Looking For Loaches? May We Suggest Myers?
Myer's Hillstream Loach is a bottom dwelling fish, native to Guangdong Province in China and Hong Kong. There they live in clear, clean streams that burble through riffles and small pools. The Loaches live in the current and have a body shape that gets them “stuck” to rocks in current without having to exert much energy. This allows them to graze on the algae that grows on these rocks without fighting the current to do so. Algae grow very well in this environment as the clear water allows excellent sun penetration. As one would guess, Myer's Hillstream is most often found in the briskly moving sections of these streams.
The binomial (scientific) name for Myer's Hillstream Loach is Pseudogastromyzon myersi. It was named after an American ichthyologist and Stanford biology professor Dr. George Sprague Myers, who passed in 1985. (Another Stanford educated ichthyologist, Albert William Herre named the fish in honor of Myers.) They are also often called Sucker Belly Loaches and sometimes you'll see Hillstream Myer's instead of Myer's Hillstream.
Like all the other “Hillstream” Loaches, Myer's Loaches don't necessarily need flow, but they do need very well oxygenated water. One way to keep oxygen levels high is the combination of good flow and cool water temps and let's be honest, these fish are going to look best in a flowing water display anyway. With this in mind, set up your very large filter so that it pulls from one end of the tank and returns to the other end. We recommend that whatever type of filtration you decide on, it should be big enough to turn the whole volume of the tank over 15 – 20 times an hour. You can also use extra flow devices like powerheads and pumps. The display tank doesn't have to be too big as these fish only get a couple inches long; 20 gallons would be plenty. Substrate should be the same rounded rocks and pebbles you'd find in a little mountain stream, and these can be accented with larger boulders and clean driftwood. The Myer's Loaches won't bother plants, but you'll need to find some that can make it in this kind of a display like Microsoreum or Anubias. Lastly in regard to displays, these fish are glass climbing ninjas, so definitely cover those tanks if you want to keep your Loaches in their tank, which seems like the best plan.
The other side of good oxygenation is temperature based. Cold water holds oxygen better than warm water. So, keep your display on the cooler side; 70 degrees and maybe a degree or two less is a sweet spot for oxygenation if you can manage it. They can be kept in tanks that are warmer than this, but you may need to supplement the oxygen with air stones, and we don't suggest keeping them in tanks that are regularly over 78. They aren't sensitive to water hardness, the pH should be pretty close to 7, and low in nutrients. They'll do best in really clean water that is really clear, and regular water changes will help you accomplish both these goals.
As we mentioned earlier, Myer's Hillstream Loaches mostly eat the algae that is growing on the rocks in the streams they live in. A good portion of the Loach diet is also the little critters that live in and eat that algae too. Your fish will do best in your tank if there is lots of this natural food for them to eat. Make sure there are plenty of surfaces for your fish to graze on like large flat rocks and even the back of the tank. You'll want to avoid cleaning algae off of anything that you aren't looking through, because that's just removing food from the system! Some aquarists keep “algae nurseries” where they keep rocks in aquariums that have no algae eating fish, just so those rocks will grow bio-film algae on them and these rocks can then be moved into the Loach display as natural food. Bright lighting in the main display will help encourage the right kinds of algae growth. The Loaches won't be interested in hair algae, but will consume diatoms and film algae with vigor.
The absolute best commercial food for these fish is the Nutramar Algae and Color Boost Shots. These can get stuck to rocks and glass so it doesn't just get swept up in the current and the Loaches can graze on it just like algae. This blend is the perfect mix of algae and protein for the Loaches. Your Myer's Hillstreams will happily take meaty foods like brine, and Gamma's Brine Plus Spirulina would make a nice treat for them, but don't offer them high protein foods regularly as this can cause digestive issues.
The Myer's Hillstream Loach is a generally peaceful fish and can be kept with other community minded fishes that enjoy the same habitat as Danios or Rasboras. Other stream dwellers that are not aggressive such as Rhinogobius could also be on the list. They can be kept in small groups if enough space and cover is available. Tensions could get strained if the roomies are sharing too small of an apartment. These gorgeous and active fish are relatively easy to keep and could be the cornerstone of any Hillstream style display! If this sounds like your cup of aquarium water, head over to your LFS and ask about sustainably sourced Myer's Hillstream Loaches from Aquatropic today!