# Hillstream Loach help.



## Fenneo (Oct 4, 2015)

Hi all, 

I am new to aquariums but have been reading as much as I can over the last few months and got my tank one month ago I fishless cycled until all parameters were stable and added fish and inverts on Monday. Today (four days later) one of the Hillstream loaches died. All of the other fish and inverts have way more color than when we brought them home and seem to be very happy and active. Parameters are below, my worry is that it was because of the temperature. The tank is at 79 degrees and I hoped that it would have been cooler but we had unseasonably warm weather on Tuesday. Is this likely the cause? suggestions welcome.

It is a 10 gallon with an Eheim 2011 canister filter and an inline Hydor heater, using ADA Amazonia substrate, with Pennywort, Vesuvius, DBT. Dosing 1mg The Wet Spot CO2 daily. Cycled until all parameters were stable and added fish and inverts on Monday.

Fish:
3 Hillstream Loaches
6 Fancy guppies

Inverts:
6 Shrimp
3 Mystery Snails

Parameters:
PH 7.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

A 10g isn't quite enough space for hillstream loaches, they need lots of (literal) wiggle room. Also, if you added all of those fish at once, you may have had a minor ammonia spike that's now passed. 
My guess is the oxygen level dropped a bit much. Toss an airstone or two in there to up the oxygen content, hillstream loaches need either high flow or cold water, or both. 

What kind of shrimp? Some species of ghost shrimp can threaten small fish. They could attack your guppies in future.


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## Fenneo (Oct 4, 2015)

No ammonia spikes so far. I have been checking each day. I have a lilly spin for the inlet which I had hoped would add enough oxygen to the water. I will add an air stone. Two amano shrimp, two Yellow, and Two black Sakura.


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Long-term, you might want to add some sort of powerhead that puts a fairly rapid area of flow up against the glass. If you can give the hillstreams a section where they can cling to the glass in high flow, they'll love it. Plus, the flow will help to oxygenate the water.


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## end3r.P (Aug 31, 2015)

A 10-gallon seems way too small for hill stream loaches. A quick Google search shows that they have very specific and unique requirements to thrive, including a much higher flow rate than other fish will tolerate. I wouldn't keep the remaining ones in that tank...


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

Hillstream loaches prefer cooler water. 65-72F, or thereabouts. They really should not be kept in temps higher than 75.

They also need more room than a 10 gallon provides, and water with a lot of current and oxygen. 

I think you should return the loaches to the store where you bought them. They are not suited for your tank.

They may refund your money for the one that died as well, if you have a body and a water sample.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Hillstream Loaches - The Specialists at Life In The Fast Lane ? Loaches Online

Here is a lot of good information about hillstream loaches. They do indeed have very specific needs. 

A 10 is too small. For one thing, the parameters (chemical, temperature) can vary more than some fish like. There is not enough water to maintain stable conditions. 

I have kept some fast water fish in a 20 long, but these were smaller than most hillstream loaches. I have a 50 gallon tank set up as described in that article for fish from fast moving water.

Depending on species, some are quite territorial, too.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

As stated above, your setup is not proper for hillstream loaches, return the ones still alive. You should do more species specific research before buying fauna. I'd strongly recommend using seriouslyfish.com as a good site to reference tank size, params, diet and behavior
Sewellia lineolata ? Tiger Hillstream Loach (Balitora lineolata, Sewellia songboensis) ? Seriously Fish
Beaufortia kweichowensis ? Butterfly Loach (Gastromyzon leveretti kweichowensis; Beaufortia kweichowensis gracilicauda) ? Seriously Fish
Liniparhomaloptera disparis ? Broken-band Hillstream Loach (Parhomaloptera disparis, Liniparhomaloptera disparis qiongzhongensis) ? Seriously Fish

I'd considered making my 20g long a hillstream loach tank and spoke with a forum member here that kept several. They said a 20g long was the bare minimum they'd consider for the loach, but larger is better. Using a aquaclear70 HOB on a 20g long they recommend also adding a powerhead (I'd considered using a canister filter that was overkill fr a 50g too). I'd also argue that a 1 month old tank is not aged enough to provide hillstream loaches with enough natural algae. It's best to make algae rocks-using river rocks set in dechlorinated tap or removed tank water either out in the sun or under a grow light to encourage a lot of algae growth and rotate them through the tank. You'd need several rocks as the loaches can clean them faster then the algae is generated on them.
On top of all that these loaches are wild caught and often starve from time of capture to getting to a pet store, and most petstores expect them to eat flakes so they're half dead by the time you get them home.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Hillstream loaches are my favorite fish and I have over a dozen different "sucker belly" species (along with multiple other non-suckerbelly hillstream loaches.

I've quarantined all of mine in 10gallon and 20 gallon tanks just fine (without any other aeration than a regular sized HOB and in warm water as well, they are very hardy and adaptable).
Generally hillstream loaches are Very hardy and acclimate very well. If I had to say, it would either just be that particular individual didn't take to well to acclimating, probably from acclimation not being done gradually enough. Also the higher temp of 79*F does play some role in stressing the hillstream loach a bit, but it's not that big of a factor as I have acclimated many even with water temps in low 80's during summer.

They would take better to first acclimating at cooler temps (75"F), and while they do prefer colder water, after acclimation they are actually fine with warmer temps. I've kept them at 77*F and higher for a long time and no signs of stress. Keeping them in low 80*F actually triggers them to spawn and the fry can grow and live perfectly fine in the warmer water as well.

Some new additions might not take to commercial algae foods at first, so there is a chance the fish starved to death, so naturally grown algae is a big plus. There is also a chance the fish could have been emaciated and/or had internal parasites, making it skinny and weak already. But if you bought them from Wet Spot, they usually have extremely healthy fish and won't sell known sick fish (diseased or malnourished), but there is always a chance. So I am just thinking it starved to death or didn't do well acclimating. There are many ways to reduce stress and acclimate slowly to increase the chances of a successful acclimation, just put some more thought and research into it. Which species did you buy?

With all that said, I too, say that a 10 gallon is too small for even 1 hillstream loach as a permanent home. Technically it could work, but I don't see that as a very happy home, especially with all the other fish crammed in that same tank (and I am a overstocker, but in larger sized tanks). Adding a powerhead or stronger filter would probably be too much current for the other fish.
Their ideal home would have high flow, well oxygenated cooler water, but out of all of those, I'd say the highly oxygenated water (achieved through more surface agitation) is the more "necessary". But they do like flow. Try placing a airstone against a wall so the bubbles travel up the side wall, and depending on the bubble sizes, the hillstream loach would like to stick to the walls in the bubble current. I would say though to return the hillstream loaches until you have a more suited bigger tank.


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## Fenneo (Oct 4, 2015)

Thanks for all of the advice.


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