Stocking a ten gallon with hillstream loaches

[Frankie Coppell]

I have done my research on Hillstream loaches and become enthralled with how strange they are. I wondering if a pair in a ten-gallon with a strong filter for the flow would be appropriate for a pair, along with a school of danios.
Is this a good tank idea?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

It is recommended to keep Hill Stream Loaches in a tank no smaller than 70cm x 30cm. (30in x 12in) Essentially a 20g long tank.

(https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/sewellia-lineolata/)

Zebra danios need a slightly larger tank. (90cm x 20cm)

(https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/danio-rerio/)

If you want to keep both in the same tank, I would get a 40g tank. Nice size, and a lot more stock can be added later down the road.

A 10g tank is definitely not suitable for both species.

 

[Meg0000]

I agree with what said above.

 

[Frankie Coppell]

What oddball fish would work for a tank like this?

 

[Meg0000]

What oddball fish would work for a tank like this?

Maybe killifish, we don't see them very often.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Maybe killifish, we don't see them very often.

What oddball fish would work for a tank like this?

I agree. Killifish are really cool. There are a lot of varieties to choose from.

 

[Circus]

I have 3 Flag Fish, Jordanella Floridae, in my 10 gallon. 1 male, two females. They are a joy to watch. They are killifish, specifically pup fish. They are semi-aggressive and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. My trio are in an unheated aquarium with 2 nerite snails.

 

[LordHappy]

Happy day...not sure what totally defines oddball fish, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the fish along the shoreline of your local lakes/ponds. The best part is that since they are native, if they grow too large, you can always toss them back. There are plenty of YT vids on how to make a fish trap with a 2 liter bottle and minced chicken fat mixed with some breadcrumbs as bait.

 

[CassCats]

Happy day...not sure what totally defines oddball fish, but you might be pleasantly surprised by the fish along the shoreline of your local lakes/ponds. The best part is that since they are native, if they grow too large, you can always toss them back. There are plenty of YT vids on how to make a fish trap with a 2 liter bottle and minced chicken fat mixed with some breadcrumbs as bait.

This can be illegal in some places

Both to release back after its been in captivity or to even catch them to keep in an aquarium to begin with, so be sure to check local laws very carefully

 

[Koglin]

Small marble hatchet group with a nerite or 2 maybe

 

[GuppyBreeder180604]

I have done my research on Hillstream loaches and become enthralled with how strange they are. I wondering if a pair in a ten-gallon with a strong filter for the flow would be appropriate for a pair, along with a school of danios.
Is this a good tank idea?

i know i am late to the party but i would recomend a tank of 90x40x30cm at the veary least, as a filter i would recomend making a river manifold to provide the strong unilateral flow they like, the manifold should move the whole water volume about 10-15 times every hour. i would use a heavy light color substrate and a bunch of smooth river rocks with diferent sizes, no wood and maybe some mosses, java ferns and floating plants, the water should be cold and if you can check the oxygen levels and make sure that they are as high as posible (this should be easy with the fast moving cold water). do NOT add anything that can release tannins in to the water since they like cristal clear waters and do not beneffit from tannins, i would recomend you to let the tank mature for arround 6 months so the rocks, glass and filter are covered in algae, for a top water i would recomend white cloud mountain minnows, and for some extra oddball i would also recomend some bamboo shrimps, which also need mature aquiariums so that would be another reason to wait 6 months and if you can seed the aquarium with algae even better, a Ph of 6-7.6, Gh of 18-180 ppm and a temperature of 18-24 °C . All the care info is for sewellia lineolata, please consider that other hillstream loach species may need different care.
Edit:
1. sewellia lineolata does better in groups so rather than a pair i would recomend 6-10 loaches and if you want to follow my stocking idea then i would say you should add 8 loaches, 6 white clouds and 4 bamboo shrimp.
2. even tho i do not recomend wood some people like to add it because they say that it helps with algae growth, but still it is not necesary and if you seed your aquiarium and wait 6 months with strong lights then you should have enough bio film. If you want to add wood anyways i would recomend adding a piece that is flat and without branches and i say you should boil it multiple times before adding it to your aquarium to get rid of all the tannins so you can keep the cristal clear waters they like so much, they can LIVE in water with tannins but they THRIVE in clear water.

 

[GuppyBreeder180604]

this is a river manifold. a few power heads, in the other side a bunch of large sponges al conected with some pvc pipes that go underground.