Discovering the diversity of hillstream loaches (with pictures)

[bettaMagenta]

It makes sense when you think about it - these are basically the Asian equivalent of Plecos, and since there aren't any wild Plecos in Asia, they fill that void. How many varieties of Plecos are there anyway?

I started adding them to my Asian tank early on, and I thought there were only 4-5 varieties. My goal was to get a few of each, but as I got more into them, I realized there are probably just as many varieties as there are Plecos, maybe even more. They're not as well-researched or documented as the South American fish, so I've had to be picky.

Here's my current list of fish - I added the scientific names as best I could, which might be helpful for identification. I copied these off the web and from pictures, so if something looks off, let me know so I can do some more digging.

Reticulated... Sewellia lineolata

Black Spotted with light spots (cream to tan)... Gastromyzon sp.

Vietnamese Tigers (center fish in the group)... Pseudogastromyzon sp. I couldn't find any pictures of these online, and even the seller didn't have any - one of my Panda Garras and one of my Vietnamese Lizard Hillstreams photobombed the little Tiger.

Vietnamese Lizards... Vanmanenia sp. 'Vietnam'

Brown spotted (with dark to black spots)... Beaufortia kweichowensis

I've had to set a limit for myself - 2-3 more varieties, depending. So far, there haven't been any major issues, just the occasional light territory squabble.

I'd still like to add a few more, depending on availability:
Saddled Hillstreams... Homaloptera orthogoniata
Bloody Mary Hillstreams... Gastromyzon sp. "Bloody Mary"
Zebra Hillstreams... Gastromyzon zebrinus
Red Tailed Reticulated Hillstreams... Gastromyzon sp.
Pseudogastromyzon changtingensis (no common name)

I really liked the Neon Hillstreams... Gastromyzon cf. lepidogaster, but they were way out of my price range.

Feeding them is the next challenge - they're all Aufwuchs eaters, so I've got bright lights on the tank and limited driftwood to keep the water clear. I supplement with Repashi Soilient Green and Bacter AE to help the algae grow, and add a good quality Spirulina algae tab. There's competition for food with the Tin Foil Barbs and other Asian fish, so I also keep an Indian Almond leaf in the tank for microbes to grow on - they seem to disappear quickly, and I think just about everyone in the tank gobbles them up as they start to culture.

Anyone else keeping these? What varieties do you have, and how are you feeding them?

[Burgermuncher]

I've been keeping an eye on this thread, seems like there's still a lot to learn about these Hillstreams. I'm curious to see what others have to say about their experiences with them.

[bettaMagenta]

I think BadgersSong has some of these in his tanks, probably has a few varieties, right?

[Burgermuncher]

I was thinking of him, but his name slipped my mind for a sec, sorry BadgersSong.

[bettaMagenta]

yep, @BadgersSong's moved on from his moderator days... soon, he'll just be a memory

[BadgersSong]

Living the quiet life with my tanks, just the way I like it.

I've got a few reticulated hillstreams in my 55g, and they're doing great alongside my little borneo loach. Those saddled hillstreams, though - they're really something special, but unfortunately, they don't fit in with my current tank setup. And let's not forget about the panda garra - while they might not be technically classified as hillstream loaches, they certainly fill a similar niche.

[bettaMagenta]

I've got 5 Pandas in this tank, and they're living the same lifestyle as the others. One of them actually photobombed its way into the picture of my Vietnamese Tiger - that's my tank, by the way, since I couldn't find any pics online of a Tiger. And if you look closely, you'll also see one of my Lizards making a cameo in that same picture.

There are plenty more varieties out there that aren't pictured here, and some of them don't even have names yet. I've seen some listed as "Mystery Hillstream Loach Gastromyzon sp." - no pics, no info, just a mystery.

[graye]

I think we're dealing with species here, not varieties - different colour varieties can exist within a species, but these fish are distinct and geographically far apart. Many seem to come from different genera too.

I had a rough start with hillstream loaches, got 4 Sewellia lineolata when they first appeared in the hobby, and somehow ended up with a bloodthirsty mass murderer. I gave them away, warned the new owner, but that fish was a grim reaper - had the right current, food, everything, and still managed to wreak havoc.

Hillstream loaches and I didn't exactly get off to a great start, but it's exciting to see new fish enter the hobby. New fish are pricey, and some stores have a monopoly on them, making it tough to get your hands on them.

[bettaMagenta]

I've been thinking about the temperature requirements for these Hillstreams, and from what I've gathered, they're cooler water species. The other fish in my tank are similar, so I've got my thermostat set to the low 70's, just to be safe. Since my tanks are in the basement, I prefer to run a heater to keep the temperature stable - room temperature might drop the tank's temperature a bit too low for my liking.

@graye, I noticed that when I was searching for pictures of my Tigers, I kept running into Sewellia lineolata - it seems like the ones they're calling "reticulated" now used to be called "tigers" in the hobby. The scientific names seem to match up with what you mentioned. I've never heard of any issues with this species before, so I'm curious - do you remember what the tank temperature was when you had your aggressive Sewellia? Maybe it was warmer than they prefer, and that contributed to the aggression? I had a similar experience with my previously dominant Hillstream, a larger articulated one - it initially tried to chase the lizards away when I first added them, but since they were bigger and ignored it, I think it eventually accepted them. Now they all hang out in the same spots in the bubble waterfalls without any issues.

[BadgersSong]

A few observations that might shed some light on @graye's experience with S. lineolata.

Firstly, I've noticed that my S. lineolata are quite social creatures. They interact with each other frequently, especially during feeding time when they chase each other around, but they largely ignore the other fish in the tank. I have a sizable group of them, likely between five and eight, although it's difficult to give an exact count due to the abundance of cover in my tank. This social dynamic seems to spread out any aggression, preventing it from becoming a problem. It's possible that without sufficient conspecifics, they might become more aggressive.

Another factor that might contribute to their peaceful nature is the ample cover in my tank. My S. lineolata appear to feel secure, knowing they can quickly retreat to a safe hiding spot. This sense of security might help reduce aggression.

I also suspect that S. lineolata might be more carnivorous than commonly thought. I alternate between algae wafers and sinking color pellets, and they seem to enjoy both, as well as scraping off hard surfaces for whatever micro-critters they can find. Many aufwuchs grazers in the wild consume a significant amount of protein-rich micro-critters. If they're not getting enough protein and already have some aggressive tendencies, it's possible they might turn on other fish.

Or maybe, just maybe, @graye's S. lineolata just needed a little more love and attention.