Hillstream Loaches With Just Air-pumps?

[Larry O'Donnell]

Hello all,

I’m really interested in getting a couple hillstream loaches, I think they are super cool, but I’m stuck on which tank and how much “flow” they need.

At first I was going to make a nice big shoal for them in my new 54 gallon corner with a powerhead and secondary pump on the bottom.

Now I am contemplating turning my existing 30long into the loach tank. I currently run a HOB filter, bubble wall and small sponge filter. There really isn’t much room for more hardware.

Long story short, would a small clan of hillstream loaches have enough current and be happy if I were to strategically place some air lines in a corner of the tank to blast some flow across the bottom?

Has anyone kept Hillstream loaches in a smaller tank without powerheads?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Larry O'Donnell]

These are the two products I was thinking about to use as workarounds rather than a wavemaker.

 

[Larry O'Donnell]

This seemed like a better idea at 1 am when I somehow forgot how air works. Then I woke up.

Would something like this little wavemaker work for hillstream loaches? I think I can fit it in my tank pretty easily.

 

[RyanLewis]

The loaches should be okay. I had one in a 10 gallon with a 200 gph hob and it was completely fine and active