>
I found one
<Social animals>
at an aquarium store about an hour from where I live. The clerk said it
wouldn’t get too big and would be fine in my community tank on its own.
(no other Loaches) I usually like to research a fish before buying, but
I didn’t want to take another 2 hour round trip car ride, so I brought
it home. And the fun begins. I will never again buy a fish
without having done plenty of research beforehand.
<Ah, good>
I brought the Loach home and got her acclimated to my 30 gallon
community tank and instantly she started wreaking havoc with my 3 Julii
Corys. When I started asking questions at my local pet shop, I was
told that they usually get along with Corys and that they like colder
water and prefer to be kept in groups. Not nice.
I started doing research online and drove my local pet shop buddies
crazy with questions for weeks and finally got a new 55 gallon
subtropical tank up and running. I am running a Rena XP2 Canister filter
with a power nozzle which creates quite a current. The tank is set at 72
degrees. I have bubble curtains all along the back wall of the tank. It
is stocked with lots of rocks, aquatic plants and driftwood. It has been
running for about 5 weeks and there’s virtually no visible algae.
Here’s where the next problem begins. I started cycling the tank
with 6 long finned Rosy Barbs and a few weeks later added 1 more rosy
barb, 7 tiger barbs and my single Hillstream Loach. My Corys are
breathing easy for the first time in weeks, but now my Hillstream Loach
is miserable. The Barbs are absolutely voracious and will not leave any
food for the Loach, no matter what I try.
<Yes>
I had to wait almost a month to get 4 more loaches, in hopes that as a
group they’d be more secure and have a better chance to ward off the
Barbs and get some food. It didn’t turn out that way and now I
have a bunch of hungry loaches instead of just one.
I have been trying for several weeks to find a solution and have tried
numerous types of foods including granules, tropical flake, bloodworms,
Tubifex worms, lettuce, cucumbers and 3 different sizes of sinking
pellets.
<The last would be my first choice>
I have tried target feeding the Loaches with a turkey baster and a
syringe, but they get scared and swim away. I have tried
distracting the Barbs with food and hiding pellets for the Loaches, I’ve
tried feeding the barbs first, shutting off the lights and then trying
to drop pellets in a few different locations, but the barbs always find
the food and devour it in a frenzy, leaving nothing for the loaches.
No matter what I try, it looks like feeding time at the zoo and the
loaches run for the hills.
<... I'd devise a screened area that will only allow the loaches in
(exclude the Barbs, even the Corydoras) placed permanently in a spot you
can see, get to... This and provide some sort of inexpensive live plants
for all to chew on at their leisure... Perhaps weighted and floating
Anacharis/Egeria>
To make things worse, with the addition of the new fish and all this
feeding going on, my tank got pretty polluted and my ammonia spiked to
.25 PPM, but after a 30% water change 3 days ago; all my numbers for
nitrates, nitrites, PH and ammonia were optimal.
I figure the Loaches must be getting something in the way of leftovers,
but I have no idea if it’s enough to sustain them. They appear
fine and their behavior seems typical, but I’m worried that they will
take a turn for the worst if I can’t come up with a solution.
I am wondering if I should just put them in another tank of their own,
but my husband and I would prefer not to have to purchase another tank.
However, I am more opposed to rehoming them because they are my
favorites! If they need a different environment, what is the
minimum tank size for a group of 5?
<Maybe 20 gallons>
I have found differing views ranging from 20 gallon to 55 gallon minimum
requirements. They are each only about 2 inches long.
I appreciate any feedback! Thanks.
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re...? Fernando... Neale...
9/30/11
Thank you for your time. That was just what I need to know, very
helpful. I have some questions about the temperature of the water and
about feeding. I live in Puerto Rico and is very hot this days. I just
cant do anything about it. Do I need a chiller?
<Depends a lot on the species you're keeping. Most South
American and Southeast Asian fish can adapt to unusually warm days,
provided the nights are cooler, and equally importantly, that part of
the year is a bit cooler as well. For most tropical fish, 25 C/77 F is
ideal, with a few species, such as Discus and some of the Gouramis,
doing better kept warmer, 28-30 C/82-86 F.>
How the temperature of the water can affect my fish? Is it better cold
than hot?
