Hillstream Loaches - Best Oddball Algae Eater? 

*Curious how hillstream loaches compare to another famous nano algae eater, the otocinclus? Check out my oto catfish video here: **ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Qve_NKvjk3Q.html*

Love the old man betta just day napping 😆💛

Your betta just taking a nap in the middle of the tank has me cracking me up😀

Bro I can’t stop laughing on how your betta is sleeping on the ground 😂 0:10

LOL..your kids are adorable. Your son, LOL his facial expressions

im from south east asia and i can get this fish for about (changed into my currency) 50 cent ( US currency )each, and i was just shocked when you mention how pricy they can be elsewhere

I’ve had one of those in my tropical tank for a few years. I didn’t know what their name was. I love watching him.

Thank you so much about talking about your alternative idea for these loaches parameters. Getting 7 today finally. Looking for 5 months...

I'm totally going to grab 3 or 4 of these guys for my 29 gallon tank. Thanks again for being great! I look out for your videos. You rock!

You had little visitors for this one. Your kids are adorable. I’m just getting ready to build another tank and stumbled onto your channel only two or three days ago. I’m going to use all your tips as I’ve binge watched them. Lol. I hope to make the best tank I’ve ever made following your tips. Thanks so much for all you are doing for the aquarist community. I really appreciate all the time and effort!

Gorgeous video! Our Hillstream Loaches had lots of babies, they need loving homes

Your channel is awesome! Your vibe and enthusiasm makes me enjoy every video!

My local pet store has a couple of these in with some tropical fish at around 25degrees C/ 77 F. They seem very happy in a big range of temperatures, and after this lockdown I am intending to investigate buying some for the cool water tank I have set up to keep me from going crazy these last few weeks. Very good timing on the video👍🏻

Mini me pulling faces was fantastic

Love your vids! Keep up with the great content. You've made my aquarium look and run %100 better. Thank you for everything...

I love Hillstream loaches. I love them almost or equally as much as cryptic corys and khuli loaches. Just love 'em! Those three fish species have so much personality it's just wonderful!

Love this fish! At first i was scared because of it's health but thanks to you and aquarium co op they are on my fish list😀 Thx for another great video during this difficult time and stay safe!🌟

Love these fish. Fascinating. Thinking about adding some to my 20 gallon long planted tank. Very informative. Thank you 👍

Again, very helpful, like the otocinclus video. Looks like they can be kept together, which is nice. Charming fish!

This was really useful. Thank you.

I love Hillstream Loach, they are so cool. Great information and great video. Stay safe and take care.

These look amazing! I never knew they existed but they are shooting right up the ole’ wish list.

My heater is set at 70... but since they are in the garage, temps drop to 67 in winter and may hit 80 in the summer. I started with six in a 40b, now I have 40? 50? 60? I just saw a few new fry yesterday that were 3mm. They have been breeding steadily since October. They live with 20 long fin white clouds. My high flow is provided by the biggest Aquaclear hob. They much prefer the rocks in the current vs the rocks away from it. Live plants and wood that the babies prefer more than the adults. I can watch them bump noses for hours. Definitely my favorite alien! Nice video on these under-appreciated loaches.

They look like little stingrays!!

Very nice! I have two in my Dutch style heavily planted aquarium and they're very happy! Zero plant destruction. ;)

these things are so adorable! i'm planning on getting them lol

Thanks for info, on my list to get. Just subscribed ✌️

I’ve been wanting to get some for a while now! I definitely am going to pick some up next time I’m at a fish store(heaven knows when that will happen again.)

Great video! these fish look awesome. I hope to keep them when i add a tank

I finally was able to get four tiny Hillstream Loaches. They are all sorts of odd looking, very cool! Thanks for this video to share your experience with them. 😊😊😊

I love this little fish. They are amazing little fish and very cool to watch. I’ve been breeding them for two years. My experience has been quite different from traditional wisdom.

very cute fish and nice video .thanks

I just ordered 4. Thanks for the video.

I love how they look :)

One of my favorites, better than plecos personally for me. I finally found 3 Borneos today and grabbed all...in past I had reticulated and they flourished in my 55g CO2 planted, only had the strong output of filter in one corner, otherwise no specialty "powerheads" to supplement oxygen people always say. Kept my tanks on cooler side of 73-75, but still not cold...which all hillstreams and my buddy the golden dojo loach love (and is over 5 years old). I agree with you as specific tank raised fish generations become more the norm, they become less particular to the demands a species may have been used to in wild (besides- an extremely healthy, established planted tank like mine and everyone else's out there will have sufficient dissolved oxygen- as evident by the plants going crazy pearling!)

