Member

Posts: 21
From:BC, Canada
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-22-2004 09:52 PM         

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I bought what was labled a hong kong pleco the other day, both my g/f and I have been looking them up on the net, and we've found that they also come up as butterfly loaches, I was wondering if anyone knows which one is right, or more info, cause thats 2 different species, so I just want to know which is right, thanks

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Posts: 806
From:
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 02-22-2004 10:19 PM         

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Hi Oddfisharebest, I have only had one butterfly pleco. The information that I got on them is that they don't get very large at all, only about 2 inches. My experience with the one I had, he always stayed on the glass. Also they are very susceptible to damage. One of the fish in my tank bit him on the tail. Although there really wasn't much damage he didn't last after that, so they are very fragile with regard to damage from fin nippers. If you go to buy one make sure there is no damage on him or he won't last. Sorry but that's about all I know on butterfly plecos.

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Member

Posts: 104
From:Austin, TX
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-23-2004 09:56 AM         

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Put the phrase "hillstream loach" into your favorite search engine and see what returns. Hillstream and butterfly loaches are different names for the same fish. We bought this odd little flat fish at our lfs as an algae eater for a 20 gal tank. It was being sold as an "upside-down catfish" but the lfs was wrong. If your fish is small and flat with almost it's entire underside pressed flat against the glass, it's probably a hillstream loach. I've never heard of a butterfly plecostomus, but if it exists, it's probably a completely different fish.

is this your fish:

check out: http://www.aquariacentral.com/articles/hillstream.shtml
for info on

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Member

Posts: 21
From:BC, Canada
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-23-2004 11:06 AM         

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My guy isnt that spotted, his fins are translucent, and his dorsal fin has a red stripe along the top ridge of it, a 'mohawk' if you will

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