Butterfly Hillstream Loach

[angel.star]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone else has a Hillstream Loach which changes colour occasionally? Usually when he ventures out from under his rock he's a sandy, brown colour, much the same colour as the gravel in the tank. Other times he emerges from the shadows almost completely black, with faint white spots. And I'm sure I've seen him sitting on a particularly big leaf looking beige...do I have a Loach who thinks he's a chameleon? He's perfectly happy and healthy, I'm just curious if anyone else has found this...

 

[denis coghlan]

They do indeed have camouflage powers. What species of hillstream loach do you have?

I keep 2 separate species and I'm trying to find more. I have them in a 100lt tank with a monster power head and air pump to try and maximise the level of 02 and water moment. Lots of people get them and put them in with goldfish but they have a tendency to waste away after a couple of months as the water quality is most likely high in nitrates, stagnant and oxygen levels are low (that is my opinion).

Now them changing colour!

Here is the pic of the two species

Now see how both fish above and below the rock have changed colour to match the background

And then changed back again!

 

[angel.star]

Thanks for your reply, and those photos are wonderful. Looking at the two loaches in the first photograph, I have the species resembling the lighter coloured loach, nearer the bottom of the picture. I love watching my loach, although he rarely makes an appearance. Thanks again for the information, I'm always learning more about these beautiful creatures.