identification needed

[reddeerhobbiest]

at the local fish store one of the tetra tanks had a stange algae type eater. It was flat and looked like a stingray, but only stuck to the side of the tank. any one know what this is? i think they said it was a butterfly flatfish?

 

[beblondie]

Most likely its a hillstream mountain loach-Anne

 

[SirMinion]

Yep, that's a hillstream loach for certain.

A fish that stores seem to love to invent names for!

Requires cool, well oxygenated, moving water and eats algae, detritus and meaty foods like bloodworm.

 

[troutfly]

I would have to agree with you guys on this one....hillstream loaches .....great fish of you have a tank set up for them...

 

[sylvia]

Lol! What are these LFSs going to come up with next? Anyway, these aren't tropical fish. They need cooler temperatures, fast-flowing, well-oxygenated water and, idealy, they should have large rounded river stones to graze algae off of. Good tank-mates would be various minnows and similar small coldwater fish that can handle the current but also wont harm the 'loaches' (they aren't realy, strictly speaking loaches).