ID needed

[Fish beginner]

Any threads on here with pictures of loaches and catfish?, my parents bought what they think is a loach to clean the brown-ish algae from my tank. I really want to ID the little fella as I'm worried for my fish.

 

[red-devil0602]

any pics

 

[black angel]

you can try here
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=38

theres the common chinese algae eater.
http/www.petresources.net/fish/cyprinid/gyr_aym.html
this fish has a tendency to eat the slime coat off goldies.

theres the siamese algae eater also known as the flying fox
http/www.thekrib.com/Fish/siamensis.html

and then theres the hillstream loach
http/www.loaches.com/species_pages/beauf...ichowensis.html

hope that helps a bit.

 

[Fish beginner]

Thanks for the help blackangel, just looked at the links it's a 'Hillstream Loach'. Will he be alright with my goldie?, how large will he get and what should I be feeding him?

 

[load of pollock]

get some algae wafer for the hillstream to feed on and it be fine with the goldies

but be sure the hillstream find the wafer as i have found that goldies like eat wafer but not too much.... just keep an eyes on the feeding

 

[black angel]

Youll be very lucky if the loach does eat the wafers, i found they prefer to stay on the glass or browse on the brown algae on rocks.
You will need a fast air flow pointing onto one of the tank walls and have it with air going through.
The hillstream comes from fast flowing streams and these are well oxygenated. They dont grow very big, maybe 3 inches at most but are really fast when they want to be. As long as the goldies arent monsters then they should get on ok.
If you want to try and feed half an algae tablet then add when the tank is dark and the goldies are sleeping.

 

[Fish beginner]

Thanks for the info black angel, can the hillstream survive/live healthly on algae from the tank only?. Don't want to starve the poor little guy.

 

[black angel]

Depends how big the tank is i think. They eat a lot of algae so adding the odd half tablet when there appears to be no algae around might help and having a bit of cucumber added now and again but they are i think hard to feed if they dont get the algae.
I'm not that clued up on them to be honest and may be best to ask in the catfish section or google to see what else you can find on them.

 

[black angel]

Been searching around and only worry if the belly of the fish looks sunken. If you can, try and get a couple more so they will feel braver and come out onto the gravel more. They will soon learn when feeding time is and will even scour the gravel for flakes.
Getting a bit of blanched aubergine and addding a bit to the tank will not only let the fish eat the softer insides but the loach will eat the harder outsides.

 

[Fish beginner]

Thanks once again black angel.

 

[goldene]

Hello there I have a hillstream loach and have had him for almost 2 years in with my goldfish, he doesnt get a look in with the alge wafers but luckily he is happily munching on the liitle goodies that grow on the algae on my wood and seems to be doing fine, the only advise I would give is to make sure you have a mature tank with some algae growth for them to survive, good luck