You have some of the happiest kids around, and they sure are not camera shy. They just add to the fun of watching your videos

I have one hillstream with my Endlers and he is so cool!! Glad I picked him up!

Thanks - I've a lidless tank, so that information prevented me getting them & possibly escaping 👍👍

You do a SUPERB job! Thank you so much for this video! Your old Betta reminds me of our cat. LAZY!!

Missed your more frequent content hahah most be busy at aquarium co op!

Love them, I have some!! ❤️❤️❤️

Okay, I’m sold 😍❤️

I wanted these but dismissed the idea after I read their "requirements." Nice to know I can get them after all. Great video 👍

Thanks for your help.

Such a cute fish.

I really enjoy your content! I'm hoping to setup a species only hillstream loach tank in a 20g long. Do you think that is a large enough tank for about six or should I look into a larger aquarium?

These have quickly became one of my favorite fish over the last year. So I have two tanks that have them. And girl, you are right, they can be expensive. However, price shopping and checking reviews, I recently bought a group from Aqua Huna that were amazing, healthy, and of a decent size. They run about $10 a piece from them. And what is even more awesome if you go to Aquarium Co-Op and go through the affiliate link/use the coupon code, you can save some $$$. The group that I just got from Aqua Huna started to breed in a 45g hexagon tank with 2 angel fish. The angel fish just look at them but doesn't bother them at all. This tank has a group of 4 with them. This tank uses a HOB and an air stone for oxygenation. Placing a small pile of river stone (2" - 4" in size) brought out amazing behavior in them. When I added some anubais barteri to the stack of riverstone, they began to breed. Water temperature of this tank stays between 76'f - 78'f. In my other 20g tank, I have about 6 celestial pearl danio and 4 hillstream loaches. This tank is filtered with the large sponge filter from Aquarium Co-Op. About 1/2 of the tank is ludwigia repens rubin and the other side of the tank I added same type of round river rocks. I did make a small floating fence for this side and have a thick layer of frogbit which gives shade over the pile of rocks. Originally I just had a sand bottom on this side, but once I added the rocks again, it induced breeding. Water temperature stays at room temperature so fluctuating between 65-75'f. These fish are amazing at keeping green algae off the side of the aquarium (honestly better than nerites in my opinion). They don't seem to do much with hair or bb algae. What do they seem to like to eat? Xtreme Crave Flakes are a bit hit once they get to the bottom and sit for a moment. I am having ok success with repashy soilent green. They seem to REALLY like frozen brine shrimp and daphnia once it makes it to the bottom. After feeding the above and having very little to no algae, I can honestly say my hillstream loaches are getting fat and happy. :)

Wow Beautiful fish 😊 I love it

l love mine, but I setup a powerhead in the corner of my 60 gallon tank I have them in so they can have the flow everyone said they like, yet these things usually hangout in the calmer part of the tank. One of my favorite fish, and certainly going to get more.

These fish are so cool! I'll be getting a few just as soon as the world get closer to normal.

Hey Mini-Gamer! - lol Great info & definitely good info about certain species being tolerant of varying parameters. I remember keeping a betta with two goldfish (originally three, but one was a bully that didn't last long). But the cooler room temperature water never seemed to be a problem & once I got the bully out the tank (& gave him to my neighbor for his pond), he thrived for more years than I kept the tank & was eventually moved to one of those ponds of my neighbor when I left New York. This is not to say every betta is going to be tolerant of lower temperature water, but proper care & attention to your pet will be a clear indication of their health & comfort. Lethargic, weight loss & faded colors are sure signs of distress & while they don't always indicate sickness, they will certainly lead to sickness if care & action is not immediately taken when these things are noticed.

Just bought my first hillstream loach and he’s now in with my bluefin kilifish + some neocaridina and a Rabbit snail! He’s so cute!!

Love your channel.

I just grabbed a couple of these little guys and absolutely love them. I wanted to grab four of them but the store only had two left, I will get a couple more when they get more stock. Not gonna lie though they were a little on the pricey side @ $25.00 each. regardless of the price they were a great addition to my 90 gallon community tank, they also get along great with the other schools in the tank. My tank is a schooling fish tank, the only fish that I don't have in a school of 10 or more is my centerpiece Bolivian Ram. Tiger Reticulated Hillstream Loach, a great little fish.

4:38 That noise is the best surround sound I have ever heard. Sounded right behind me below me

Hey, I was wondering if I need a heater for them. I live in Cali and I'm not sure if it gets too cold.

