Hillstream Loach Tankmates?

[eschaton]

I'm planning on setting up a hillstream tank for my dining room. It will be a fast current tank, and be unheated, so the average temperature should be around 68 Fahrenheit year round. I'd like to make it into a SE Asian hillstream biotope, but I'm having a hard time figuring out some good tankmates. I'll need something for the top reaches, and all I'm coming up with are Giant Danios or White Clouds. Would Gold Barbs be a good choice? I'm scratching my head here.

 

[The-Wolf]

pretty much any Danionin (Celestichthys, Chela, Danio, Danionella, Devario, Esomus, Inlecypris, Microrasbora, Paedocypris, Parachela & Sundadanio ) will be fine, as will most rasbora (Boraras, Rasbora & Trigonostigma).
Also look for Barilius too.

You may wish to drop mikev a PM as he has just such a tank that you are thinking of,
he be able to give you some pointers

 

[dizzied]

Have a look on franksaquarium.com

He stocks a lot of hillstream loaches and fish.

 

[mikev]

You may wish to drop mikev a PM as he has just such a tank that you are thinking of,
he be able to give you some pointers

Thanks Wolf, I'm here.

Actually, i have more than one tank like this.... :

You already answered the question. I can only add that some barbs are also ok (Rosy and Odessa are both subtropical species that need lower temp and will not mind current). I _think_ Gold Barbs are ok too, I just never tried them, this is on the list of "try one day".

IME (and this is of course biased) the best dithers are White Clouds and Blackline Rasboras. Danios are OK, but they move and eat more and hang around the ground, *slightly* bothering the hillstreams. Among the Danios, my favorites are Kyathits. Barbs are the worst: Odessa's suppressed the hillstreams and interfered with them eating.

And most of my hillstreams do come from Franksaquarium....with high probability of some more tomorrow