Before my current loach tank, I had a total of 4 Hillstream Loaches die in my tropical tank anytime between 1 and 6 weeks after buying them.
I had read that this happens a lot, some people here said it is caused by some kind of infection, that antiobiotics would prevent it.
I did a crude autopsy on one of the loaches, and it had an empty stomach. The remaining one was not eating.
Then my heater cracked, the temp went down to 22C. The next day the loach was all over the tank, and I could see its full stomach through the glass.
Now I have a loach tank, with 6 hillstreams (I think that gives me a very good chance of having males and females) and 5 khuli loaches. I keep it cool, with a 20 times an hour turnover and strong currents. Lots of plants, dritwood and smooth stones and caves. One of the loaches has grown almost 1 cm. in the last 2 months, the others are not growing at all.
Another note: I used to have coarse gravel, and the hillstreams would keep to the stones and caves, missing all the food on the floor. Now I have the finest white sand I could find, and both the hillstreams and the loaches love to dig, burrow, and just raise clouds of sand when chasing each other.
This has become my favorite tank.
I had read that this happens a lot, some people here said it is caused by some kind of infection, that antiobiotics would prevent it.
I did a crude autopsy on one of the loaches, and it had an empty stomach. The remaining one was not eating.
Then my heater cracked, the temp went down to 22C. The next day the loach was all over the tank, and I could see its full stomach through the glass.
Now I have a loach tank, with 6 hillstreams (I think that gives me a very good chance of having males and females) and 5 khuli loaches. I keep it cool, with a 20 times an hour turnover and strong currents. Lots of plants, dritwood and smooth stones and caves. One of the loaches has grown almost 1 cm. in the last 2 months, the others are not growing at all.
Another note: I used to have coarse gravel, and the hillstreams would keep to the stones and caves, missing all the food on the floor. Now I have the finest white sand I could find, and both the hillstreams and the loaches love to dig, burrow, and just raise clouds of sand when chasing each other.
This has become my favorite tank.
added!
