Loach or Pleco?

[2cvbloke]

Well, after a long time waiting for the oppertunity to catch the little bugger with my camera, it has finally happened, I have a picture of him/her!!!

So, the question, is it some unknown breed of Pleco, or is it a Hillstream or similar Loach???

You decide...

 

[Sicklid]

Hillstream loach, IME. I don't know the name, but it sure looks like the ones I have seen. I have an old back issue of TFH, and it has a whole article on them... I will have to dig it out.

 

[theotheragentm]

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/beaufortia-kweichowensis

I second Hillstream Loach.

 

[jsoong]

Looks like my hillstream loach (Beaufortia kweichowensis). Although in some lfs, this is called a "Hong Kong Pleco" it is not a pleco as well.

Othe hillstream loaches includes Gastromyzon, Pseudogastromyzon .... there are some dozen species

If you can look at the underside of the fish through the glass, you should see the little beating heart, and mouth that doesn't look at all like a pleco's.

This is a source of info & pics: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/beaufortia-kweichowensis

 

[black hills tj]

I'd say hillstream loach, but I have seen some "butterfly pleco's" on aquabid that look similar. Maybe they were just hillstreams though *shrug*

 

[papa_bear_21]

I vote loach as well, to me, the body doesnt seem to fit that of a pleco, but more of the hillstream.

 

[2cvbloke]

Hillstream it is then!!!

Any ideas how big they get? 8O

I've been thinking about splitting up the orandas and the loaches after my recent discovery of an Oranda's full size, and was thinking of keeping the loaches together in their current tank, but if a Hillstream needs a higher water speed than a Weather, then there may be three unhappy fish and one very pleased one!!!

Soooo, if I had a smaller river styled tank for little Hillie (it is technically my fish!!!), and leave the other three, and maybe a few other fish that won't overstock the tank, in the big one maybe I can get away with keeping everything happy, assuming I can get a biger tank for the orandas!!!

MTS here we come (well, not me, it's my mum's tank!!!)....

EDIT:
I think I have his/her species nailed, I was just looking at the fish on the driftwood (algae munching) and I noticed it flicking up it's forsal fin when moving backwards and it had a red stripe running along the tip, and I was looking at a picture of a similar one last night, so I just looked again and I think the Loach is this breed:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/pseudogastromyzon-myersi

I'm not even going to try to say the first half of the name!!!

EDIT AGAIN:
2.25 inches is the maximum size of that breed... 8O

Pretty small that... 8O

Anyway, I've just been watching it eat a bloodworm, I've never seen it do that before, it was so amazing to watch!!!

 

[Sicklid]

For now you can try to aim the outflow of your filter at one of the glass walls (the fronts always fun, so you can watch em!) and they will usually hang out on that pane of glass. Not always doable in everyones system, I understand, but give it a try....

OR just go and do the fast moving river species tank like you are thinkin about! There is nothing wrong with that!

 

[2cvbloke]

For now you can try to aim the outflow of your filter at one of the glass walls (the fronts always fun, so you can watch em!) and they will usually hang out on that pane of glass. Not always doable in everyones system, I understand, but give it a try....

OR just go and do the fast moving river species tank like you are thinkin about! There is nothing wrong with that!

I do position the outlet of the filter towards the front of the tank, but the other fish tend to hide away if the water runs too fast, so I have to limit the waterflow just enough that they all have something to excercise in and to keep the little 'un happy...

If I had a nice long tank I really would have fun making a river tank, I even have a basic idea for it in my head, then I could have a few little Hillies in there, and maybe a few other fast-flow fish....

 

[2cvbloke]

I went back to the petshop in Burnley and they had "Plecos" and "Borneo Suckers", but they actually had several different species of Hillies, so I got 2 of them...

I'm not 100% sure if I have nailed their breed, but the closest match I can find is the following species:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/neogastromyzon-crassiobex

The other one is a bit of a mystery as I can't see anything that matches, he seems to have bits of different breeds, and he has a red striped tail...

But they're pretty active fellas, they're probably confused in that they now have more space and less fish to compete with in my mum's tank than in the shop, but I think they'll be happy in there whilst I find a suitable river tank (I decided the one in the petshop was a bit too small and I'd like something bigger to play with instead)...

 

[gheitman]

I just picked up a couple of weeks ago three hillstream loaches myself. I added some round rocks and a power head to a tank and they seem healthy enough. Check out this article for more information:

http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstream-loaches-the-specialists-at-life-in-the-fast-lane

I found it very useful.

 

[2cvbloke]

I just picked up a couple of weeks ago three hillstream loaches myself. I added some round rocks and a power head to a tank and they seem healthy enough. Check out this article for more information:

http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstream-loaches-the-specialists-at-life-in-the-fast-lane

I found it very useful.

That's the article I got the idea for building a river tank from, but reading through it I spotted a pic of a hillie which matched the slightly mysterious one:

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/gastromyzon-ocellatus

Looking again at the other one I wasn't sure about, it might be a P. Cheni, but either way, they're fun little characters!!! The P. Myersi is bullying the new two when they're too near him, but it's understandable as he's been alone in there (species-wise) for a while...

 

[tropicfishman]

I say hillstream loach