<Depends on the species. Corydoras are certainly better kept a bit
cooler, 22-25 C/72-77 F being the preferred range for most
species.>
I have a question about my Hillstream loach. I am
feeding all my fishes with tropical granules because I think that
flakes make the tank a little dirty. They seem to like it. But I
haven't seem the Hillstream loach eating the granules. I think he
is only feeding from natural algae of the tank and ornamental
rocks.
<Yes, very likely. Algae wafers, such as those from Hikari, are an
excellent alternative.>
Some one told me that I should put some algae wafers in the tank once
in a while to maintain him healthy but he is already healthy.
<Yes.>
Should I feed him with algae wafers or just let him be? I was thinking
to buy a spotted Hillstream loach cause they seem pretty much the same
fish but may be it will help with the natural algae growing inside the
tank.
what can I do about that? Illumination in the tank is a led marine land
lamp and some other from natural light but not directly from the
sun.
<Hillstream Loaches are sensitive to low oxygen levels, and above 25
C/77 F, you are likely to have problems keeping them healthy. Floating
blocks of ice can help, as can increasing evaporation through air
bubbles and even by putting a fan nearby. Under stock the tank and
provide plenty of surface area and good circulation. The idea is that
even if the water is warm, at least it has lots of oxygen in it,
especially at the bottom, where the Loaches live. If all else fails, a
chiller may be a wise investment.
Cheers, Neale.>
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Help Determining the Sex of Sewellia lineolata Please
3/16/11
Hello!
<Hi there>
I think I've just about read all the articles and studied
every picture available on the web to help determine the sex of
my Sewellia lineolata (commonly known as: Reticulated Hillstream
Loach, Tiger Hillstream Loach, et al), but I am having soo much
trouble seeing what they describe. I think mine is a female, but
I'm really not sure. What do you think?
<This is a female. See the description, photos near the bottom
here:
http://www.loaches.com/articles/sewellia-lineolata-the-reticulated-hillstream-loach-easy-to-spawn-or-a-whole-lot-of-luck
As stated, the easiest diagnostic feature distinguishing the
sexes are aspects of the shape of the head... Bob Fenner>
Thank you soo much!
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Hillstream Loach art. by AdamJ. .
6/25/08 Hello Bob, I recently did a quick write up for the new-ish
BB forum, featuring Hillstream loaches. I noticed we didn't have an
article up at WWM or even a stub/placeholder. I'm attaching it if
you wish to use it, it's fairly brief but it's at the least a
good placeholder until someone provides one with more detail. To be
honest I had trouble finding much on this critter in English. <Looks
great Mr. J... will post with credit to you (see you're
"back" today)... And send you along some fish bucks if/when
we get tog. next. Cheers, BobF>>
Hillstream loaches... comp., sys.
4/25/08 Hello, I recently went into my favourite fish store with my
dad. I saw this fish which was called Hillstream loach. <Neat
animals...> I liked this fish. The employee told me it was good with
discus. <Mmm, no... these fishes (Balitoridae) like fast moving
water, of much lower temp.... a bit more alkaline than Symphysodon...
See the Net re... perhaps at least here:
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/beaufortia-kweichowensis> My
dad told me to look it up because the employee lied to us before. I
could not get a question. Are they compatible with a discus?
<Behaviorally, yes, but physiologically, not close. Better to seek
out some similar small-sized Loricariids...> My dads tank is a 33
gallon with a pair of discus, 5 see through cats, 12 cardinal tetra, 6
Corys and 3 Kuhli loaches, with lots of plants. Thank you for your
help. <Ahh! This tank is really well-over-stocked as it is. I would
NOT be adding any more fish life here. Bob Fenner>
Butterfly aka Hillstream loaches 6/28/06
Dear Crew, I've just found your site and love it! After doing lots
of research online for my fish it's so nice to have so much
information in one place. <Ah, yes> I do have some questions
about the Hillstream loaches since I can't seem to find much
information anywhere on them. I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 very small
fancy goldfish (1 black moor, Narvey, about two inches with its tail,
(are you supposed to measure with or without the tail?), <For
science, w/o, for petfish, w/ most of the time> and 1 calico
telescope, Penelope, fantail about 1.5"). Sex unknown on both.
