Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Can a Loach win my Heart!? If it’s a Red Lizard or Gecko Loach it can!






Thanks to Cichlid Exchange and information from Loaches.com: We were shipped 4 really nice Red Lizard Loaches;  Homaloptera orthogoniata (Vaillant, 1902)  These fish inhabit fast flowing streams over boulders, often in forested areas. Collection reports describe "Blackwater" conditions at many sites. Your Hillstream Loach aquarium should duplicate these conditions, including high water flow, as these fish have very high oxygen requirements. They reach a maximum size of almost 5” - they can be kept as cool as 70f and can tolerate water temps to about 78f. They prefer foods such as brine shrimp or bloodworm but many will also accept pellet foods too, they are not greedy eaters so be sure to watch them with other Hillstream Loaches as they may get chased away from food.




Homaloptera species require similar conditions to other Hillstream species. All need excellent water-flow and aeration, numerous rocky hiding places and smooth pebbles and boulders to graze over. Lighting should be bright to encourage algal growth in the aquarium. Plants are not necessary as the fish do not normally encounter them in the wild, but they will help with water-quality. Suitable plants for high-flow environments are Anubias and Microsoreum. (Java Fern) These can easily be attached to rockwork or driftwood. 
                                                                                                                                                                       













There are 4 of these guys in the shop  they are CE598, and are $17.99 each.

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