Help i have a Hillstream Loach Where do i put him?

[em1981ma]

Hi

I wish I had done more research before I purchased him but alas I now have a Hillstream Loach ie hongkong Pleco.

I am torn where to place him.

I have a 40gallon tank which long term will house A black Moor and An Oranda, temperate fish and Hillstream Loach are currently temporally housed in this tank too. It has a EHEIM pick up 2012 filter with venturi air diffusor.

I also have a spare 3ftx1ftx1ft tank which I intend to set up as a tropical tank very soon to move my temperate fish into.

I am torn where to put my Hillstream Loach as he gets on very well with goldies and I hide his food in a Haunted house which goldies are too fat to get in so I know Hill stream Loach must eat. My temperate fish don't show as much interest in Loaches wafer but first of all my goldies being greedy were all over it so through trial and error I have corrected this. My Hillstream Loach is newest member to tank. I am going to try him with some peas and cucumber tonight. Long term can I keep him with my goldies as I fear moving him in heated tank wouldn't be good for him. I could purchase an addiction filter for 40gallon to help with water flow as they like good currents or get a good bubble machine for him. I would if I do go with keeping him in Goldie tank need to get him a friend as they like there own company. My only other options if his not good with goldies long term is to put him in an unheated tank with temperate fish and buy a power head to get a good waterflow to create streamlike conditions I know my cloud minnow love a good waterflow but I then have the dilemma of my platys who actually tho temperate get on bit better in slightly warmer conditions. In temperate tank I would have 4danios, 2 platys 3 minnows so prob would have room to get Hillstream a friend after tanks cycled. Any advice would be great I really don't know what to do and feel really silly not to have done better research, My only other option is too take him back to LFS as I cant and don't have room for a species only tank for him unfortunately which I think probably would have been the best idea.

Out of these options please advice what is best overall where possible ?

 

[cgthebeast]

I think the tank you have him in now is the best thing to do as they are all cold water fish. Just make sure you have good filtration and that the water quality stays up. Improving water flow was a great idea too. Also do you already have the other tank set up? I know white cloud minnows also like cooler water, so you could move the minnows and white clouds over, bump up the schools for both and mabye add other cold water species

 

[em1981ma]

I think the tank you have him in now is the best thing to do as they are all cold water fish. Just make sure you have good filtration and that the water quality stays up. Improving water flow was a great idea too. Also do you already have the other tank set up? I know white cloud minnows also like cooler water, so you could move the minnows and white clouds over, bump up the schools for both and mabye add other cold water species

Hi

Thanks I agree I think overall temperature is most important I can always buy some small hiding ornaments for the Loach to hide there food in from the two goldies. I don't have the other tank set up yet as I had to do a reseal which is done now and in process of filling empty tank with water to day to see if tiny crack is water tight and to test for leaks. I have set my current filter to its max output flow which is 570phr. I think I may have to move cloud minnows into the Tropical tank I would keep heated at a lowest temperature just warm enough to be a bit more comfortable for my platys long term. I would be worried as my two goldies get bigger that they might eat the cloud minnows in the 40gallon tank plus I think stocking wise with two fancies One Moor and One Oranda with a hillstream Loach and potentially get him 1 or 2 buddies would have that 40gallon coldwater tank at its max stock wise. I would get same filter for Tropical Tank fit it in my current cold water as I hear its a good way to cycle it in a current tank. So a good flow for danios and minnows in Tropical tank. I wont heat it to any extreme temperature just a little above room to help Platys who are actually ok in my coldwater but longterm I hear they do abit better in a slightly warmer tank.
What say you too this? I wasn't aware Clouds needed coldwater particularly.

I def think I will also get a good bubble pump to create extra oxygen for goldies and loaches, My filter is breaking the surface area lovely now I have it on 570phr and got it pumping more water through air diffusor.

Emma

 

[cgthebeast]

ah, I misread that then, yes white clouds do prefer cooler water then most fish. Mabye setting low temps then moving everything over would be the best idea then. Just keep flow up