Random fish shots from my tank

[vijendra_s123]

I think there is a fish compatibility issue here mate.... You cannot keep a hillstream loach in a planted along with boraras and shrimps, it needs a river setup as it requires a high flow (and by high flow I mean a turbid like flow in which these RCS and boraras wont survive and 'NO' that power head of yours is not capable of generating enough flow, the kind of which these fish encounter in the wild) along with plenty of oxygen (again not suitable for a planted) and cool temp.

[KarthikC]

I think there is a fish compatibility issue here mate.... You cannot keep a hillstream loach in a planted along with boraras and shrimps, it needs a river setup as it requires a high flow (and by high flow I mean a turbid like flow in which these RCS and boraras wont survive and 'NO' that power head of yours is not capable of generating enough flow, the kind of which these fish encounter in the wild) along with plenty of oxygen (again not suitable for a planted) and cool temp.

All taken care of thanks. it's not a full fledged planted tank. That is no regular co2 injection ferts etc. The submersible pump generates 150lph and the loaches are all fine till now. I've seen these thriving in low flow tanks too btw.

Cheers,

Karthik

[vijendra_s123]

I have seen a goldfish live in a bowl for a couple of years doesnt mean i will keep it that way or recommend any one to do that. 150lph is no way near to be enough for them mate. And if they are alive in a low flow tank (wch are not perfect conditions for them) doesnt mean they are thriving BTW. They are found in water with turbid like flows, they are called hillstream loaches for a reason. The shape of their body allows them to maneuver easily through such a flow. Moreover they need water with high oxygen content.

What you need for them is a setup by Nathan Hill like this - http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=4922

This link will help you understand their requirements better - http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstr ... -fast-lane

[KarthikC]

Thanks for the links. calm down. I'll shift them to a bigger tank soon!
Cheers,

Karthik

[KarthikC]

A few questions, Vijendra:

1.) have u observed the natural habitat of the fish? If yes, I'd love to have a look at your report/pics. I have seen most of them in planted/semi planted tank with moderate flow.
2.) Most of the gastromyzon and Sewellia that we find in the trade are bred in a "planted" tank and is well domesticated compared to a wild caught loach. ANY comments on this?
3.) IF there is water flow, the O2 is dissolved by itself, the only problem is direct wild caught ones in this tank. What ppm of O2 do they need?

These answers would really help me.

Cheers,

Karthik

[vijendra_s123]

A few questions, Vijendra:
Great that you have brought this up, would more than love to answer these questions

1.) have u observed the natural habitat of the fish? If yes, I'd love to have a look at your report/pics. I have seen most of them in planted/semi planted tank with moderate flow.
Now to keep neon or cardinal tetra one does not have to go to the amazon to see how they live, spend some time researching on the net you will get all the answers.
The fish will live in what are unsuitable conditions as it will slowly adapt to the conditions in the tank but it will not be happy at all. It will adapt to SURVIVE.
Since you need me to back up what I said – A transcript from one of the articles by Emma Turner on PFK – ‘Hillstream and brook loaches are highly modified bottom dwellers enduring incredibly difficult environments.

These can range from from oxygen-rich, swift, cool mountain streams to torrential rivers and rapids with water hurtling along at more than 3m/10’ per second!

Why then do so many retailers treat these fish so poorly?

All too often these evolutionary masterpieces are dumped in relatively slow-moving waters of a typical goldfish system, and wrongly labelled as "coldwater algae eaters", "Hong Kong plecs" and "dwarf weather loaches".

Here they will be incredibly unhappy, often clamping down their fins while slowly suffocating.’
Source: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=5455

One more from Martin Thoene, who devised the River-Tank manifold concept for these loaches - 'Anyone who has seen Hillstream loaches in dealers' tanks will have probably formed a false impression of these fishes' general behaviour as few shops provide adequate conditions. They can appear dull and inactive. Those who keep them using my River-Tank manifold concept or in other high-flow, high oxygen content tanks will report that they are lively and entertaining creatures. The best way to understand why they are like this is to look at human physiology and equate what we know of our own bodies' workings to the fish. From this we can have a better understanding of the forces at work that we are unable to see.'
Source:http://www.loaches.com/articles/oxygen-in-the-aquarium

Should I quote more experts or maybe share a paper on these loaches.

