That said, if the bottom of the tank becomes overcrowded, territorial scuffles can break out. For that reason, I recommend that you keep a group of at least three loaches. However, when kept in a home aquarium, it seems that these little guys do prefer the company of their own kind. Wild Reticulated Hillstream loaches are not natural schooling fish. Compatibility and Tankmates Can Reticulated Hillstream Loaches Live in Groups? These fish are quite active foragers, spending much of their time grazing on algae, stuck to the tank glass, or rooting around among the base of plants and in rocky crevices.

Reticulated Hillstream loaches are peaceful creatures that make a lovely addition to a community of small, non-aggressive species that share similar water requirements. Tank-kept Reticulated Hillstream loaches generally live for 8 to 10 years, provided that they receive a high-quality diet and the water in their tank is kept pristine and well-oxygenated. That’s a weird site, but beautiful nonetheless! Life Expectancy That doesn’t mean that you won’t get to enjoy your fish, as you’ll often find all the loaches stuck firmly to the viewing panes or rocks in your tank in a group. Their small size makes them ideally suited for foraging for food in tiny crevices and cracks in the rocky landscape of the riverbed home. Reticulated Hillstream loaches are small fish, measuring around 2 to 3 inches in length. A sucker mouth and flattened underbelly are also perfect for grazing on algae and withstanding the force of the water.

The loach’s pelvic and pectoral fins are fanlike in shape, and the fish use those fins to move around and to cling onto solid surfaces within the habitat. The body is streamlined and hydrodynamic, perfectly adapted to cope in fast-flowing water with minimal effort on the fish’s part. Take a look at the fish’s body shape, and you’ll immediately see why they’re so well-suited to their natural habitat, where the current is very fast. The striping on the dorsal and caudal fins tends to be more linear than that of the body. The fish’s body is light yellow-gray with broad black bands that sprawl randomly across the whole fish, including the fins, creating a stunning dappled pattern. Reticulated Hillstream loaches have very short barbels, which is why they’re sometimes assumed to be a species of catfish, although they are not. The fish’s appearance is so strange that it’s often mistaken for a mini-stingray. This species of Hillstream loach is a beautiful, unique-looking fish that’s sure to captivate everyone who sees it in your home aquarium!

Reticulated loaches are not strictly regarded as schooling fish, although they are often seen living in small groups.Ī large part of the loaches’ diet comprises algae that they graze on throughout the day, supplementing that with small worms, insect larvae, and the like. These fish are found in fast-flowing streams, spending much of their time foraging on the stream bottom or clinging to rocks. The Reticulated loach is currently listed on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, largely due to habitat destruction. Reticulated loaches are members of a large family of 202 different Hillstream loach varieties that are found in decreasing numbers in southeast Asia, China, and parts of India.

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