what kind of pleco was it?

[tarpon]

I was at the local fish store and they had these plecos that had a sting ray lime body. With like flaps that came down on the side. Does anyone know what kinda pleco this is?? Or if there even is one like this

 

[Cichildlife]

Got any pics.. Otherwise from your discription i have no idea sorry

 

[Fishguy2727]

Butterfly 'pleco' (actually a loach)?

 

[somethingsfishy]

Yea I was thinking loach too by the description

 

[tarpon]

I just said pleco bc that's what it looked like, a pleco with a stingray body. Lemme google the loach

 

[somethingsfishy]

I was thinking hillstream.

 

[tarpon]

Its definately the butterfly. How is it a loach and not a pleco? Those things are so cool! I wanted to get one but didn't want to make an uninformed purchase

 

[tarpon]

They don't even get that big! I definately might get one. Would it be compatible with angelfish and a bristlenose and cory cats?

 

[joel618]

Its definately the butterfly. How is it a loach and not a pleco? Those things are so cool! I wanted to get one but didn't want to make an uninformed purchase

I think they are kinda hard to keep.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Many shops call them 'butterfly pleco' but a better common name is hillstream loach. They like a lot of flow, they come from small, fast, cool mountain streams. Their body shape allows them to stick to the rocks and substrate in the fast current. What temp are you keeping the tank at? Check fishbase.org to see what temp the hillstreams have in nature and verify they can take whatever temp you are currently doing.

 

[alLexX]

They don't even get that big! I definately might get one. Would it be compatible with angelfish and a bristlenose and cory cats?

i think they are a temperate species

 

[tarpon]

I have a lot of flow. Not like fast river flow but a lot. I have two filters that output a good bit of water and a bubbler bar.
My temp stays around 79-80 right now cuz its so hot out

 

[Batt4Christ]

Sounds like the millstream loaches the lfs I like carry regularly. Very neat looking (like cross between a little pleco and a stingray)

 

[CharlieB]

yeh definetly sound like the Hillstream loach, theyre pretty hard to keep, If you have any other plecos or anything then the hillstream will probably be starved there a bit finicky i've heard theyre also called "Borneo suckers" in the lfs's here.

 

[tarpon]

yeh definetly sound like the Hillstream loach, theyre pretty hard to keep, If you have any other plecos or anything then the hillstream will probably be starved there a bit finicky i've heard theyre also called "Borneo suckers" in the lfs's here.

Why would they starve?

 

[Ellenquacker72]

Because both the Pleco and the hillstream loach feed on mainly algae, so you'd have to find some way to supplement with wafers that they'll eat, or grow extra algae so that there'd be enough to go around. And I've read that the loaches prefer lower temperatures ( low 70's ) because they require a lot lot lot of oxygen in the water. Therefore they are best kept with white cloud minnows. But I personally don't have any experience with them, this is just what I've read

 

[tarpon]

Ohh. I already feed algae wafers

 

[Ellenquacker72]

Then you could probably give them a try, to see if it'll eat them. But if he's acting sluggish and out of sorts, there might not be enough o2 for him. Even with the bubble wall etc. Just be prepared to take him back in case I've heard they're quite hard to keep, and need specific requirements. But they are quite cute I've been tempted to get one before! You could probably put one in your goldfish tank, since I'm assuming it isn't heated, as long as there is a fair amount if current.