2.) Most of the gastromyzon and Sewellia that we find in the trade are bred in a "planted" tank and is well domesticated compared to a wild caught loach. ANY comments on this?
Planted tanks here are not iwagumi or dutch style scapes mate.
Again a quote from one of the loach experts on breeding Sewellia lineolata - The aquarium itself has a fine black sand substrate and many bogwood pieces, with smooth Scottish cobbles placed on the sand around the bases of the pieces of bogwood. Hillstream loaches have evolved to ‘hang on’ in fast flowing currents and graze on the algae that forms on rounded or smooth flat stones. As S. lineolata originate from boulder-strewn streams, I considered these smooth stones an absolute must for their wellbeing. I have several plant species that do surprisingly well under the extreme conditions in this river-style set up. Plants are not essential, as they are not found in abundance in the areas S. lineolata inhabit in the wild, but they can help with water quality and do look aesthetically pleasing. Anubias barteri, whilst slow-growing, always fares very well in most River Tanks, my plants being trained to grow on the bogwood along with Java moss, which always requires regular pruning. Cryptocoryne balansae and C. wendtii ‘green’ are planted in the gaps between the cobbles and have been growing remarkably well for some years now.

3.) IF there is water flow, the O2 is dissolved by itself, the only problem is direct wild caught ones in this tank. What ppm of O2 do they need?
Exactly ‘If there is water flow, the O2 is dissolved by itself’ so more the water flow more would be the O2 content and these guys are found in the wild in turbid like flows so imagine their O2 requirements.
ppm of O2 needed - At the temp that they live it would be atlest 9ppm

I majorily quoted experts here as their work in this field has been widely recognised

These answers would really help me.
Hope that they do and you keep your hillstream loaches in an environment suitable for them.
Cheers,

Karthik

[KarthikC]

Thanks Vijendra Ji. I will relocate the other species and give a higher rated pump to these guys. This would be the first step. Second step is building a new tank for them with only pebbles and very less plants with more flow rate.. Thanks for pointing these out and your patience in answering these queries; appreciate your patience.

Cheers,

Karthik

[vijendra_s123]

Thanks Vijendra Ji. I will relocate the other species and give a higher rated pump to these guys. This would be the first step. Second step is building a new tank for them with only pebbles and very less plants with more flow rate.. Thanks for pointing these out and your patience in answering these queries; appreciate your patience.

Cheers,

Karthik

You are welcome buddy. Dont take it personally..., but I was fed up seeing this particular species kept by many people in unsuitable conditions, a guy whom I confronted on FB was foolishly claiming that his plants generate enought oxygen to meet their high O2 requirement (after pumping in CO2 at 30ppm at 25-26C I dont know how people expect that to happen). During my recent Mumbai trip I saw at least 4 LFSs stocking 100s of Sewellia lineolata in bare bottom tanks with nothing but sponge filters at 27-28C.

[KarthikC]

No, I don't take these things personally, rather an opportunity to learn. thanks again for explaining. Btw, hope Atleast for a month it can stay with 150lph + 300 LPH from a hob filter. Later will plan for a high flow tank.


Cheers,

Karthik


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[vijendra_s123]

No, I don't take these things personally, rather an opportunity to learn. thanks again for explaining. Btw, hope Atleast for a month it can stay with 150lph + 300 LPH from a hob filter. Later will plan for a high flow tank.


Cheers,

Karthik


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great....
Also plants can be used as done by Martin in his breeding setup. The placement of plants is more important in such a setup. Place them above the flow level on driftwoods or place crypts in the back corner where the flow wont be much so as to allow it to root itself.
Plants are normally used by breeders in their setups to keep the nitrates in check and ensure optimum water quality and in many cases to provide spawning medium to the fish.