Reticulated hillstream loach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reticulated hillstream loach |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sewellia
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| Species: |
lineolata
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The Reticulated Hillstream Loach, also known as Sewellia lineolata, is a cool type of fish. It lives in the fast-flowing rivers and streams of Vietnam. You can find it in places like Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh provinces. This fish is special because it has fins that help it stick to rocks!
Where the Reticulated Hillstream Loach Lives
The Reticulated Hillstream Loach loves shallow, fast-moving water. It lives in small rivers and streams that flow into bigger ones, especially near where rivers start. These places often have rocky areas called riffles, calm pools, and sometimes even small waterfalls.
The bottom of their homes is usually made of gravel, bedrock, and sand. There are often big rocks and boulders too. The areas around these streams have lots of plants, but not many plants grow in the water itself.
The best places for them have very clear water with lots of oxygen. When the sun shines on this clear water, it helps a special slimy layer called a biofilm grow on the rocks. This biofilm is a mix of tiny plants and other living things that the fish love to eat.
Sometimes, when it rains a lot, the streams can get cloudy. This happens because the water flows faster and deeper, picking up dirt and other bits from the bottom.
What the Reticulated Hillstream Loach Eats
In the wild, Reticulated Hillstream Loaches mostly eat algae and tiny living things that grow on rocks at the bottom of the water. They might also eat insect larvae if they get the chance.
If you have these fish in an aquarium, you can feed them fish flakes, small pellets, and algae wafers. They also enjoy frozen foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and tubifex worms.
Special Features and Care
Reticulated Hillstream Loaches have special fins that help them stick to rocks. This is very important because they live in rivers with strong currents. To be happy and healthy, they need lots of oxygen in their water and many rocky places to hide. They also like smooth pebbles and boulders to graze on for food.
The lighting in their tank should be bright. This helps algae grow, which is a natural food source for them. You don't need many plants in their tank because they don't usually find them in their natural homes. However, plants like Anubias and Microsoreum can grow well on rocks or driftwood in fast-flowing water.
These fish need very clean water. It's important to keep their tank water in excellent condition.
Reticulated Hillstream Loaches have smaller mouths compared to some other similar fish. This means you should give them smaller food items. Good foods include high-quality flakes, small sinking pellets, algae wafers, and thawed frozen foods like bloodworms and mysis shrimp. They also like blanched spinach, kale, and natural algae.
One interesting thing about these fish is how they move. Unlike some other fish that stick to rocks, Reticulated Hillstream Loaches sometimes "glide" on the current. They might launch themselves from a high rock and float a distance before landing on another rock or the bottom.
They also seem very comfortable looking for food on sand or fine gravel. They will flutter their fins to stir up the sand. It looks like they do this to uncover tiny food bits hidden underneath.
