Hillstream Biotope

[R. Wolf]

I'm really new to the aquarium hobby (only a few months now) and I've had a few hiccups in my 20g (unfortunately no amount of research saved me from making mistakes). The 20 is doing better and I'm happy with how it's going, even with the loss of a few fish.

I have an Uncle who's getting rid of his aquariums and he's giving me a 55g tank with a rena filter, I believe that is the filter he couldn't tell me for sure (he live in NY and I in VA). If the filter isn't good enough I'll buy a second.

I would love to turn this 55g into a hillstream loach aquarium. I've read A River Runs Through It by Martin Theone and found it to be such a beautiful and interesting tank that I'd really like to try.

I don't totally understand how a powerhead works though or how to set one up. Do they just fit into the pvc pipe? I feel I understand a bit, but I'd really like some more clarification to help mishaps. Is there anyone who's made a biotope like this? What's an intake syphon? Also, is sand/fine gravel a hazard for powerheads/HOB filters? I was considering switching my gravel 20g (with two HOB tetra whisper filters) to sand, but am afraid of sand ruining the equipment.

I was wondering if I could put a red tailed black shark in the tank and I was also wondering about some cool water schooling fish that would be able to handle the high filtration (besides white cloud minnows). Would Kuhli loaches be okay in this low of a temperature or is it a bad idea?

Thanks for the help!

[Jim Powers]

You might want to read this other article by Martin in order to answer some of your questions about setting up a river tank.
http://www.loaches.com/articles/river-t ... old-design
I would not keep a red tail black shark or kuhli loaches with hillstreams. They do not come from the same habitat. There are many cool danio species that would do well, as well as some of the rasboras, chelas and barbs. Just look for something that comes from fast flowing streams.
Danios choprae, kyathit, and roseus are just three of the many interesting danios available right now.
I don't have much experience with sand in tanks, but others have used it in river tanks. Hopefully someone with experience in that area will help you with that.

[Jim Powers]

You might want to read this other article by Martin in order to answer some of your questions about setting up a river tank.
http://www.loaches.com/articles/river-t ... old-design
I would not keep a red tail black shark or kuhli loaches with hillstreams. They do not come from the same habitat. There are many cool danio species that would do well, as well as some of the rasboras, chelas and barbs. Just look for something that comes from fast flowing streams.
Danios choprae, kyathit, and roseus are just three of the many interesting danios available right now.
Check out this site for more. http://danios.info/
I don't have much experience with sand in tanks, but others have used it in river tanks. Hopefully someone with experience in that area will help you with that.

[R. Wolf]

Thanks! I was very iffy on the Kuhlis, since I was under the impression they were warmer water fish. I thought the RTBS would be okay, but I will definitely rethink it. What about the habitat is bad/not idea for them, the streams? I'm just curious as I'd like to get better at keeping fish.

I really wanted some barbs (either cherry or gold barbs) but thought the cool 72F wouldn't be ideal for them, maybe I was looking at the wrong type (or just don't know any better). I do like the rasboras so maybe a school of them and a school of another species. All the fish recommendations really helped.

The extra article was good to read, but I don't know if I'm missing something or not. Will I be able to just fit the powerhead to the pipe? Thanks for the help and advice!

[Jim Powers]

The RTBS might be a bit too aggressive for the hillstreams and I'm not sure the high flow would suit them. Its been years since I have kept them though.
Check out this link: It indicates that they may pick on other bottom dwellers. Most hillstreams don't do too well in that type of situation.
http://seriouslyfish.com/profile.php?ge ... lor&id=229
As for the temps., don't be too locked in to 72F. Since that article was written, we have gotten more info from people who live in the areas with native hillstreams. As a rule of thumb, the Chinese species tend to come from cooler waters than those from Borneo and SE Asia.
I have kept mine in the 75F range for years and have some fish that are over 10 years old. I think the key is keeping the temps below 80F and keeping the oxygen levels high. Initially I kept mine in the 70-72F range, but as I started adding more powerheads and other pumps the temp went up due to the heat produced by the added pumps. This is a common situation and can create too much heat in some setups.
You should be able to fit the powerheads into the pipe. Measure both to make sure.
When picking schooling fish such as danios, rasboras, etc. for the tank, be sure to do some research on the species you want to be sure they will be comfortable in the high current levels.

[R. Wolf]

Thanks for all the great advice! It's helped c: I'll keep all this in mind when I stock the tank!

[Jim Powers]

Glad to help!
That's how I learned over ten years ago when I first visited this site.
What kind of hillstreams are you going to get?