Help with ID

[MattW]

I quickly popped into a local Maidenhead this morning and found they had just received a delivery, so they were very busy dealing with that and customers.
I noticed this fish that didn't have a price/info tag. I couldn't stay long, so I didn't get to ask about them.

Any ideas what it is?

 

[MattW]

@Magnum Man Would you reckon its a smaller loach species?

 

[Magnum Man]

I'm not very good at properly identifying fish, but it looks exactly like my biggest loach, mine measures pretty close to 6 inches long... it keeps pretty much to it's self, not bothering even the smallest loaches, but it battles with my kisser gourami, over algae cookies... no problems ever, except at feeding time, and then they really go at it... not to the point of injury, but epic battles over the cookies...

 

[Magnum Man]

I suspect it's one of a few...

Homalopteroides smithi​

the nose looks too long for this one... some info here...

Green Lizard Loach (Homalopteroides cf. smithi)

The Green Lizard Loach (Homalopteroides cf. smithi) is a beautifully patterned fish native to the Mekong River system across Southeast Asia. They are also known as the Gecko Loach or the Alligator Hillstream Loach. Similar to other hillstream species, the Green Lizard Loach requires clean and...

www.aqua-imports.com

Vanmanenia sp. 'Vietnam​

this one isn't as good a picture...

https://dansfish.com/product.detail/6010/Loaches-Loaches-Vietnamese-Lizard-Hillstream-Loach-(Vanmanenia-sp.-'Vietnam')

there is a 3rd I suspect, been looking for it on line... I have them all listed on my computer, but O'm on my phone right now...

 

[MattW]

The ones in the shop were small. I'm guessing because they were on the delivery, just about under 2 inches.

I was looking too, and the closest thing I found was this - Aquatic Arts

The one problem with loaches is that there are so many varieties

 

[Magnum Man]

that was the 3rd one I was looking for, and suspect that is what it is... good find

 

[Magnum Man]

note the size difference between what that link says, and the size of mine, I've always found the unusual hillstream's difficult, as many don't list sizes .. I have several, that I've had for years, and they barely break a couple cm, and then this one, that's near twice the size, it's "supposed" to get... fortunately they have a tendency to mostly be small, and stay that way... but most all are peaceful

 

[MattW]

I need to do a lot more reading on hillstream loaches in general. I do believe I have the right environment for them, especially if I add back the powerhead. The only issue is tank size.. (23gal).

The site I linked recommends a group. Would 4 work in a 23gal? I do prefer my tanks understocked, but I reckon I could make an overstocked tank work with all the plants and increased WC's. Of course I need to phone the shop itself to confirm that's what they are, and see if they are even in stock when I'm next available to visit in a week or two

The thing that has pulled me to these fish is their Myanmar connection, since the other fish I have hail from there as well.

 

[MattW]

@Magnum Man
Do you have access to any general source material/info on the more uncommon Hillstream loaches? I've found an entire 2 Reddit posts and 1 sale listing for Burmese Lizard Hillstream Loaches over the last few days..

I am going back to that shop tomorrow hopefully, to see if they are there. I will get a group depending on pricing. I do expect them to be on the pricer side sadly.

 

[Magnum Man]

not sure if this is a competing forum, and thus against the rules to post, but I think this site was recommended to me...

Loach Species Index — Loaches Online

Welcome to our species information search facility

www.loaches.com

 

[MattW]

not sure if this is a competing forum, and thus against the rules to post, but I think this site was recommended to me...

Loach Species Index — Loaches Online

Welcome to our species information search facility

www.loaches.com

Thank you! I'm fairly certain specialist forums are permitted to be posted

 

[Essjay]

That website seems to have disappeared; if it's not gone it's down according to a checking site.

However it can still be accessed via Wayback Machine. Just enter the url here

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Edit to add - yes, it's OK to link to specialist sites; just not general fish keeping sites as those are competitors for TFF

 

[MattW]

Turns out they were Vietnamese Hillstream Loaches Which are unsuitable for my tank.. they prefer cooler and much faster flowing water. They were only £12 a piece.
My search will continue for the rosy loach or another suitable species.

 

[MattW]

Ok, so after a while of tracking down and researching suitable loach species (including Garra). I decided to bite the bullet and bought 3 of the "Vietnamese Hillstream Loach" from the local Maidenhead Aquatics at around 4cm long. My wallet wasn't too happy as they were £22 each.. However, I can understand the price as they are uncommon, and the upkeep of fish stores nowadays requires you to sell 15 kidneys just to keep the lights and filters on.

After I drip acclimated them for 50 minutes and they coloured up, I took some pics to compare with online fish profiles and blogs. I think these fish look more comparable to Pseudohomaloptera sp rather than Vanmanenia sp. @Magnum Man Sorry to bother you again on this issue, but what do you think?

Pseudohomaloptera sp - A new dwarfish hillstream loach from Vietnam - Aquarium Glaser GmbH

For the first time ever we obtained this hillstream loach from Vietnam. The determination is pretty tricky. All features visible in live fish (position of the dorsal fin, coloration, position of the anus) lead to the genus Pseudohomaloptera, which currently includes six described species...

www.aquariumglaser.de

SF only has two Pseudohomaloptera profiles currently - https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/search/Pseudohomaloptera

These pics were taken around 30 minutes after being introduced, so full colours do not show yet.

I have dropped the tank's heater to 22°C now, rather than 24°C. However, the room temp seems to make the temp stay around 23°C anyway.
Now I'm gonna look into suitable sinking foods for them, as I currently have Hikari micro wafers and Fluval Bug Bites.

 

[Magnum Man]

I've a wide variety, and thinking that is what my big colorful one looked like, before it matured... but I'm terrible at identifications... I always assume they are what the seller claims... until they aren't...