Loaches Online Forum

Thanks, they are constantly on grazing for algae all over the glass. The algae wafers usually land on the gravel and they hardly ever go down there. Is there some way that I can encourage them to try feeding on the bottom?

when they get hungry, they will look around for food..dont worry yourself!

-brett.

K, thanks

Well, I think all of the algae is gone now, they are still searching enthusiastically for food but still won't take the algae wafers.

Mine were the same. They'd only eat something they found on a rock. And they never seemed to like the algae wafers.

What worked for me was to get some frozen brine shrimp. Defrost it (I got the cubed kind) on a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture. Remove a rock (I chose one near the front so I could see them if they ate), dry it a bit, paste the gooey brine shrimp onto the rock with your finger. Put the rock back in the tank slowly, in the same spot. (Hopefully you choose one that isn't right in front of the powerhead output or it will blow it off).

they will find it, and get crazy, and some of it will float away, some onto the bottom. The whiteclouds eat the floating stuff, and the hillies go after the stuff on the rock or the bottom.

After a few days they know when the rock leaves, the food is coming.

thanks for the reply, what type of rock are you using? Is it like a giant pebble? (a pic would help as I have a small aquarium and would like too know what to look for)

here's a fuzzy pic (the only kind I get...)
the rock is just your standard oval about 3x2"


I moved the rock and all the guys came looking for food.

here's a front shot that shows it really is oval.

WOW! I can hardly ever find a pebble that is 2", the largest I can get is 1"! I wish I had all of those hillstream loaches!

Well, thanks for all the help. Today I remembered I left a day old Algae wafer in the tank and was about to remove it when all of a sudden I see my Gastromyzon munching on it! I was so releived, but it was only one of the two so still gotta wait for the other one to come down and try the food. But he seems paled out. Is it normal for them to change there color because the gravel is bright red and maybe he was just trying to blend in. I sure hope it is that because I don't want him to be unhealthy right after he learned that algae wafers=food.

That's great news! They do tend to try to match the color of the background, so they will often turn very pale on lighter colored surfaces.

My other one now finally decided to try it after watching my other one eating happily. They both are now fat with spirulina discs . But I noticed that they tend to only eat when the disc has been in the water for over a day. I'll try the brine shrimp again later today as I heard that they aren't completely herbivores.