Please help Identify

[nadajdui]

I got these fish about a month ago. I believe they're loaches. They were being sold under the name 'Hong Kong Pleco', though I know from seeing some pictures of Hong Kong Plecos (Hillstream Loaches) that these are not the same species. I have 3 of them (took them all, lol) in a 10 gallon tank. They are all around 2", maybe 2.25" at most. I will post pictures. They are very slender, and move over the gravel(not sharp). Sometimes they will move their fins to get more current, even though there is plenty. They do this especially if there is food. Today I watched 2 of them go from golden to almost black with pale patches over their backs. All their fins were flared, and they were either fighting over food or territory. Normally they are golden with a broken line down their sides from gill to the flesh of their tail. They have two lines coming from each eye, like a cheetah does. 'They have small red whiskers on their mouths, not sure what they're for, and like to stick on the glass. I'll show you some pics now:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/ ... ure612.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/ ... ure611.jpg
In Quarantine:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/ ... ure589.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/ ... ure590.jpg

[Martin Thoene]

Hi nadajdui, and welcome to LOL.

The fish are Homaloptera smithi. Unlike the sucker-bodied types of hillstream, Homaloptera are more eaters of bugs rather than algae and the microorganisms within it.

they are great hunters and will stalk small insects or pieces of bloodworm, etc.

Martin.

[nadajdui]

Thanks! Do you have any ideas on how and what to feed them? Are they omniverous? Carniverous? So far they have been eating cichlid pellets, flakes, and bloodworms, due to me not knowing exactly what to feed them. And will they need a bigger tank in the longrun, or is a 10 gallon okay? Thanks!