Loaches Online Forum

Now I´ve re-decorated the tank to better suite hillstream loaches, got the occelatus allready but next week the shopkeeper will order me some Sewellia Lienolata.

Here the outcome, the right end of the tank has 3 different outlets. An 800L/h powerhead, eheim aquaball 2212 and eheim 2226 outer filter. So there should be some current there. In the midle I "sacrifice" cucumber


The other occupants are corys, small rasboras, Rineloricaria sp, pitbull plecos and different shrimps who really keep the place clean. The pitbulls seem to be hillies south american version, they like to hang around the same places and enjoy the current. It´s a bit of a fish soup but just not ready to get rid of the south american species, proves that you can get attached to fish. And it´s 240 liters of water in it.

So give me some feedback on this one!

it looks very nice and natural!

A very beautiful set-up, janma.

Emma

An awesome set up !! Appears that you have been gifted with a green thumb!!

A.C.

That is a gorgeous tank-I love the rocky background.

Beautiful aquarium janma.

You're quite correct about the Pitbulls. Chaetostoma species inhabit very similar habitat to hillstream loaches and tend to be kept in less than ideal conditions in aquaria. They will relish a good current.

Martin.

What a superb looking set-up!

Thanks for the compliments I´ve noticed big changes in behavior and coloration on the occelatus, of the good sort. Probably the current, thinking of getting one powerhead more but this will do for a while. And I wont be getting the Sewellia in a while since the temperature has dropped to -23C/-9,4F, so no fishtransporting. But atleast I know they are available. Hate this weather, I´m built for summer conditions not arctic. A friend of mine is going to Thailand today, no jealousy here

Here a pic I took yesterday.


And here is one of a Pit Bull.


Both like the same conditions, but I think evolution has treated the loach better for life in the fast lane.

-23C! that is COLD. and i was fed up as it was cold enough to have about 6 flakes of snow fall this morning.

does the cold temeratures cause you problems in keeping tanks warm enough in winter - or just lots of expense in heaters?

you have a beautiful tank there. and interesting fish

janma wrote: ... the temperature has dropped to -23C/-9,4F ...

- 23C° 1125miles (1800km) south (straight line) we currently have +5C° ... means skiing has been lousy this season so far ...

"cool" tank! ... sewellias are keen on getting in there...



Wolfram

Toronto is on the same latitude as Rome, but we have wind-chill down to -24 today

Martin.

helen nightingale wrote:-23C! that is COLD. and i was fed up as it was
does the cold temeratures cause you problems in keeping tanks warm enough in winter - or just lots of expense in heaters?

No, the heating of the apartment is included in the maintenance charge, which is same all year. It´s +23C in the apartment and ~+24 in tank. It´s a bigger problem in the summer to keep temp down, but now I can´t imagine it being too hot

Is that a background that sticks to the tank that looks like rocks?

It´s made out of styrox with rocky shapes and colored. Trying to get some algae growing on it, but I think the shrimp population is keeping it too clean.

Quick question for you Janma. Do your loach eat live shrimp? And do the shrimp cleanup waste or extra food?