China Plec? Help....

[-germ-]

Ok, in a rush sorry....
I can still return this plec if needs be; Bought a pleco yesterday marked as a china plec, i know NOTHING about plec species and was told he'd grow 2-4 inches.
He's got a greenish body with black spots and the body, although not actually seperated, forms (from looking at its white underside) two distinct sections.... (front and back)
Err...
He has fins that surround his body one either side for front and back, and seems almost ray like, but in his movements (over glass) appears to belly dance, although when swimming he is super fast..

Thats the worst description ever: belly dancing spotted ray....
Any idea what species he may be and if so what size he could get to
or even better a link....
Sorry no pic!

 

[LisaLQ]

Sounds like what's sold as a Hong Kong Plec, it's not really a plec at all, it's a Hillstream Loach They like cooler faster flowing water than most fish.

http/www.loaches.com/species-index/beauf...a-kweichowensis

 

[dwarfgourami]

Anything labelled a China plec is likely to be some sort of hillstream loach (real plecs being South American). That seems to fit your description too. Try googling Gastromyzon. These tend to come from hill streams, so will want a well oxygenated cool tank. They stay small.

 

[-germ-]

Yeah it is....
Many thanks.
(they like groups! need another <---always wanted to use that smiley)

 

[~T~]

They dont tend to do so well in the usual tropical conditions.

 

[nath1]

they sell them in my local fish shop (jolly's) in with the cold water fish??? is that right or should they be tropical??? they are in with the fancy cold waters!!
nath1

 

[demonmagus]

they should (apparently) be in a species tank, with cool, fast flowing oxygenated water

in PFK look at interesting imports, there is a variety (I think) of the plec there

 

[-germ-]

I portioned off a corner of my tank, bought some smallish pebbles and some big uns, got a large air pump with big air stone in the said corner, bit of bog wood for shade et voila, the airsteam easily provides a current....
Reduced the temp as well, as gourami and angels can tolerate 24+ wheras supposedly the top temp for the loach is 24 so works out well....
My first loach is happy, all over the tank and never stops eating....
My gf's is shy and goes into hiding whenever we come near the tank....
The third only got introduced yesterday but he seems like a confident one.....
Have you ever seem them battle for position on say a rock or a portion of tank glass?
The attacker sits on top of the well-placed fish until it moves, then the moved loach returns to sit on the original offender.... hilarious to see it in action.
Like toddlers arguing over a swing.

 

[geo7x]

hillstream loaches are kind of sub tropical, they will do best in a tank in a well heated home but with no heater in the tank, i would say that if the temperature goes much above about 24 degrees c then they wouldnt be thriving.

This fish could be considered to be in the same group (temperature requirements wise) as fish like the white cloud mountain minnow and the white cheek goby.