Hard to photograph fish

[Sharkscott2]

I haven't checked this forum in several years. But tonight I got the itch to take some pictures of my "Mean fish" tank. I have a 3 Syncrossus Berdmorei and 5 Syncrossus Hymenophysa, 4 skunk loaches, 6 Arulius Barbs, and a few BN Plecos.

[Greek]

Hey Sharkscott2!
I think that is a great chance for Your 'hymenophysas' to be S. reversa! They definitely don't look like a typical Green Tiger Loach.
Check out also mine - http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25419 - those are very similar to Yours How big are they now?
I think we are happy to keep that rare species

[Sharkscott2]

Greek,

You may be correct. i don't think these fish look like the pictures on loaches.com for S. Reversa or S. Hymenophysa. When they were young they looked more like Hymenophysa. They had more green but as they have aged they have turned more of a blueish grey color and their stripes fade about half way down their body. Mine do look a lot like yours. The S.Berdmori have also gotten darker over time. The light stripes have turned an orangeish brown color. I have had all of the Syncrossus loaches for over 5 years, some as long as 7 years. 4 of the Barbs I'm sure I've had for 8 years and the other 2 were born in my tanks. The skunks are fairly new, they are only 2 or 3.

Counting the tail (which I know not everyone does) I'd bet these loaches are 4-5 inches long. Some are much 'thicker' than others.

Some of the same fish 4-5 years ago

[Greek]

That's interesting because mine were more dark-coloured when they were younger, now they are brighter. Yours were more brighter and they became darker
Looking at the pictures won't tell You much, because those are photos of dead specimens. And looking at the colours is not the best way to identify. Look at the comparison picture from T.R. Roberts' "Fishes of Borneo"

It shows the general difference. And that's not a colour or body shape, but the width of the stripes. As we know both species have pale and dark bands. And as T.R. Roberts writes about S. hymenophysa:

12-14 pale bands with very dark margins on a slightly dark background

... and about S. reversa:

Body with about 12 complex vertical bars consisting of alternating pale and dark bands separated by darker thin vertical streaks; as dark bands generally somewhat wider than pale ones, effect is of 12-13 dark bands with very dark margins on a pale background (reverse of pattern seen in B. hymenophysa).

IMHO there's no doubt that it is not a S. hymenophysa You can also take an attempt to check the number of branched dorsal fin rays. It should be 9-11 for reversa and 12-13 for hymenophysa.

Pufff, that's amazing, that keeping loaches makes You a permanent loach-detective