Pet Care Home

Chinese Hillstream Loach

Borneo Sucker, Hillstream Loach, Hong Kong Pleco, Butterfly Loach

Family: BalitoridaePicture of a Chinese Hillstream Loach, Borneo Sucker, Hong Kong Pleco, Butterfly LoachBeaufortia kweichowensisPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs
Latest Reader Comment - See More
I have had two of these "C.H.Loach" and getting a real kick out of them. They disappear for long periods and just as I start to worry, I find them... (more)  Mary E. Hyland

   At first sight the Chinese Hillstream Loach suggests some type of flounder, however it is truly a most unique loach that is both gentle and non-aggressive!

   Though most often called the Chinese Hillstream Loach, you may find this fish under a variety of names such as the Hillstream Loach, Borneo Loach, Hong Kong Pleco, or Butterfly Loach. But you will be intrigued when you see one as it is truly an eye catcher. Its has a light brown to golden background color patterned overall with dark spots and has a dark spotted line following the edge of the fins.

   This small, peaceful little loach can be quite quick but will not defend itself against aggressors. Because they are from cooler waterways, they will do best in a "river" type aquarium kept with other gentle tank mates. Good water movement along with hiding and resting places created with plants, rocks, and driftwood in will be appreciated.

   The Chinese Hillstream Loach is a fairly hardy little fish, but they do tend to be shy so be sure to provide plenty of hiding places. They also love to scavenge debris and graze on algae, even cleaning the glass on the sides of the aquarium. They enjoy the company of their own species and are best kept in a group of five to seven, with the suggested minimum being three.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium


Pet Supply Comparison Shopping

Care and feeding:    Since they are omnivorous, the Chinese Hillstream Loach will generally eat all kinds of live foods, sinking pelleted and tablet foods, flakes, and algae. They like frozen foods as well. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake or tablet food everyday. Feed mosquito larvae, brine shrimp (either live or frozen), tubifex, daphnia, and some vegetable foods such as algae wafers.
   This fish will do well in a medium aquarium (ideally 20 gallons or so) with plants and places for retreat such as rocks, caves, and roots. Also use subdued lighting. They do best in soft, slightly acidic water with frequent water changes of about 10% a week. The substrate needs to be a fine gravel or sand that does not have sharp edges.

Distribution:    The Chinese Hillstream Loaches are found in Southeast Asia; Hong Kong.

Size - Weight:    These fish can reach up to about 3 1/4" (8 cm) though it is usually smaller in the aquarium.

Social Behaviors:    A good community fish, they are gentle and peaceful. They will do well with non-aggressive tank mates as well as enjoy other members of their own species. It is recommended that they be kept in groups of at least 3, with larger groups of five to seven being recommended. They are rather shy, but when they move they are quite quick.

Sexual Differences:    Although the sex of these has not been determined, it is reported that males are typically larger than the females.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:    These fish are mostly bottom dwellers, but will be seen grazing on algae on the sides of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:    Hardness: to 5° dH
   Ph: to about 6.7
   Temp: 72 - 80° F (22-26° C)

Breeding/Reproduction:    There are reports of the Chinese Hillstream Loach having spawned for hobbyists but not much is known about their breeding habits. They are not yet bred commercially.

Availability:    The Chinese Hillstream Loach is becoming popular and more readily available.

Author: Clarice Brough. CFS.


Lastest Comments on Chinese Hillstream Loach

Mary E. Hyland - 2011-11-19
I have had two of these "C.H.Loach" and getting a real kick out of them. They disappear for long periods and just as I start to worry, I find them hanging on the upper areas of the glass. They're currently tiny so disappear easily into the many plants and driftwood. I now know I have to get a few more to give them a "family".

Click For Replies (1)
  • David Brough - 2011-11-20
    Very cool! How are they at cleaning algae?
Reply
tracy - 2011-08-19
Hi I got 2 of these fish yesterday. I did all the recommended things before introducing them to my tank. (I have 2 goldfish in there) within hours one was upside down on the bottom looking dead and the other was barely moving. As I got them out they both twitched so put them in a bowl with half tank water and half clean cold water and today they are both lively! Do I put them in the tank again or do I get them another tank? One thing I did notice was that the tank water did feel a little warm, would this have been the cause and would making the water colder in the tank solve the problem.... I already lost 2 last week and these are replacements. I had cleaned the tank before putting the new ones in.

Click For Replies (3)
  • Charlie Roche - 2011-08-19
    Always check tank conditions and double check. Place the platic bag the new fish are in - into the tank so they aclimate to any even 1 degree in temperature.
  • Anonymous - 2011-08-19
    hi, yes I did put the bag in the tank as you should but they still seemed unhappy. They are now in a different tank and seem to be ok but not convinced. Hopefully they will still be around tomorrow.
  • Dylan - 2011-08-31
    You need to be careful what you put with goldfish. Since they produce a considerable amount of ammonia, many fish are unsuited for goldfish tanks as they are not hardy enough to withstand the amount of waste that goldfish produce. If they were put in a clean tank and are flourishing, I think you have your answer. If you wish to keep them with goldfish, you are going to have to do extremely frequent water changes in order to keep the water quality suitable for the more sensitive fish.
Reply
Luis Dien - 2011-07-13
Hello all:

I'm from Costa Rica, and I'm looking for breeders who can sell and send me some Hillstream loaches, butterfly loaches and chinese butterfly loaches... please let me know what can I do cause in Costa Rica are some laws, so, they need to send it directly to my house?
Thank You so much

Click For Replies (1)
  • Charlie Roche - 2011-07-14
    I would think almost impossible (because of in the United States they call it Fish and Game) law regarding importation of fish or animals. Isn't there somewhere locally that there is a great fish store in Costa Rica. It is so beautiful there.
Reply
Ursula Davies - 2007-05-04
I got a Hillstream Loach, and he is the only one at the moment but I will get some more after reading this, though I was unsure of what he was when I got him. He is very friendly and loves my other fish! Also pretty :)

Click For Replies (1)
  • Ryan Charles - 2011-04-13
    Can they grow quite big in a MASSIVE aquarium if you move the tank size every year???
Reply
Glan - 2011-02-25
They're not THAT peaceful. We have a male & female and the male will chase other fish regularly. He'll actually fight with a BN pleco in the tank.

They LOVE good water circulation - without it they will die. Lesson, get a powerhead!

Reply
Nigel - 2008-03-16
They love running water. Try pouring water down the side of your tank while changing water and they'll scurry up well above the water level! I got two for $2 here in Singapore. They're quite hardworking at algae after they adjust to the tank. So far I've not fed them much and they seem to be doing alright in a bright set-up.

Click For Replies (1)
  • Nina - 2010-11-30
    Ahh my borneo sucker fish is swimming frantically up and down the glass of my tank. Will it jump out? I just got it today...?
Reply

Click to see more Hillstream Loaches
Back to Hillstream Loaches

Connect with us on Facebook Watch us on YouTube Follow us on Twitter

Click to see Royal Python - Boris
Royal Python - Boris
by Lucylemonpip
Click to see Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragons
by taylor

 
After installing a newsreader, click on this icon to download Animal-World XML/RSS feed.After installing a newsreader, click on this icon to download Animal-World XML/RSS feed.

International Index Pages
[French] [German] [Japanese] [Portuguese] [Spanish] [Russian] [Simplified Chinese] [Traditional Chinese]


Copyright © [Animal-World] 1998-2011. All rights reserved.