Reticulated hillstream loach care
Sewellia lineolata · Fast streams of Vietnam
Hillstream loaches cling to rocks in fast, cool, well-oxygenated streams.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 68 to 75 °F (20 to 24 °C)
- Group size
- 3 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 5 to 10 years
- Diet
- Grazer
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep reticulated hillstream loaches
Hillstream loaches cling to rocks in fast, cool, well-oxygenated streams. Give them a 20 gallon long or larger tank with strong flow, smooth rocks covered in biofilm and water at 68 to 75 °F. They suit a river-style tank with danios and white clouds.
Diet: Grazer: biofilm, algae, sinking wafers, small frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Reticulated hillstream loach tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Black skirt tetra
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Buenos Aires tetra
3 in · 29+ gal · 64–82 °F
Black ruby barb
3 in · 29+ gal · 72–79 °F
Celebes rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 68–82 °F
GloFish tetra
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Rainbow shiner
3 in · 30+ gal · 60–75 °F
Indian glassfish
3.1 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Guppy
2.8 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
Betta: No shared temperature: reticulated hillstream loaches need 68 to 75 °F, bettas 76 to 82 °F.
Dwarf gourami: No shared temperature: reticulated hillstream loaches need 68 to 75 °F, dwarf gouramis 77 to 82 °F.
Pearl gourami: No shared temperature: reticulated hillstream loaches need 68 to 75 °F, pearl gouramis 77 to 82 °F.
Angelfish: No shared temperature: reticulated hillstream loaches need 68 to 75 °F, angelfish 76 to 84 °F.
German blue ram: No shared temperature: reticulated hillstream loaches need 68 to 75 °F, German blue rams 78 to 85 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
What a reticulated hillstream loach tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon reticulated hillstream loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon reticulated hillstream loach tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Reticulated hillstream loaches need 68 to 75 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding reticulated hillstream loaches.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 68 to 75 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common reticulated hillstream loach problems
- They struggle in warm, still water; add flow and air in summer.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Sewellia lineolata. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black skirt tetra emptyvi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Buenos Aires tetra Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black ruby barb Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celebes rainbowfish Brent Tibbatts, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- GloFish tetra Bobby823Sk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rainbow shiner H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Indian glassfish opencage, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Guppy Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf gourami Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearl gourami h080, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Clown loach Vlad Butsky, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf chain loach Stefan Maurer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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