Help ID please.

[MikeBlackett]

Hi all.

I have been looking at the pictorial species index trying to ID this Hillstream loach. Im thinking Gastromyzon stellatus??





Thanks,

Mike

[MikeBlackett]

Sorry I couldn't get a pic withthe fins flared...

[Jim Powers]

That looks like it could be Gastromyzon stellatus .
See what you think.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ph ... age-search

[MikeBlackett]

Thanks Jim,

I was looking over those pics, I think it probably is G.stellatus.

Mike

[Martin Thoene]

Definitely G. stellatus.

Martin.

[MikeBlackett]

Thanks for the ID Martin.

They are much more timid than any of my other hillstreams, maybe due to the P.cheni breeding and being in such greater numbers. However the G.scitulus and G.ctenocephalus in contrast are so boistrous and confident.

It's taken me an age to get any decent pics of the G.stellatus, I think my new Nikon D60 'to me, from me' christmas present has helped out there though

[Jim Powers]

I think that must be their nature. All the stellatus I have had have been timid.

[MikeBlackett]

Thats good to know, I was slightly worried they were being stressed by the highly sexed cheni and bullysome scitulus.

A local aquatics had some Gastromyzon zebrinus in a week or so ago, I was SO tempted to get some. But, I managed to control myself, dont want to overload the tank with the unexpected increase in the cheni.

[Jim Powers]

Its too bad you don't have room for the zebrinus.
I finally found two several months ago and they are very attractive fish.
I'm not sure what the typical behaviour is for these fish because one of mine is shy the other outgoing.

[MikeBlackett]

Yeah I was really torn whether to buy them or not, I do plan to pass on most of the P.cheni now they have reached a good size. But once I have passed that batch on there is another load growing on...

I think I have upset the breeding in the last month or so though; due to the below substrate spawning nature of the fish I was not able to perform very thorough substrate cleaning in much of the tank, due to fear of siphoning away fry and eggs. But a month or so ago I bit the bullet and had a real good clean.

Now they are ready to move on thoughI can't work out how im going to catch them without tearing apart the tank im so fond of.
Netting the stickiest fish around in this, is not gonna be easy:


I think I may try a baited trap...
I really want to make room for some other species to complement my current five.

[Martin Thoene]

You might find this useful Mike:

http://www.loaches.com/articles/the-art ... illstreams

However, P. cheni are slightly more forgiving when it comes to catching than Gastromyzon or Sewellia sp. for example.

They do not tend to use the "hang onto the glass like grim death" method and will often let go and swim into the net. The biggest problem with netting in an established tank is all the hiding places it provides.

Your tank, by the way, looks absolutely beautiful so I certainly wouldn't want to remove decor unless I really had to.

Best advice I can give is to get the fish up against the front glass surrounded by the net and then to pat the glass with your palm. P. cheni tend to look down and see your hand coming. Often they will break suction and attempt to get away from it, thereby ending up in the net.

Martin.

[Jim Powers]

Martin wrote:

Your tank, by the way, looks absolutely beautiful so I certainly wouldn't want to remove decor unless I really had to.

I agree.

[MikeBlackett]

Thankyou very much for the compliments Martin and Jim

Thats a great article, I had never thought of using a card or similar implement. I have had them on the glass surrounded by the net before then though 'what now...?!'

I will definitely try that method as I really really do not want to take the tank apart. The juveniles are even more spritley and untrusting than the adults so I think i'll have my work cut out.