are you OFF YOUR ROCKER ???? WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING WITH KHULI LOACHES AND HILLSTREAM LOACHES IN THE SAME TANK !!! khuli loaches are a tropical fish and need high seventies (fahrenheit) to thrive, while reticulated hillstream loaches are cold water fish and need mid sixties, even if you put the temp somewhere in the middle of that its probably stressing out both species :(
Hi, Anon! (and an important PSA)
Oh boy… where to start? I’ll answer this in three parts:
1) If you are trying to offer advice to someone about ANYTHING, not just fish, you should always do so in a polite and respectful tone.All caps and being incredibly rude is not the way to do it, be kind to others. This will make them more inclined to listen and take your advice! So everyone, please take note that this is not how you try to correct someone who you think is doing something wrong (even if they keep a betta in a bowl). Politely offer your advice and help to people!
2) If you are trying to help someone correct something that you perceive as wrong, DON’T do it anonymously. If I were to genuinely not know what I am doing and wanted to inquire more, I would be completely lost at this point. This shows me that you, anon, do not have the confidence in what you are saying.
So anyone who is considering offering advice to anyone else for any reason, don’t do it in an anonymous ask. Have the confidence in yourself to put your name on it and have a two-way communication!
3) The picture you see on my blog was a temporary setup. The setup I have now is much better and accommodates both species. I have a 55-gallon bowfront tank that is 4 feet long and 12 inches deep. This vast but shallow tank allows me to have a range of temperatures by adding just a small heater on one side of the tank.
Please forgive me as the tank isn’t complete and there is a hellacious glare. The left side of the tank has many plants, a CO2 injector, and a heater. This is where the Kuhlis spend most of their time. The temperature in this area is in the upper 70s.
The other side of the tank (the side without the sand) has two large smooth rocks (three more will be added when I get more sand), two strong powerheads, and a strong bubbler (more on the way). This side of the tank sits in the low 70s
In the wild, rivers and streams are never going to be entirely within a fish’s preferred water temperature. This setup allows the fish to go to whichever side they prefer. They usually stick to the side you’d expect, but sometimes one or two will wander to another side.
Now, you state that Reticulated Hillstream Loaches prefer water “in the mid-60s,” this contradicts every source I have read about them. Fishlore puts them at 68-75. So the 72 is a nice middle point for them.
Also, the fish show no signs of stress and are all eating well. I have been monitoring them very closely since the move, and they are doing very well.