GuppyTeacher

Can anyone help me id this guy? I think it is a loach of some sort.

sirdarksol

I'm not a loach expert, so I don't know.

However, check out the galleries at loaches.com. They are loach experts.

GuppyTeacher

I have been there but I could not find anything that resembled it.

angelfish220

I looked through the whole Loach site and I didnt see it, but I reconize that loach from somewhere, I dont know where though...

capekate

Im not sure, but it looks like a chinese algae eater to me.

Lucy

I think Kate is right.

Jim has a picture of the Chinese algae eater in his article about SAE........not sure, but it does resemble one:
http://www.fishlore.com/aquariummaga...e-eater-id.htm

GuppyTeacher

This one does not have a sucker type of mouth on it. It has a red patch on nose and on the front of the dorsal fin. It likes to stay on the bottom of the tank and especially in a dark cave. It burrowed into the gravel under some rocks I had in the tank. It likes to twist its body to stir up the bottom looking for any stray food the others may have missed. It rarely ever comes off the bottom of the tank.

angelfish220

IMO I think it is a CAE read this

http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Algae-Eaters/

sound right?

GuppyTeacher

It does not have the sucker like mouth for a CAE. As well it never attatches itself to the side of anything. It stays on the bottom almost all the time. I will try to post some more pics of it.

Butterfly

yep it's a loach. It looks to be a type of Schistura. what did the LFS where you bought it call it?
Carol

GuppyTeacher

They called it a tiger loach but after I got it home I could not find a tiger loach that looked like this one. How big will this guy get??

Butterfly

Unfortunately common names are so confusing, mainly in this instances because everything with stripes is called tiger something or the other. thats why the latin names are so important to help us ID fish correctly so we can give them the care they need.
If this is the fish I think it is it will get about three inches and needs to be in groups.
In the striped and spotted loaches there is a lot of variation of markings. The markings may be larger, smaller, connected not connected that sort of thing.
Carol

GuppyTeacher

Thank you! You have helped me to narrow it down some more. I will try to learn some more. I will have to see if the LFS has any more info and if they can get some more so I can get them together in a group. I have a line into getting a 20 gallon tank which could be a nice home for them. I do know they like to burrow so maybe I can find a good substrate that would let them dig.

Butterfly

Sounds good! Sometimes the LFSs have the latin name attached also. I had to make myself learn to look for them so I could figure out what I had. good luck!
carol

gremlin

It does look a little like a chinese algae eater, but their markings aren't quite so distinct. Also, they have a definite sucker mouth. I'm not sure it is a cae. CAE's like to dig too though and a lot of the other activity you describe sure sounds like a cae.

GuppyTeacher

I think Butterfly has helped id this one. Looking at all the other fish in the Genus this one is quite similar in appearance to the others. Thanks for all the help. I will post more information as I can find it.

zeddy

it looks alot like a mongoose loach

GuppyTeacher

http://www.loaches.com/species-index...m=checkerboard

This is him for sure and no doubts. Now I have to hope my lfs can get a few for me.