Those seem awesome I want some....

I have one with my Betta at 78 degrees.. I had no other place to keep him.. I had him in my 45 gallon but he was having issues with a clown pleco. So far so good.. he was shy but has opened up the last week.

I'm waiting on my aquarium stand to show up one of these days. I already have everything mapped out for a tank with these guys, a school of longfin cloud minnows, and standard cleanup crew of neocaridinas and various snails.

I’ve had two in a 36gallon bowfront with mollies, tetras, snails and ADF’s. I keep it around 78 and have a HOB with a bubbler. Never had any issues and they seem happy. No where close to a high-flow/Cold environment.

I love your videos and appreciate you doing beginner friendly guides on plants and fish! ❤ How can you tell if your Hillstream Loach is getting enough food?? I am newer to the fish-keeping hobby and I have a 10 gallon tank with 4 platy (1 male, 3 females). About 2 and a half weeks ago I bought a hillstream loach! It was pretty shy the first week, but seems to be really coming out of his shell now! He doesn't scurry away to hide when I get close to the tank now and he comes out to join the gang during feeding time (I feed them 1 time each day, sometimes 2, because I keep reading that they only need fed once a day to keep from over-feeding them.) However, my Platy act like they're starving ALL the dang time!! lol They are CONSTANTLY eating every single morsel of food they can find around the tank and I even see them picking at algae and other things off my driftwood and live plants! I honestly feel like I am over-feeding them with how much I put in the tank! (their plump bellies give them away, and yes I am aware of the possibility of them carrying babies lol) With them constantly eating though, I am always worried about my little hillstream loach not getting enough to eat! I have started feeding them a little bit in the a.m. and then in the evening right before I turn tank lights off, (I figured out, by using a flashlight one night, that my hillstream loach goes CRAZY once tank lights and bedroom lights are out and he runs around the glass having a party-for-1 while the Platy sleep 😂) I did this in hopes my platy will go to sleep and leave enough food behind for the loach to clean up and have a good dinner! I have just keep reading everywhere that these little guys tend to die from not getting enough food and I absolutely do not want that to happen!! All the fish seem to be very active and extremely happy! I do a weekly water change plus use a turkey baster during the week to try to clean up extra fish-poo/food debri, I have a nano sponge filter plus a HOB filter with pre-filter sponge AND live plants, nitrates stay around 5-10ppm (just started dosing Easy Green this week for my floating water sprite and nitrates are now around 15-20ppm). I rotate small pellet food, flakes, algae wafers, cucumbers, frozen bloodworms and I just today added Repashy into the roation. Little loach seems to love everything besides the algae wafers! (I'll probably be taking the algae wafers out of the rotation). If anyone reads through this entire book and can tell me how to get enough food to my hillstream loach through my crazy hungry platy fish, it would be greatly appreciated!! Lol 💕 (there is a high possibility he IS eating enough, I'm just a worry-wort and don't want underfeeding to be the reason he doesn't survive a long time!)

underrated gem

your plants are looking great

Thanks. This was helpful. Am I correct that you had them on Ecco Complete substrate in the video? I was reluctant to get a hillstream loach because I thought Ecco Complete would be too rough / abrasive on their underbelly so I'm interested in knowing if I might be wrong about that.

4:38 your fish on the right is going to cause an underwater tornado :P thanks for these information. I am going to get these guys instead of otocinclus

OH My Goodness Your Kids are Adorable 💖💙

Thank you for the info. I special ordered a hillstream loach from the lfs after seeing Corey's video and it died after 4 days in quarantine. The lfs would have replaced it if it had been 3 days and I took in a water sample, but since it was 4, they'd only give me a discount on a new one. :/ I cancelled the order I had with them for Praecox rainbow fish and ordered everything from aqua huna, and it ended up being cheaper. I'm really nervous about losing the 2 I just ordered. T_T

Had them 15-20 years ago in a community tank, heated to 24 celsius, never new they were cold water or had these other conditions, they did fine.

I've wanted these for a while. I've done a lot of my own research on them and glad you did this video. I'm also glad you mentioned they aren't "cheap". I live 2 hrs from any pet store so will have to order mine from the internet and pay the pretty price for live delivery. I've never ordered fish online, any suggestions?

Thanks, I enjoy your videos. How do you think they will do in outdoor tub?

