Hong Kong Pleco, or Butterfly Loach

[Eel Boy]

Can anyone give me some information on this either what you know or where i can read it on a site. Thanks a bunch

 

[Cheese Specialist]

These are coldwater fish that like very cool, very clean, fast flowing oxygenated water. They like smooth surfaces and eat micro-organisms in algae. They get to 3" and are not generally territorial.

Here's a link click me! Their real name is Hillstream Loach.

See my signature for pictures of my hillstream set-up.

HTH

 

[Eel Boy]

hey so what tem are me looking at because i am tihnking about getting one but i dont know if my tank is right. Can you give me more details about like temp, and is an aerator and a power filter good enough for current

 

[CFC]

Also not catfish, they are actually cyprinids, moved to the right place

 

[ryan]

Hillstream Loaches feed on micro organisms (aufwuchs) so the tank should be well established before adding them to ensure they have a good food supply. Lower temperatures are normally recommended so that there is a higher oxygen content in the water, they also need a fast current provided by a filter outlet to simulate their natural enviroment of a fast flowing stream. Smooth, flat and broad surfaces like stones and leaves are needed for the fish to attach itself in the current and these spots are also useful for developing the aufwuchs on which they feed. Cheese has a great tank set-up for hers so its well worth checking that out.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

hey so what tem are me looking at because i am tihnking about getting one but i dont know if my tank is right. Can you give me more details about like temp, and is an aerator and a power filter good enough for current

They can't go in a tropcal tank if that's what you are asking. I had mine at 75F for a short time until I converted the tank to coldwater and they are much more healthy and active at the lower tempature. I think that 75F is about the lowest a community tropical tank can be kept at too.

 

[Eel Boy]

okay thanks that is a big help i guess i might get another tank and start a coldwater tank then

 

[Cheese Specialist]

okay thanks that is a big help i guess i might get another tank and start a coldwater tank then

Oooh, you could start a hillstream loach and minnow tank, that would be cool. I'd avoid putting goldfish in it though, unless you really want to because they need a massive tank and create a lot of waste. Also, IMO the common varities (like common, comet and subunkin) should only be kept in ponds and I don't know what fancy goldfish (like moors, fantails and ryukins) are like with fast flowing water.

Good luck

 

[Ruby Shark]

They can't go in a tropcal tank if that's what you are asking.

I am livid with my lfs. I purchased one for my tropical fish tank(he advised that I should go for one...telling me they would do well in my tank) and a few days later he died.

Then yesterday we visited the same store because my boyfriend was looking for a small algae eater. He wanted to get an otto or Bristlenose but the guy kept on insisting that ottos were not great and die very easily. Now I know that they are sensititve to water conditions and we told him that wasn't a problem because his were fine. The fact that he was trying to push the butterfly loach down his throat knowing very well that he would not do well in a tropical setting made me sick. It was probably because the loach was much more expensive...go figure eh?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

That is a shame rubyshark

 

[adcs]

A few things I'd like to add to the list of these "Chinese Plecos/butterfly loaches". And I'm hoping that I'm talking about the same fish here:

I have two different species:

Gastromyzon Sp (Hillstream Loach or Borneo Suckers)

and Gastromyzon punctulatus (Spotted Hillstream Loach).

1) G. punctulatus is not territorial and very peaceful. G. Sp is extremely territorial, and kicks the butt of any other Hillstream Loach in it's path including poor little punctulatus.

2) G. Sp will eat anything he can stuff in his mouth - namely catfish pellets - is possessive over it's food, terrorises poor little corys and 'flys' at the tetras and even the Angelfish to get them away. G. punctulatus mainly eats aufwuchs but doesn't mind a bit of fish food here and there and is generally very quiet.

3) I kept both these species in a fast flowing tank with Barbs. I had the temperature at 24oC and they were very active and healthy. When I put them in their own tank and turned the heat down to 22oC they became less active, less boisterous and not as colourful. They stopped coming out for food as often and looked thoroughly miserable. I'm going to persevere and see if there are future improvements.

I'm not convinced that you can keep these fish like you keep goldfish. I think that they require special conditions - fast flowing, well oxygenated water at a temperature of around 22 - 23oC. Not an easy temperature to keep up in my house without a heater.

I feel so sorry for those fish sold as "Chinese Plecos", as they're nothing like a Plec and have very different needs.

 

[Crookster]

I am livid with my lfs. I purchased one for my tropical fish tank(he advised that I should go for one...telling me they would do well in my tank) and a few days later he died.

Don't go back there, I certainly wouldn't.

 

[Ruby Shark]

Don't go back there, I certainly wouldn't.

Oh I won't....not after something like that. It's unfortunate though..."some" people there do actually know what they are talking about.