Hillstream question

[tmcmullen]

I saw some fish at the LFS and I was told they're butterfly plecos. I think they're Hillstream Loaches. They definitely peaked my curiosity, and I'd love to add two to my tank, but I'm concerned about the temp and whether 2 is enough. I don't want to overcrowd an already full tank. I need a good algae eater and thought they'd be great. I keep my tank at 78F now.

Thanks!

[Francois van Brederode]

They are probably hillstreams yes.

They are however probably not suited for your tank.
They require low temp. of around 21/23C
They need very high oxygen amounts and prefer loads of current.
( I keep mine in a 60ltr tank with 2900ltr/hr circulation, and they love it! )

Also they are pretty lousy algae eaters, they dont purposefully eat it at all, they eat the microorganisms in the algae.

Better look for something that does fit your tank.

(better to find the cause of the algae in your tank then to use live animals as problem-solvers, but that's just me)

[tmcmullen]

I was having trouble with the filter in the tank and I think maybe that could have caused the spike in algae. I also lost my 9 yr old pleco, and I can't imagine that he was keeping the algae under control as fast as it's accumulating now, but it seems like ever since he died the algae is overwhelming.

As for the filter, it was getting too much air from the air stone and wasn't working right. I fixed that and now it's running smoothly again. I don't know if that could do it or not, but I guess we'll see.

[Jim Powers]

I wouldn't try to use hillstreams for algae control.
Some like algae and the organisms on it, more than others. Often even the ones that will graze the algae get lazy once they learn to eat prepared foods. But most of all, you need to know if your tank conditions are good for the hillstreams. To determine that, you should read this excellent article by our own Martin Thoene.
http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstr ... -fast-lane

[plaalye]

The species that i most often see sold as "butterfly pleco' is
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/be ... ichowensis
Might help with your decision making?