Are hillstream loaches "outgoing" enough to put in my barb tank, with the Tinfoils???

[Magnum Man]

Tried doing some smaller plecos but the Tin Foils at 5" are too intimidating, & they hide or disappear... Looks like I'm either going to have to find a bigger or more outgoing fancy pleco??? I've not had Hillstream loaches before, & while they won't get very big, & the Tin Foils don't harm smaller fish, they are intimidating when they eat... looking at some reticualted hillstream loaches

 

[Wills]

Hillstream loaches really need specialised set ups with exceptionally high flow. Panda Garras could be an option, also a high flow fish but not as essential as with Hillstream Loaches.

If you want to go with the pleco route maybe try swapping to Whiptail Catfish, much more active, less shy and produce less waste than their thicker cousins!

Wills

 

[Magnum Man]

I actually have a pair of old 220 gallon Whisper "hot" filters on this tank, so there is a pretty fair water movement

this is some of the info I've gleaned of the www... ( you know there is nothing but truth of the www )

"Most of the initial research into this species says that they are a cool water fish that must be kept in a river manifold tank with fast current and high oxygenation. We have personally kept them in hot water tanks with clown loaches, unheated setups with goldfish, and even heavily planted 20-gallon tanks with gentle sponge filters – and the hillstream loaches happily thrived and bred in each of those different settings. In our opinion, what they really appreciate is a stable pH (preferably from 7.0-7.8) and good water quality. Any kind of fish tank filter will work, as long as it’s appropriately sized for your aquarium and the other inhabitants can handle the flow"

Care Guide for Hillstream Loaches – Housing, Tank Mates, Feeding

Looking for an algae eater with an eye-catching appearance? Learn about reticulated hillstream loaches, their tank setup, diet, tank mates, and more.

www.aquariumcoop.com

BTW... I like the whip Tail catfish suggestion, may look at those as well

 

[Magnum Man]

Looked into whip tails, the common one, not as interesting... I like the farlowella's but I always had the impression they were a little "dainty" maybe those are more outgoing than I expected???

 

[Wills]

I actually have a pair of old 220 gallon Whisper "hot" filters on this tank, so there is a pretty fair water movement

this is some of the info I've gleaned of the www... ( you know there is nothing but truth of the www )

"Most of the initial research into this species says that they are a cool water fish that must be kept in a river manifold tank with fast current and high oxygenation. We have personally kept them in hot water tanks with clown loaches, unheated setups with goldfish, and even heavily planted 20-gallon tanks with gentle sponge filters – and the hillstream loaches happily thrived and bred in each of those different settings. In our opinion, what they really appreciate is a stable pH (preferably from 7.0-7.8) and good water quality. Any kind of fish tank filter will work, as long as it’s appropriately sized for your aquarium and the other inhabitants can handle the flow"

BTW... like the whip Tail catfish suggestion, may look at those as well

Where is that information from? It feels like an anecdotal 'well I did this and they didnt die', rather than looking at how they live in the wild and how the species have evolved to that unique shape and way of living over presumably thousands of years. When there are other options and you are adding fish to a tank rather than setting a tank up around them - I would choose a more flexible species.

As a different example on that Malawi video I shared earlier today, I'd been interested in keeping the Lethinthrops in a tank but seeing the size of those nests no way on earth will I keep them in a tank. I won't judge others for keeping them in a way that serves them in a tank but similar to the Hillstreams - a unique evolution has happened and unless we can commit to replicating the circumstances that serves that uniqueness I can't recommend it.

Wills

 

[Wills]

Looked into whip tails, the common one, not as interesting... I like the farlowella's but I always had the impression they were a little "dainty" maybe those are more outgoing than I expected???

Farlowellas are Twigs rather than Whiptails and a bit of a different fish. Whiptails are Loricarias, Sturisomas, Lamonicthys and Planiloricaria big broad mix of species in there all look quite different, lots of different sizes, colours and patterns.

Wills

 

[Magnum Man]

I added a link to my previous post

 

[Magnum Man]

I have bought from this guy before... is this more what you were thinking???

Whiptail Loricaria Catfish - Goodjoseph LIVE Fish Store

Apparently a most widespread species. It’s been collected in Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. With further study, some of these recordings may prove to be separate species.

www.goodjosephlivefishstore.com

as is the case, if one could buy bigger fish, would be better, but some fish are OK small, for example I put 5 - 1/2" black cory's in the tank, lost one but now I have 4 - 2.5" cory's just a couple months later... they were so small when added, that the tin foils were mouthing them, as if they were pellets... none got eaten... but they did good... baby plecos at 2" are what I was referring to, where they hide or disappeared... had a pretty ugly common pleco that got to 8" in that tank, before I moved him to the one my Bichirs are going into as a conditioning fish, before the Bichirs come in the house before winter

 

[Byron]

I actually have a pair of old 220 gallon Whisper "hot" filters on this tank, so there is a pretty fair water movement

this is some of the info I've gleaned of the www... ( you know there is nothing but truth of the www )

"Most of the initial research into this species says that they are a cool water fish that must be kept in a river manifold tank with fast current and high oxygenation. We have personally kept them in hot water tanks with clown loaches, unheated setups with goldfish, and even heavily planted 20-gallon tanks with gentle sponge filters – and the hillstream loaches happily thrived and bred in each of those different settings. In our opinion, what they really appreciate is a stable pH (preferably from 7.0-7.8) and good water quality. Any kind of fish tank filter will work, as long as it’s appropriately sized for your aquarium and the other inhabitants can handle the flow"

