Hey Mark!!

[Erik]

How is your river/brook tank doing? Is there still some new behaviours happening?
Cherrie is doing well still , is out more and eating nicely though more skittish than my Mahnerti's.
Going to get some more rock from Lynn Creek tomorrow for the tank. Going stony now in the river. Also might get some gravel from Lynn to better match the rocks I have in there per Martins advice..
Cheers
Erik

[Mark in Vancouver]

I've noticed that the hillstreams are not sticking to the reliable spots where they would always be. They seem to be spending more social time. The brook loaches are positively happy. They are way less shy at feeding time and out much more, on the rocks rather than under them.

My remaining A. rubidipinnis is now the alpha loach of the tank, and there is some chasing, but it's no longer violent. The wounded pulcher is looking much better, with no treatment so far.

Everyone's a winner with this one. Cheers, Erik.

[Mark in Vancouver]

Or, more obviously for latecomers...

I had two Acanthocobits rubidipinnis, the so-called Cherry Loach. Two males that reached about five inches and then one became the bully. It appears that this is a bad combination.

Erik adpoted one of them and so on. Both of the loaches are in good homes.

If I could keep them in quite a large unheated river tank - 80 gallons or so - it would be interesting to keep a group of them with no other brook loaches. They spend a lot of time swimming and foraging and they make their needs obvious.

Cool fishies, yeah?