butterfly pleco?

[tmdavies]

guy at the store said this was a butterfly pleco is he right?

 

[iDream]

That's a hillstream loach, sometimes called plecos

 

[Mogurako]

Looks like a hillstream loach to me.

 

[tmdavies]

so its not an actual pleco?

 

[tmdavies]

how do they get away with saying its a butterfly pleco when its not ffs

 

[Mogurako]

Hillstreams tend to be a bit sensitive if I remember correctly and need high water flow. Id return it it and get a rubber-lip or bristle-nose pleco.

 

[YLD]

Yes it is a Hillstream loach they also call it butterfly Pleco but it's actually a loach. I have one too. It's always in the glass by the filter since they love water flows. Also he loves my bubble wand I think it's pretty cool it never hides and you can see the heartbeat. Some people think it's gross lol

 

[BillD]

Hillstream loaches do like high water flow and high oxygen content in the water. As well they prefer cooler temps than your typical tropical tank.

 

[Homer8]

I love these things but i never see them at the store

 

[iDream]

Definitely not a common fish, that's why

 

[tmdavies]

quite common in british pet stores

 

[YLD]

I got mine at a local fish store but its a big store, salt & fresh. They have all kinds of uncommon freshwater fishes that you wont find in petco or those other chain stores.

 

[siva]

Hillstream loaches are really awesome, there are many different kinds. They are frequently sold as a butterfly pleco, but a real butterfly pleco looks much more like an actual pleco It is not a pleco at all, and won't grow to anymore than 2.5". They need a 20gal+ tank, with good flow and aeration. Like plecos, driftwood should be added to the tank, preferably in a spot that catches good flow. They are shy, and prefer to have atleast one buddy to help them feel more relaxed. Make sure the water level is low enough that the filter is creating a good flow, and run a bubblewall or several airstones depending on the size of the tank. There are many different species species and some have different dietary needs, but I think what you have there is a Gastromyzon sp, which will need a mostly veggie diet. Offer cucumber and zuccini on a regular basis, as well as a good quality algae wafer like Hikari. It is also a good idea, if there is no algae present in your tank, to grow some for them by placing stones in a bowl of tank water in your window. Once covered with algae add to the tank for your loach. They are bit sensitive, I would compare them to oto cats that way, but in a well established tank with proper aeration and diet, you should be fine. They are kept in a wide range of temps, some people keep them in coldwater/river tank and some in tropical. Keep the temp to 78 or less and you should be fine.

 

[tmdavies]

i have tried feeding him wafers cucumber and potatoe he doesnt touch them ive even bought some dupla rin g. he doesnt eat any food i give him he just eats the algae on my tank

 

[siva]

They can be picky like that..just like the oto's..growing them algae on rocks is best for supplementing. I also don't keep other effecient algae eaters with them like snails so there isn't much competition.

 

[candy775]

guy at the store said this was a butterfly pleco is he right?

yes it is also known as a hillstream loach cause my two just had babies like this one

 

[candy775]

I love these things but i never see them at the store

i've seen them at some pet stores but they have a hard time keeping them alive because they require alot of oxygen and current to be put in the water for them to survive. i have had my two adult ones for two years now. and i have learned that from experience when i had some in my 90 gallon and they both died cause they didn't have enough oxygen and current.

 

[fadetoblack06]

They have these most of the time by a pet store by my house, they are cool and I tried 3 of them when I first started up my 55 but it wasnt cycled right so they all died . They are cool though to see them gliding through the water.

 

[tmdavies]

unfortunatly my plec died a few days ago i thought he was gonna do really well in this tank aswell

 

[candy775]

They have these most of the time by a pet store by my house, they are cool and I tried 3 of them when I first started up my 55 but it wasnt cycled right so they all died . They are cool though to see them gliding through the water.

cool but the pet store's around where i live don't have them. my two just had 9 babies. and i had to set my 10 gallon up as a nursery for them. and it wasn't cycled right and i lost 3. so i went out and bought some bactericia supplement to help establish the tank. their babies are even cuter too. here's a pic of 1/6 of my hillstream loach babies.