Butterfly Loach (aka Hill Stream Loach)

[Menagerie]

I bought two Butterfly loaches three months ago and placed one in the 50 gal community tank and one in the 10 gal hex. Both died within a week of each other . Ammonia and nitrites are undectable. All other fish in these tanks are fine.
I'm not looking for reasons mine died. I would like input from those that have them. How long lived are they? (I read they can live years) Any special requirements? (oxygenated water, current?) I thought I was giving my loaches what they needed :?
Let me know how you keep your butterfly loaches healthy and "happy"!
Thanks!

 

[crazie.eddie]

How did you acclimate them?

What do you mean, ammonia and nitrates are undectable...do you mean, undetectable? Of so, is it off the charts? Or you have no test kit to use?

 

[Fruitbat]

Menagerie....

I had a couple of hillstream loaches in my 26 gallon and they seemed to do very well (I finally gave them to a friend of mine). They like a LOT of current because they come from highly oxygenated water and they seem to enjoy browsing on algae-covered rocks.

 

[webmoose]

I read and read and read about these guys before I bought mine.

Before I got it: Current is key and lower temp. I've done a few special things specifically for the loach. I clean the filter intake way to much to ensure there is a strong current. I adjusted the lighting so he/she would have a dark space to occupy. At least once a week I make sure the gang in this tank get fed bloodworms. I am really doubtful that the loach actually gets any but it makes me feel better. I actally have turned off the lights as it seemed to bother him. Its a planted tank so I moved it to a space where it could get lots of natural light.. (I am sure eveyone is thinking I am crzy for doing all this for one little critter.)

After I got the loach. I read some more articles and they said that a good tank for these guys is high high water flow similar to what Fruitbat said. I also found a few articles that say that all of these are wild caught and go thru a horrible transfer process. I also read that they don't really grow once they get into aquariums they kinda hold on as long as they can...

I already had mine so all this info was after the fact.

I think mine is doing well. But I am almost positive that whoever supplied these types of fish locally probably did so to all the places in the city. I suspect I probably got one around the same time as you Menagerie.

I will keep you posted. He really appreciates the current when I keep the filter clear he hangs around there alot. I've also left certain spots on the glass collect algea. (where I've watched him chew on the glass.)

I've had mine since December 2003. Around what time did you get yours?

The optimal tank for these guys showed a set up with two canister filters just flowing the crap out of the tank. I think if you wanted to raise these guys to be happy that would be the best tank.

 

[CKfish]

I've had one for about two months and he's doing great in a heavily filtered 20 gallon. I have no idea what special care he requires other than water movement, so he doesn't get any. That said, he seems happy. There's a great article on keeping these guys at http://loaches.com.

CKfish

 

[Menagerie]

do you mean, undetectable?

That’s what I get for not spell checking
As in lowest reading on the scale (aka 0) with liquid tests. They were acclimated the same as all my fish. I don't get it, they lived for three months and died within a week of each other :?
I got them in early February. AH!! They lived for only two months!
Moose, if you have any of the links to articles you read, could you post them? Thanks!

 

[webmoose]

Here are some that I was refering to:
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/beaufortia_kweichowensis.html
http://www.aquariacentral.com/articles/hillstream.shtml
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/ghillstream.html

and this is one of the ones I read AFTER I got the hillstream:
http://www.bobd.lunarpages.com/loaches/breeding.html

 

[Madame_X]

Sorry about your loaches, Menagerie.

I wanted a hillstream loach when I first saw one. I thought it would be perfect for my 12 gallon tank (before I found my pitbull pleco). However, a little research indicated that they prefer much cooler temperatures. I just can't count on anything below 80-82 here in Arizona during the summertime so I opted not to get one.

They're really cool, though.

 

[millym]

sorry about your loaches - theyre lovely little fish. we bought 2 about 2 months ago & sadly we lost one within 2 days, our tank parameters were good too so we thought it must have been stress/shock. we have just lost our 2nd one - we had a major tank leak/trauma a few weeks ago & it seems it was just too much for the guy
we'd like to get some more but are worried that something similar will happen. i'll have to check out those links & try & learn a lot more about them.

 

[Rudy_627]

how do you get a current what do you need to buy?

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

A cannister Filter has a power head out, allows you to point it at a rock or something else that he can hang on for dear life (they are designed this way, they have an oversized sucker and very aerodynamic body design.) or you can use a powerhead, which is prety much just a pump in the water, allows you to direct the water aswell.

 

[Frisckey1]

I bought two Butterfly loaches three months ago and placed one in the 50 gal community tank and one in the 10 gal hex. Both died within a week of each other . Ammonia and nitrites are undectable. All other fish in these tanks are fine.
I'm not looking for reasons mine died. I would like input from those that have them. How long lived are they? (I read they can live years) Any special requirements? (oxygenated water, current?) I thought I was giving my loaches what they needed :?
Let me know how you keep your butterfly loaches healthy and "happy"!
Thanks!

BUtterfly loaches are sensitive. Specifically to nitrates. First nitrates over 10ppm kill. WELL oxygenated water is a must, cooler - moving waters are a big plus. Algea and tubifex worms are big fav for mine. Mine hand feeds everytime I get out the worms...but no other time. They are his all time fav!

 

[webmoose]

Mine has adopted the surface of a clay pot as his home. Not sure if it is the texture / color / or what but he loves it and no longer hangs out on the glass...

Its nice to see him instead just the bottom of him...

Moose

 

[Bad Jeff]

Hey Menagerie... I picked up 4 of them right around the same time as you did. Cool fish. Anyhoo... mine seem happiest hiding behind a wall of bubbles comming from the powerhead that I've hooked a small DW-12 air pump to. Sorry for your loss, I know you take really good care of your fish.
jt

 

[webmoose]

Bad Jeff do you have all 4 in the same tank?

 

[Medusa Head]

They need very high levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. They live in very fast rapids with very high oxygen. It's been my experience that you must run an airstone when keeping balitorids such as hillstream loaches, or they will die very quickly.

 

[Medusa Head]

BUtterfly loaches are sensitive. Specifically to nitrates. First nitrates over 10ppm kill.

I'm not sure where you get this information. I have kept hillstream loaches in levels greater than this and they do just fine.

 

[czcz]

Which would you pick for a <2" hillstream?

1. 8g (156 sq in) @~140gph one way current. <10ppm nitrates. 74-76F. Heavily planted.
2. "20 long" @200gph hob. >20ppm nitrates. 72F. Few plants.
3. Return to LFS.

Ours seems fine as a glass dweller in the 2nd set-up (~1 month), but from reading I wonder if it would prefer the current of the 1st, despite smaller volume. Thank you.

 

[czcz]

bump.

 

[webmoose]

If it is happy and active... I would say don't fix what isn't broken.. I think the lower temp that you have both tanks in would be ok for it.. I know i've posted on here that the hillstream loaches like lots of current but as mine gets older it spends more time all over the tank and less involved with the current...

Moose