Care Guide for Hillstream Loaches – Housing, Tank Mates, Feeding

Looking for an algae eater with an eye-catching appearance? Learn about reticulated hillstream loaches, their tank setup, diet, tank mates, and more.

www.aquariumcoop.com

BTW... I like the whip Tail catfish suggestion, may look at those as well

There is definite inaccurate information on this site concerning Corydoras habitats. I personally would not even read it. They are wrong on the loaches. I don't care if they kept them warmer and they spawned, so what. As Ian Fuller points out with people who make such ridiculous statements, the prime instinct in fish as in all species is to reproduce to maintain the species. Fish will try to achieve this whatever negative circumstances we throw in their way. The fact that a fish swims, eats and spawns is no proof that it is being well cared for.

The body shape and behaviour of a species is a very clear indication of what it needs, and note I say needs. This is in the fish species genetics, it does not change.

If you are going to look up information on loaches, go to the sites that are professional like Seriously Fish or Loaches Online. Here is the latter, very different advice from that other nonsense.

Sewellia lineolata — Loaches Online

www.loaches.com

 

[Byron]

Forgot...as for the Tinfoil, some data below; as you can see, these two species have differing requirements to be healthy.

Origin and Habitat: Widespread over SE Asia including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. Occurs in large rivers, streams, canals and ditches, moving into the flooded forest to spawn during the flood season.

Not a fish for the average home aquarium due to its large size, but a group of 6 or more in a 200+ gallon aquarium furnished with river gravel, stones, bogwood, and some hardy plants (Anubias, Java Fern) is quite a beautiful site. A riverine aquascape is ideal, and some of the larger loaches can also be included.

It prefers the middle of the water column. A moderate current from the filter is recommended to maintain higher oxygen levels, as this fish is an active swimmer. It must be kept in groups or it will become skittish and often aggressive. It is a vigorous eater, so care must be taken not to overfeed. Females are rounder than males; not known to have been spawned in home aquaria.

 

[Boundava]

Looked into whip tails, the common one, not as interesting... I like the farlowella's but I always had the impression they were a little "dainty" maybe those are more outgoing than I expected???

My farowella is more robust than my other whiptails. I would recommend them as well.

Hillstream loaches are territorial to each other and other species. They are outgoing but will battle each other for territory. Sometimes the stress is too much for the other party.

 

[Magnum Man]

that link is in the junk file now... @ Byron... so as I mentioned I have 2 hang on tank filters each positioned on the back corner on opposite sides... there is a pretty big piece of drift wood that breaks up the flow some in the middle of the tank... also a 10" air bar on each end... aside from the aquarium needing to grow, as the fish do... ( a 120 gallon in their future )... the fish seem happy & have been growing & seem adjusted... they seem to hang out in the front, on opposite ends from the filter away from the filter current... & there should be less ( a bigger are of less current ), when the bigger tank comes... water temps are similar between the two species... assuming the 2 species will get along, as they will primarily occupy different parts of the tank... Hillstream loaches on the back in the current from the filters, & Tin Foils in the front, where the driftwood blocks most of the current... as long as the Hillstream loaches are self confident enough ( like the little cory's were ) at feeding time

 

[Byron]

that link is in the junk file now... @ Byron... so as I mentioned I have 2 hang on tank filters each positioned on the back corner on opposite sides... there is a pretty big piece of drift wood that breaks up the flow some in the middle of the tank... also a 10" air bar on each end... aside from the aquarium needing to grow, as the fish do... ( a 120 gallon in their future )... the fish seem happy & have been growing & seem adjusted... they seem to hang out in the front, on opposite ends from the filter away from the filter current... & there should be less ( a bigger are of less current ), when the bigger tank comes... water temps are similar between the two species... assuming the 2 species will get along, as they will primarily occupy different parts of the tank... Hillstream loaches on the back in the current from the filters, & Tin Foils in the front, where the driftwood blocks most of the current... as long as the Hillstream loaches are self confident enough ( like the little cory's were ) at feeding time

This is not a good idea. The barbs attain 14 inches. The poor Hillstream will be overwhelmed. The latter require a totally unique habitat, one of rocks in bright light to grow algae. This does not suit the barbs at all, given their origin habitat.

 

[Magnum Man]

spent a while looking up whip tail catfish... so far everything I'm seeing likes warmer water than I'm running in that tank ( partly why I started looking at the HillStream's, a better match for temps )

any suggestions for a mid to lower 70 degree F tank??? I think the heater is set at 74 degrees right now

 

[Byron]

spent a while looking up whip tail catfish... so far everything I'm seeing likes warmer water than I'm running in that tank ( partly why I started looking at the HillStream's, a better match for temps )

any suggestions for a mid to lower 70 degree F tank??? I think the heater is set at 74dregrees right now

Barbonymus schwanenfeldii has a temperature range of 22-25C/72-77F and is best roughly in the middle (this is how temperature ranges work, the extreme high and low are not intended as long-term but short-term manageability). Some oof the sturdier loaches would fit. Remember the barbs will swallow small fish. There is still the shoal issue, and a 7-foot tank.