From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Reticulated Hillstream Loach
Sewellia lineolata
- Temperature
- 20–24 °C
- pH
- 6 – 7.5
- Min. tank size
- 90 L
- Lifespan
- 5-8 years
- Diet
- herbivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Sewellia lineolata |
| Family: | Gastromyzontidae |
| Origin: | Southeast Asia (fast, oxygen-rich streams of Vietnam and Laos) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | herbivore |
| Max Size: | 6.50 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | subtropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 6+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains — the reticulated pattern is the fish, and it varies naturally between individuals and populations. It was formerly placed in the genus Balitora, and older references use Balitora lineolata. It is also sold as the Vietnamese hillstream loach, the tiger hillstream loach and the gold ring butterfly sucker. It reached the aquarium trade in the mid-2000s and quickly became one of the more popular balitorids. Several related hillstream loaches are traded alongside it and are separate species with similar requirements. Other Sewellia species appear under SEW numbers, and the genera Beaufortia, Pseudogastromyzon, Gastromyzon and Homaloptera all supply fish sold generically as "hillstream loaches" or "butterfly plecos". They are not plecos and not closely related to them — the resemblance is convergence on the same job in the same kind of water. Mixing genera in one tank is common and works, with the caveat that this species is the most dominant of the sucker-belly group and competes aggressively with similar benthic fish for grazing surface. |
| Lifespan: | 5-8 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Low
- Min Tank:90 L
- Substrate:Smooth rocks and sand; biofilm-covered surfaces; high flow
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:High (strong current and very high oxygen essential)
Reticulated Hillstream Loach (Sewellia lineolata) is a species of fish in the family Gastromyzontidae. It is native to Southeast Asia (fast, oxygen-rich streams of Vietnam and Laos). The reticulated hillstream loach looks like a miniature stingray and lives in a torrent. It is a flattened, suckermouth balitorid from fast, oxygen-rich streams in Vietnam and Laos, patterned in a fine gold-on-dark reticulation, reaching 65 mm standard length. It clings to rock in current using a broad disc formed by the pectoral and pelvic fins, and grazes the biofilm and algae growing there. The requirement that follows is unusual and non-negotiable: the water must turn over 15 to 20 times per hour. That is torrent flow, achieved with a filter plus powerheads, and it is why this fish belongs in a purpose-built river tank rather than a community aquarium. It became available in the mid-2000s and quickly became one of the more popular balitorids. It is also, surprisingly, arguably the easiest of all loach species to breed in aquaria.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 6+
- Swims
- bottom
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Reticulated Hillstream Loach
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