Loaches Online Forum

@CatsandFish
The Ctenocephalus right in front of it,s dorsal fin.
hi
after having checked about two hundred of cteno/scitulus I think it's a scitulus.

lucky you that the fans fit exactly. I've tried this last year on a tank just for curiosity if it worked, but the opening was to small, the rotor rumbling on the cover.
cheers charles

Thank you Fishy Lady, anything for my Hillies, i really love these fish

Thanks Charles, i,ll take your word on that one
If i,m correct the big difference was in fin coloration, right ?

hi
scitulus: body brown with light brown spots, spots sparse and mostly bigger specially at dorsum between dorsal and caudal fin , caudal fin marginal red possible, yellow in the dorsal fin base, a touch of blue in the dorsal fin posssible, distance from begin of pectoral fins to end of the head longer seen from underside. head steeper.
irritating was the remark in "borneoscuker" about the absence of blue in the dorsal fin, which is not 100 % in some specimen, red in the caudal fin not mentioned,
cteno: black when in good condition. yellow in dorsal fin possible as seen in picture
but most: I have some cteno specimen with really big and sparse spots!
the clue on loaches with the different types of blue stripes in the caudal fin is a good in most cases.
it's as in other gasromyzon: there are variations

I've made hundred of pics to sort that out. here some

scitulus



cteno


I even tried this



convinced?
cheers charles

Nice pictures, and yes these defenitely look more like Scitulus indeed.
Thanks again

It's been a while since my last update

The hillstream tank is still running perfectly
i've added some inhabitants and all is still going well
haven't had any fish loss, so i,m quite proud

I finally did stumble on to Sewellia Lineolata and bought 4 small specimens.
Also added 3 more Gastromyzon Scitulus en 2 Zebrinus.
The Sewellia are unlike all the stories i read here quite the friendly fish.
Even sharing rocks with the Gastro's, they have an ongoing feud with the Beaufortia's though, as again unlike all other stories i read are positively
the least timid of my hillies and ram everything else away from possible foodstuff

The oddest addition (and an unlikely one) is a Mexican dwarf lobster.
now i hear you saying: you're nuts your Hillies will get eaten.......
But i had to try and save this guy as his former owner said he had 2 options: toilet or frying pan.......
Well everything turned out quite okay, the only thing the crayfish cares about is dried foods, the hillies are ignored and vice versa.
The only squabbles i see him in are with the Chaetostoma and none has been wounded in these disputes.

All of the hillies are growing (even the Beaufortia's) which to me is a sign of happy fish
I made a vid, not the best in quality but you do get an idea of the flow in the tank and i will be taking pics next week.
Enjoy

sounds good
cheers charles

looking great CatsandFish.

It really tempts me to get the extra rekord i have out too for hillies. But i dont think my hubby would appreciate that.

Honestly, all that chilling equipment is necessary. I have found balitorids are most active and responsive at and around 27C.

Well i'd rather keep em with the cooling equipment at a healthy 22.....at 27 degrees mine become A lethargic and B start breathing like they ran a marathon.

and....all that cooling equipment.......it's just 4 fans mate of which 2 have been disconnected already as the other 2 can keep up with the temps just fine.

HEE!!!

I didn't want to flush it down the drain or fry it!

I just had to get rid of it before it killed of all my fan shrimp.