Loaches Online Forum

Hi everyone!

I'm going to start a new tank - for hillstream loaches. I was thinking about S.lineolata, but here in Poland it's hard to get them, so i have chosen Gastromyzon ctenocephalus because it is more common and relatively cheap.
I want to imitate their natural habitat as good as possible and i've got some questions:
- i've read here: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/ga ... nocephalus , that they don't encounter any plants in the wild. But there's really NO plants in their natural streams? Maybe Java moss? Or cosmopolitan species like Ceratophyllum demersum? I want to add some plants to improve the quality of water
- is this species a really good algae-eater? Maybe it'll be good idea to use a light with a colour temperature about 4000-5000K to increase algaes growth? Does it make sense?
- i also need to know if they eats algaes only from rocks and glass, or also from driftwood and possible plants? I don't want to have a tank all in algas!

Greek

Its not a problem putting plants in a hillstream river tank. Mine are all heavily planted. Even though the hillstreams don't have many plants in their native habitat they seem to love having them in the tank. Mine spend quite a bit of time on the leaves of the java fern grazing and resting. They are one of the better algae eaters among hillstreams but are not like otocinclus. Its always good to encourage algae growth in a river tank as it gives the fish something they would use as a food source in their natural habitat.

Thanks Jim!

Jim Powers wrote:leaves of the java fern

I was just thinking about java fern, to add it to my tank

Probably i may have some other questions cause it's my first river tank, but as yet you explained everything i wanted to know.
And of course i'll show the effect on LOL forum

Greek

I don't see my g. cteno on plants often but recently on large leaved crypts. Maybe just because the plants are new to the tank, c. hudoroi, with new algae &/or biofilm? I too have a very plant-y river-ish tank with sewellia, stiphodon gobies & vietnamese whiteclouds (t. micagemmae) & a lot of jungle valis, lol. Good luck.