Sinogastromyzon puliensis

[Thomas]

Is here anybody who knows something about Sinogastromyzon puliensis? A german wholesaler has this guys new in his stock and i'm interested in. But before I go to order a group, I have some questions.

I think they are comparable with S. wui. I have read, that the wui is a not so easy hillstream, but i've no experience with it.

Are the wui very difficult to feed? For now I've a 23 inch (60cm) Tank in which they might be alone. Later I want to hold them together with the H. smithi in a bigger tank of course. Would it be possible?

I'm sure it is a rare species and i would like to be careful before I buy.

A picture from fishbase.org
http://fishbase.org/Photos/PicturesSumm ... at=species

Thomas

Oh, I forgot the index...something I've found

[Graeme Robson]

Hi Thomas. I personally don't have any ideas on how these loaches would feed or act, but if they are indeed like the Sinogastromyzon wui in which i keep then i'm sure that Bloodworm's and brine shrimp will indeed be most welcome. My Sinogastromyzon wui will also graze and forage around for smaller foods but the Bloodworm's are indeed their favorite.

[Jim Powers]

That sounds like a great find!
I have had two S. wui for over 6 years now and I wouldn't necessarily say they are a difficult species to keep.
If they come in healthy, they can be very easy to keep.
They are a bit more selective in their eating than most hillstreams.
I have only seen mine eat bloodworms but others have said they will eat mysis and brine shrimp.
They should do well with H. smithi in that regard.
Check out the species index.
http://www.loaches.com/species-index/si ... omyzon-wui
The same should apply to puliensis.
Good luck!!

[Emma Turner]

Hi Thomas,

Towards the end of last year, one of my suppliers listed Sinogastromyzon puliensis so I ordered 50 of them. However, I was unsure whether what turned up was actually S. puliensis. There were a couple that I thought might have been, as they were larger and greyer in colour (they came in with the common name 'Giant Grey Sucker') but the other 40+ fish looked to me, just like standard Beaufortia kweichowensis. If they weren't B. kweichowensis, they looked very similar.

Here are a few pics of the larger greyer fish:

















So I would advise caution when parting with your money, as the fish that turn up may not all be S. puliensis. This is the one and only time I saw the species available, so I would imagine that the wholesaler got them from the same place and batch.

Emma

[Thomas]

Thanks for all your replies! The wholesaler is located in Cologne. The days I will visit some Cologne pet shops. I'm sure that I find the Loaches in one of the shops and can see them before buying. I will report later.