They both seem to be healthy and happy. I'm considering either
getting a small school of white cloud (5 or 6) or one more goldfish
(I'd love to find a fantail panda). I have a bio-filter for a 20-40
gallon and a bubble curtain (mostly for aesthetic value). To get to the
point what I want to know is are Hillstream loaches compatible with
goldfish, from what I've read they are temperature wise, but
I've heard them compared to Plecos since they eat algae and kind of
look like them, and since I've heard Plecos and other algae eaters
are iffy I'm not sure if I want to add one to the tank. Any help
would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Cynthia <I have seen these
fishes housed together with good success. As you state, do enjoy
similar water qualities, and Homalopterids are not "mean"
like Loricariids, Gyrinocheilus toward goldfishes. Bob
Fenner>
Butterfly aka Hillstream loaches
6/28/06 Dear Crew, I've just found your site and love it! After
doing lots of research online for my fish it's so nice to have so
much information in one place. <Ah, yes> I do have some questions
about the Hillstream loaches since I can't seem to find much
information anywhere on them. I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 very small
fancy goldfish (1 black moor, Narvey, about two inches with its tail,
(are you supposed to measure with or without the tail?), <For
science, w/o, for petfish, w/ most of the time> and 1 calico
telescope, Penelope, fantail about 1.5"). Sex unknown on both.
They both seem to be healthy and happy. I'm considering either
getting a small school of white cloud (5 or 6) or one more goldfish
(I'd love to find a fantail panda). I have a bio-filter for a 20-40
gallon and a bubble curtain (mostly for aesthetic value). To get to the
point what I want to know is are Hillstream loaches compatible with
goldfish, from what I've read they are temperature wise, but
I've heard them compared to Plecos since they eat algae and kind of
look like them, and since I've heard Plecos and other algae eaters
are iffy I'm not sure if I want to add one to the tank. Any help
would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Cynthia <I have seen these
fishes housed together with good success. As you state, do enjoy
similar water qualities, and Homalopterids are not "mean"
like Loricariids, Gyrinocheilus toward goldfishes. Bob
Fenner>
Advice on new additions please!! Hillstream loach fdg.
-- 06/29/07 > Hiya, > I think I've identified the
Hillstream loaches as Gastromyzon ctenocephalus and so far they seem to
be okay! I lowered the temp to 22C and added another air pump for them.
They don't look pinched and I've seen them eating algae/wafers
and bloodworms. I've had them 2 weeks now! I read an article on the
net recommending leaving smooth round pebbles in a bucket of water
outside to grow algae, then adding to the tank for them to munch on. Is
this a good idea? What about adding pathogens/ nasty algae etc to my
tank from outside? Is there a way to encourage mild algae growth
without sacrificing water quality? Thanks! <Greetings. Leaving the
rocks outdoors to cultivate algae sounds like a great idea. The risk of
introducing disease is virtually nil. Most aquarium fish diseases come
from other fish, not the air. About the only thing that might go wrong
is if someone used insecticide or weed killer in the garden, and some
got into the algae-stone bucket. That would be very bad. But otherwise
I take algae from ponds to feed fish (especially baby fish) all the
time. One thing though: algae is only part of the diet of these fish.
The other part is small invertebrates. Frozen bloodworms, lobster eggs,
marine plankton, and so on would be the things I'd keep in the
freezer to give to these fish a couple of times a week. Plec
"algae wafers" should make good staples, and would be more
convenient than algae. You could also try thinly sliced cucumber,
cooked spinach, and blanched lettuce leaves. Finally, algae has no
effect on water quality, unless it suddenly dies off at once (very
rare, unless you use algae-killer potions). High nitrates and
phosphates will encourage growth of algae, but algae doesn't create
nitrate and phosphate. So don't worry about algae messing up the
water quality. Doesn't work that way. Cheers, Neale.>
