Loaches Online Forum

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Hi there,

I read the information on Sewellia lineolata on loaches.com and decided to register. Seems like there are a lot of knowledgeable folks here.

A week ago, I came across an abandoned fish tank in the trash room of my apartment. It was in bad shape had some fish in it which I took in. There are some cardinals, two panda cories, and a loach which I identified as Sewellia lineolata.

I will be easily able to give the cories and cardinals to my LSF (once quarantined), but I wouldn't trust them with the S. lineolata, given its unique requirements.

So for now, I decided to keep it, and here are some questions.

1.
All I have available is a 5.5 gallon (the loach is around 1.5" now), but I adapted it to the fish's needs. I use a Whisper powerfilter and a spongefilter for current and aeration. Instead of gravel, there are large riverbed pebbles. Two hiding places, and for plants only some pennywort. Does this sound about right? Anything else I can do?


2.
Are S. lineolata fine being alone? From pictures, it seems like they prefer hanging out in small groups. My problem is that I have no idea where to get more S. lineolata. Are there other small loaches that like similar conditions? Obviously, I want to be very careful with a tiny tank like this one.

Thanks in advance. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Let us know where you are? (At least the country)

Is it possible for you to get a larger tank? Even a used one from craigslist?

I can't believe someone would abandon a fish tank. Amazing. It's good of you to take them in.

Sorry, I haven't had time to do my profile. I set up this account in a hurry. I'm in Portland, OR.

Unfortunately, I can't get a larger tank as long as I'm in my current apartment. This accommodation would have to be for a year or so.

Too bad you can't get a bigger tank, they are some nice fish you happened onto. IMO a 5 gal is too small for anything but very short term but good on ya for taking care of them. I know I've read about some good fish shops in Portland, can't remember the names but do a google search. You could try craigslist and screen interested folks carefully. If I was a little bit closer I'd take it. Good luck

There are a couple of really good stores in Portland. Actually, I saw the manager of one of the stores wear a shirt saying some about loaches. I might give that a try.

What are the minimum requirements for a small group of S. l. in terms of tank size? Maybe I could convince my wife that a little upgrade is necessary.

I can take him if you don't want him. I have 5 others that wouldn't mind another.

Or if you want another The Wet Spot always has them.

I'm in Vancouver, WA.

Thanks a lot for your offer, I sure appreciate it. I really like this fish. If it's better for him, I'll give him away. But first I'll start another "Convince wife that larger tank is necessary" operation.

I second The Wet Spot - what a great store! We have nothing like that in the Southeast.

Good on you for rescuing the fish - unbelievable that someone would just throw them out!

Another option is to have these guys in your community tank. I think that's a better option than in a 5G. I have a hillstream loach in a densely planted tank with strong flow.. He's been in there for years now.. I'm upgrading to a 75G soon, and he'll have more of his own species to play with.

What's the temperature in your tank, mrgreen? I have the circulation, but the temperature is at 74,. Might be a little bit on the warm side.

I'm @ 74F too... They'll adjust. I have plenty of algae for it to graze on and it would feed on the sinking wafers & frozen critters I feed the other fish & loaches.

Good luck catching it when it's in a planted tank
There's no turning back.

I really don't think 74F is too warm for most hillstreams, especially Sewellia and Gastromyzons who come from warmer waters than the Chinese hillstreams. All my hillstream tanks run around that temp too and I have some 6-7 year old hillstreams.
Oxygen levels seem to be the key.

74 is about where mine are at too. They have produced a few fry so they seem to be ok at that temp.

I think they were doing doing some mating activity last night one of the males and females were doing a lot of pushing and topping last night.

So....a few months later and I have to admit I the little guy is still hanging out at my place. I actually have two now because I didn't have the heart to give away the first one and didn't want him to be lonely/bored.

Anyways, they will have to endure living in their dorm-room sized 5.5 tank until I move out of this place and provide them the awesome-st hill stream tank money can buy.

Until then, I want to make them as comfortable as possible, which first and foremost means oxygen. I already had a Whisper 10 HOB filter and a sponge filter, but decided that more current would be better and bought an Eheim Liberty 100 HOB filter to replace the lame Whisper. Now I find that the Eheim doesn't fit under my glass cover. Do S. lineolata ever jump? I have lost kilifish that way and don't want to ever repeat the experience.

I've never seen them jump, but they certainly can climb. Does the tank have any sort of lip near the top that would prevent them climbing straight up the glass, out of the water and over the top?
Emma