My Dad brought these... one looks like a slug!

[cakey87]

Hi again everyone!
My common ancistrus passed on so I asked my Dad to get me a couple more when he went to the city.
They only had one, and another which they said was not a Bristlenose but was very similar.
He's a funny little guy, he looks like a slug! He has two suction thingies underneath, unlike my old guy and he doesn't really have a lot of shape or much of a top fin.
They had a hard time catching him as he's very quick!
Here's some pictures:
His belly

From the side



And here is the other guy that I would like IDing. He looks different to my old common Bristlenose. He's not as speckled, he's more patchy. He has a normal suction thing underneath like the other one used to too.




Both fish change colour as well.
ETA: The first little dude is about 2.5-3cm and the second one is 3.5-4cm long.
I look forward to hearing your replies, and I really appreciate it!
Thanks so much!
Casey

[MatsP]

First one is a "Hillstream loach", see http://www.loaches.com for that one (it's more closely related to carp and gold-fish than to catfish).

The second one is almost certainly

Ancistrus sp(3)

.

--
Mats

[racoll]

Hi Casey.

Your first fish is not a pleco, or even a catfish for that matter. It's a hillstream loach of the genus Beaufortia I think.

They need cool fast flowing water.

Check http://www.loaches.com

The second fish is another common bristlenose I think. They vary a lot in colour and pattern.


Hope this helps.

[Marc van Arc]

The hillstream loach belongs to the genus Gastromyzon (probably G. punctulatus, although I don't see any blue in the dorsal or caudal fin in the picture).

[racoll]

I thought Gastromyzon spp. had a wider mouth?

[cakey87]

Gosh! Well there you go!
Me, not knowing anything- I thought the Loach looked like a different type of Ancistrus. Same sort of markings, just a completely different shape.

Thanks for clarifying for me what they both are, that's most helpful. When I go to the fish shop again myself, I will tell him what he sold Dad! He might learn a thing or two himself.

So will he survive in my tank? It's kept at 28 degrees celcius with some rams, black phantom tetras, corys.

Oh and is there somewhere where I can find out/have the Loach IDd to find out which particular one he is?

Thanks again,
Casey

[Silurus]

Twenty eight degrees C is too high for a hillstream loach. Ideally, these should be kept at temps lower than 24 degrees.

[Marc van Arc]

I thought Gastromyzon spp. had a wider mouth?

I use the following feature to distinguish them:
Gastromyzon look slender because they have shorter fins.
Beaufortia look much more round because they have large fins to such an extend that they overlap eachother.