Hong Kong Loach

[Dwarf Puffers]

I have one I bought before I found AC, and he's doing great. I have no idea what he eats, as I've heard they don't eat much algae and I don't have much anyway, yet he stays on the walls all of the time . I might put him in the 15g I'm about to set up and add a pair of filters, maybe keep the temperature down a bit. If I can find any, I'll get him 2 or 3 friends next time I go up to Halifax to stock up. I've had him a while and he's only about 1.8" long. I'm hoping in the new tank with friends he'll come out more, because I plan to put some river rocks in there. I'm not sure what kind of substrate they like, because he's only touched to sand once that I've seen and has only ventured onto the driftwood twice.

 

[vampie]

Actually, natural algae is the best food for them (which is why river tanks have such high levels of lighting), but they'll eat most other food as well.

 

[FtwayneFish]

ive never seen mine off the glass at all? is that ok? and what are the really tiny red prongs or barbs that are right under their front lip? mine has like 5? and their really small and sometimes he will have one on that spot and wont? retractable? or he looses them?

 

[FtwayneFish]

i need to get a pic huh? bump

 

[KnaveTO]

The current Sewellia I have are lineolata and spotted
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sewellia-lineolata
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sewellia-sp-spotted

Usually the two above go for over $10 each, however I got lucky with my spotted's as they were mixed into a batch of Beaufortia kweichowensis and thus only paid $4 each. If you see them on your glass they are probably muching away on the small algae that is resident there (for example I never clean the back glass of my tank and let the algae grow there). Mine can be seen all over the tank, in the substrate, on the leaves of broad plants, on the wood and in the rocks. They can be a difficult species to keep and you should make sure you have some females in there and lots of cave space. If you get all males you will have fights breaking out between them. Fortunately they are fairly easy to sex. Good luck with them.

 

[FtwayneFish]

thanks KnaveTO. mine looks just like the second pic. and i will get some more here soon. when my lfs gets em in.

 

[FtwayneFish]

any idea what the red barbs are around his mouth? some are there sometimes and some arnt?

 

[KnaveTO]

not sure what you are talking about there. Will have to take a peek at mine in the next couple of days and see.

 

[FtwayneFish]

ok great! there about 5 around the upper lip. and there retractable or he losses em or something. i didnt know if they were for other fish to get if they get to close or what they were. i know there supposed to be there at least.

 

[loaches r cool]

any idea what the red barbs are around his mouth? some are there sometimes and some arnt?

I've never kept em yet so I dont have any personal experience. But I've done lots of research since I do plan on my next tank being a river tank for hillstream loaches and maybe a couple species of subtropical river fish. The most common hillstream is the Beaufortia kweichowensis which is spotted like you mention, here is a close up were you can see the mouth area: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/photos/b/Beaufortia_kweichowensis_y.jpg/image_view_fullscreen

And here is a close up of the mouth area of the one you mention above that you think it is, Sewellia sp. "spotted": http://www.loaches.com/species-index/photos/s/sewellia_spotted_03.jpg/view

In either of those pics I dont see any 'red barbs around the mouth'. The Beaufortia did show something that might look like barbs, hard to tell, but I wonder if these are red might be a bad sign? You would have to ask some of the hillstream loach enthusiasts at loaches.com for the best answer I would guess.