Bought 4 Hillstream loaches, did I screw up?

[madmark285]

I bought them for a new 29 gallon tank which has well establish bio-media in the filter but is a sterile environment ie: no algae or bio-film. So I am a bit concern that they are not eating yet.

I am currently feeding them algae and shrimp wafers but I have not seen them eating. So some option:

Move them to an established 40 gallon tank occupied by 8 Tiger & Odessa barbs, 5 serpae tetras and a rainbow shark. I can move them back to the 29 once it become mature.

Try feeding them vegetable. So the question here, what vegetable? Would blanched zucchini  work?

 

Thanks

Mark

 

[Guppysnail]

Mine like powdered food I use a coral feeder to spread on flat slate and wood. 
Sera micron, Kens tropical high protein fry green .1mm and .2 mm, Northfin fry, hikari first bites. You can also grind spirulina flake or any flake to a fine powder for them. 
I let some scatter about the tank as well. Mine come running each to their chosen food spot quickly when they see the feeder or the food. 
 

Good luck.  They are adorable and wonderful pets. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/23/2023 at 2:35 AM, madmark285 said:

Move them to an established 40 gallon tank occupied by 8 Tiger & Odessa barbs, 5 serpae tetras and a rainbow shark.

They will do just fine in that tank, if that's a concern at all.

On 11/23/2023 at 5:53 AM, Guppysnail said:

Mine like powdered food I use a coral feeder to spread on flat slate and wood. 

This is the main thing that people tend to forget.  A lot of fish eat in certain methods and the shape or size of the food plays a role in how well they can eat. Having surfaces like wood for some fish helps to grow films and have that hard flat place for aufwuchs.  The same thing for these guys, having flat surfaces, pleco caves, rock piles, etc. is what they are used to having to graze off of. They'll sit in a safe spot with some good flow and just lift up as they go to feed.

Try some frozen brine. They should eat that. You can always use a feeding dish as well (small plate works) and they can easily grub off that.

[Miranda Marie]

I have 2 in my 20 gallon long and they honestly aren't picky at all. Every other day I feed an Xtreme bottom wafer (algae + high protein, remember these guys need protein, not just algae!) and they love that. It did take them a week or so to get familiar with it, though. Then on the other days, I feed extra to the other fish so a decent amount of the micro pellets fall onto their favorite log, and they devour the extras very quickly. The only thing they haven't seemed very interested in is, oddly enough, rapashy in gel form. But I've only fed it once so far so maybe they just didn't realize it was food or something. 

[Kit Craft]

For what it is worth I like to keep Catapa leaves, Alder cones and Cholla wood soaking in a bucket at all times. I change the water out daily. It gets a nice film fairly quickly. Then, if I add some shrimp, snails or anything else that likes to feed on bio film to a new or established tank, I drop those in for a source of food. 

Also, powdered goldfish flakes promoted a lot of biofilm for me quickly (shout out to Marks Shrimp Tanks). I would guess this would be very easy to go overboard with. 

As for zucchini, everything in my tank likes it, even my white clouds (they are pigs and eat everything including cherry shrimp...).

As an aside, I too am interested in Hillstream Loaches so looking forward to seeing your journey.

[madmark285]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:10 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The same thing for these guys, having flat surfaces, pleco caves, rock piles, etc.

Here is a photo of the tank.

For the rocks, I glued on a piece of PVC pipe to get them on top of the sand.

 

No, that is not a potato, it's a rock.

It is a 29 gallon tank with a Tidal 75 on the side. At full output, it creates quite the current. I may attach a PVC strip to the lid to direct the flow towards the front of the tank. The goal for this, the back of the tank in the plant area will be much calmer to give the fish a break if needed. I got 10 Forktail rainbows and 6 Panda cories in the tank. And yes, those are plastic plants. 

 

[Galabar]

For a sterile tank with bio media brought over from another tank, I will usually see a small cycle.  Make sure you test ammonia and nitrite.

If it were me, I would move the fish to an established tank and directly add ammonia to the 29, waiting for ammonia and nitrite to go to zero.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/23/2023 at 10:52 AM, madmark285 said:

Here is a photo of the tank.

Looks great. If you added a bubble wall, they'd love it!

[madmark285]

On 11/23/2023 at 5:53 PM, Galabar said:

If it were me, I would move the fish to an established tank and directly add ammonia to the 29, waiting for ammonia and nitrite to go to zero.

That's a good idea. 

I rushed buying the Hillstream loaches, I got them from Aqua Huna which is 2,600 miles away. I was concern about winter shipping of fish, I live in western New York. Last week we had 50 degree weather, I got them before a cold front went thru. I have another problem as the water keeps cloudy up and I don't know why. 

I been using a 5 gallon bucket dosed with ammonia to get the bio media ready. 

[Galabar]

On 11/23/2023 at 5:41 PM, madmark285 said:

That's a good idea. 

I rushed buying the Hillstream loaches, I got them from Aqua Huna which is 2,600 miles away. I was concern about winter shipping of fish, I live in western New York. Last week we had 50 degree weather, I got them before a cold front went thru. I have another problem as the water keeps cloudy up and I don't know why. 

I been using a 5 gallon bucket dosed with ammonia to get the bio media ready. 

You are lucky.  I'm about 10 miles away from Aqua Huna and I can't by from them. 😅

[madmark285]

That sucks.

Their reasonable shipping cost with priority mail ($12.99) is great. He dropped off the fish to USPS on Monday night, I got them Wednesday afternoon. I wanted to buy some Odessa Barbs from Select Aquatics but their shipping charge is ridiculous ($120)

My goal was to fully stock my Mbuna tank before winter arrives but that's not happening. I plan on buying them from Tampa Bay Cichlids, I should get free shipping.

Mark. 

[reefhugger]

Hillstream loaches are among my favorites.  I do have algae surfaces for them but feed them a varied diet.  They love Repashy foods, as do most of the other fish in the aquarium.  I usually feed a variety of Community Plus, Soilent Green and Igapo Explorer .    I've had the Hillstreams for several years now, and to my surprise and joy they've started breeding...I found the tiniest, cutest little rascals!