Hillstream Loach

[joshv155]

Anyone have these and if so can you tell me of your experience with them ? How much water flow do they need to be happy/healthy and of a lot is to much flow for other tank makes ?

I'm setting up a 125 tank that will have a black ghost knife, red tail shark, 2 rope fish, gold Severum and gold nugget pleco in it.

I have two powerheads on opposite sides of my current 75 tank. I was thinking of putting 2 on one side or 2 on each side of the new 125 and putting them on a controller so only flowing one way at a time or switching form one way to both ways to vary the flow.

I try and get odd/different types of fish and these loaches looked really cool but want to make sure they have the correct environment. Been researching and want info from folks who have or had them.

 

[Readingexcalibur]

Easy to care for! Although, the do require a decent amount of flow. Have a species of hill stream loach in mind? That will help you research more about there specific needs!

 

[joshv155]

The only one I know for sure the store I'm going to has is a Sewellia Lineolata.

 

[Ladybug5399]

I recently had the one in the picture. He was my favorite fish I keep my tank at 82 and he seemed very happy. They can be very active and fun to watch glide from place to place in the tank. They usually feed off of bacteria but mine loved sinking wafers. Everywhere I read they required a nice flow.... Mine was all over the tank and didnt seem to care.

 

[Autumnsky]

Following ...our lfs has these all the time and I am planning on getting a few after the new tank has been up for awhile though.

 

[Fredje]

Mine loves algae wafers and usually loaches about on the back of the tank near the powerhead. Also made a spot for him under a rock where bigger fish (like RTS or my recently discovered surprise pleco) can't get to, he loves to sit there too. I run an aerator at night to keep oxygen supply high enough. My wife loves these little guys so much she wants me to build a custom loach tank (long tank with strong airy currents and smooth rocks), we'll see

 

[laur94x]

I had one of these until last week when he jumped out you need a secure lid with no holes (plug the hole that the filter leads runs through)
Amazing fish
My hillstream loach was coldwater though? :s unless that's just certain types?
He loved my bubble wall and the smooth rock ornaments.
He mainly just ate off of the glass but would sometimes come onto the gravel for algea wafers and the vegetables that I put in and anything which the fish had left

 

[joshv155]

Are they better in groups or individual ?

 

[Andrewz00]

I used to have one... He got eaten... one of my fav fish ever tho!

 

[Coursair]

Loaches Online http://www.loaches.com/site has some good info. My friend has a dedicated Loach tank. She has a group of young captive bred Sewellias. She also has Gastromyzons.

They do some chase/territorial behaviors but no major damage. She has a 125g River Tank.
It is kept fairly cool if I remember. Lower temps hold more oxygen.

I don't think a Knife Fish would appreciate the same conditions at all. Most Hillstream Loaches stay pretty small. They would not be able to stand up to Semi Aggressive larger fish like you list AFAIK.

She feeds Rapashy foods, Spinach, she grows Algae on smooth rocks and has a heavily planted tank.