I do love these little fish :)

Hi great video! I had a beautiful hillstream loach which sadly died because of a co2 overdose, but i am getting some after my city's coronavirus lockdown is over😀

I've been thinking about getting one of these guys after my tank is cycles, but I'm concerned about having a java moss carpet with them...any idea if I'd be better off with just sand, no moss?

Great video. I feel reassured into getting a couple for my tank. By the way what is the lovely pink fish that appears around 7:03?

I got one by accident, it was caught when I was buying other fish and no one noticed. When I looked it up on internet and everything is about low temp and high water flow, I thought damn(76 Fahrenheit) it will be dead in the next two weeks, but no, 9 months later and it is still going strong. Good to know that you can keep a group, as my aquarium has a low stock, I am now considering buying another 4 or 5.

I stopped being interested in these when I did some research and found out they like river setups and I deflated. I saw them in a pet shop and I loved them!! I've been binge watching your videos and watching how healthy and happy they look. I'll do more research and watch Cory's video as well before I make any decisions. Thanks for sharing!

Love these guys! Great video! Do you think you have SEW01 instead of Sewellia lineolata? I bred S. lineolata for several years - such adorable babies!

Have four of them and they’re awesome. Two in a goldfish tank which has no heater ans gets down to the low 60s at times and two in a tropical fish tank that’s kept in the mid 70s.

it's like the camel situation. Everyone believed camels were built for the desert, they evolved and lived there a long time so that must be their best habitat. Well, camels actually lived in the northern parts of Canada first. Although they're built for the desert, those same functions can be used for the winter. Basically, where hillstream loaches live now may not be their only habitat, the habitat they used to live in or even the habitat they best prefer

Hey 👋 I have a cholla wood in one of my tanks. Will they eat the biofilm?

This is just the one I'm thinking about. I have my 15 gallon planted tank set up for about 2 weeks now. For now, all I have is three albino Cory doras, I'm planning on adding three or four more Panda Cory's and I was thinking about adding these guys. It's not a really big tank .I'm looking for a unique betta to add. Thanks Irene, always great tips. Hope you and your family have a blessed Easter! ♥️🙏✌️

I have seen this fish before and I really liked it. But can it mix with pea puffy?

Hill streams are generally quite durable all things considered in my own experience I had two which lasted for at least 10 years in several different tanks

I like the “stingray” look that they have. Could they be kept with otocinclus?

hello! do you find that ottos or hillstream loaches are better at cleaning up algae? (anyone can answer btw :D)

Got 5 for $12 today from local pet store! They look so cool!

Can I keep 3 of them in a heavily planted 10 gallon with a sponge filter and a bubbler? I saw the video by LRB Aquatics and he had like 10 or more in a 20 gal high!?

One of my favourite loach species. Do you still have them. Video is quite informative

i usually keep my water temp range from 24-26 degrees Celsius..its a planted community with gouramis, tetras, siamese algae eaters and drawf chain loaches.. i was thinking about getting a hillstream..is that a good idea..My glass has plenty of algae growth and need a good glass cleaner fish..

Nice one!! Planning to buy for my tank 3 hillstream loaches, is 1 male and two females Okay?????

Would these make good additions as betta tank mates? They appear get along with yours.

I just got 3 for trade..had a gallon bad of jungle val.. very cool fish..

What kind of water parameters do they prefer ?

I see an old betta fish day napping 😆😄🥰😚🥳

I first watched the video of yours about the differences between Otocinclus and Hillstream loach- which persuaded me to get hillstream loach over otocinclus because I definitely don't want to overstock the community tank that I'm planning on since otocinclus are schooling fish so I would definitely need a few but unlike to hillstream loach, I can only have one (or 3+, just not 2 so there won't be aggression between them, right? I remember your vids haha) My plan was a 20 gallon tank with a betta, panda corydoras, cardinal tetrats in it so.....most of them are schooling fish hahaha because of that I'm concern regarding about the stocking So I did switched from otos to hillstream loach because I can have one but after doing my own research and found out that they need fast flowing flow which made me switch back to otos then in this video.....made me switch back to hillstream loach OH HOW I WISH I CAN GET THEM BOTH TBH x'D

ngl, i fell in love with hillstream loaches and otos, i got them for only 8 from my local fish store, 7 for borneo sucker and otos (I'm from Malaysia)

Oh I want these so bad!

I just got a couple of these little guys yesterday but I’m a little worried, they’re hiding a lot and I haven’t seen them eat much. Is it just because they’re new and need time to get used to the tank?

Do you think it would be okay to keep just one with just my betta in my 10 gal tank? 😬

I noticed that your java ferns are so green. How do you keep them healthy? Mine just melt away easily.