Cold Water Algae Eaters??

[Minxnfella]

Hiya
The fish you're talking about are called hillstream loaches, and they do best in small groups. They're great to watch and fantastic at eating algae. I had three but two died then one just disappeared...think it must have died then got chewed up by the filter...anyway. I recommend them.

 

[snotirl]

u can get sucker for cold water tanks but i dont know what there names r i have been lookin for one to but i have that brown algae problem and i bought this special thing that u put in your fish tank its a bag and its take nitrate etc out and keeps the water clean and the brown algae way have a look for it . its in a green box. open it and see if its a bag then u know

 

[PsychAnMD]

Hello folks, I'm new to the forum. I've had four standard plecos 3-4" over a month in a 60 gal coldwater tank, with the temperature at 69 degrees. All died after a four days. The Goldfish and Koi are fine, as are the two standard Chinese Algae Eaters, and one all pure yellow one, though I've had a couple of those died also. And it's not thriving like the standard ones are.

I have an aquatic biologist fellow at my local (Pa.) fish store, and he says there's a small native species called a stone turner that flips off the algae both for fun and eating, in small Pa streams. I can't find it in a detailed fish listing. Anybody have a reference or source for this? I'd like to go native if I can. I have a 1/4 million gallon Koi and goldfish pond I had to kill off last year, and am starting over with babies I grow a bit in my 60 gal tank.

So, where do we get the Hillside Loaches? Is there a good cheap source in or near Pa.? Or in general for fish? I also want high quality baby "Butterfly" or "Fantail" frilly Koi. Bill

 

[fishprotector]

Hillstream loaches are a very specialised fish that need a totally different kind of environment to your normal coldwater fish. They come from fast flowing mountain streams and need very clean and well oxygenated water. They also prefer temperatures around 20-24 degrees. Lastly, they do not eat algae, they eat microscopic organisms known as aufwuchs which live in and on the algae.

They will not thrive with goldfish etc as the water will be badly polluted, too cold and too stagment.

I currently have a river tank set up and have done a lot of research into these little fellows.

 

[FishLover4+1]

for small goldfish can i recomend snails??? but when they get bigger (the goldfish) the snails will be eaten!!! feed algae wafers but watch out 'cos my fany goldfish were eating them (the wafers).
i also like algae magnets 'cos theyre really easy to use!!!
and fishprotecter: how do you set up a river tank??? i'm presuming you cant use standard filters that suck in and push out water from the same end???