Hillstream loach
Sewellia lineolata
It creeps rather than swims, clinging flat to rock like a sucker to graze.
The Hillstream loach (Sewellia lineolata) is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Gastromyzontidae. It lives on the bottom. Adults grow to about 6 cm. The IUCN Red List rates it Vulnerable. In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 75 cm long and water at 18–24 °C.
- Size
- 6 cm
- Smallest tank
- 75 cm
- Temperature
- 18–24 °C
- Care
- Demanding
In the aquarium
Temperature18–24 °C
pH6.5–7.8
Hardness5–12 °dGH
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Moderate
- Water layer
- Bottom
- Group
- Happiest in a group of 6 or more
- Plants
- Plant safe
These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.
Which tank it fits
- Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
- Standard90 cm · 180 litres45 of them
- Wide120 cm · 300 litres75 of them
- Living room180 cm · 650 litres162 of them
- Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres300 of them
- Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres360 of them
Who it lives with
Gets along21 species
Caution47 species
Narrow shared temperature range
- Diamond tetra
- Silver hatchetfish
- Tiger barb
- Bronze corydoras
- Dwarf chain loach
- Emperor tetra
- Cherry barb
- Lemon tetra
- Penguin tetra
- Harlequin rasbora
- Dwarf gourami
- Black neon tetra
- Serpae tetra
- Glowlight tetra
- Guppy
- Molly
- Neon tetra
- Congo tetra
- Lambchop rasbora
- Scissortail rasbora
- Endler's livebearer
- Ember tetra
- Sailfin molly
- Neon dwarf rainbowfish
- Julii corydoras
- Celebes rainbowfish
- Forktail blue-eye
- Honey gourami
- Sparkling gourami
- Bolivian ram
- Multies shell dweller
- Clown killifish
- Dwarf puffer
- Pygmy corydoras
- Turquoise rainbowfish
- Keyhole cichlid
- Yellow lab cichlid
- Julidochromis
- Three spot gourami
- Peacock cichlid
- Siamese algae eater
- Firemouth cichlid
- Rainbow shark
- Silver dollar
- Kissing gourami
- Bala shark
- Common pleco
Not together31 species
Water temperatures do not overlap
- Betta (Siamese fighting fish)
- Cardinal tetra
- Green neon tetra
- Chili rasbora
- Boesemani rainbowfish
- Discus
- Freshwater angelfish
- Sterbai corydoras
- Rummynose tetra
- Threadfin rainbowfish
- Chocolate gourami
- German blue ram
- Checkerboard cichlid
- Cockatoo cichlid
- Kuhli loach
- Kribensis
- Pearl gourami
- African butterflyfish
- Red rainbowfish
- Moonlight gourami
- Severum
- Clown loach
- Frontosa
- Oscar
- Black ghost knifefish
Aggressive with peaceful
In the wild
- Water type
- Freshwater
- Climate zone
- Tropical
- Habitat
- On the bottom
- Aquarium trade
- Traded commercially
Conservation status
Classification
- OrderCypriniformes
- FamilyGastromyzontidae
- GenusSewellia
- SpeciesSewellia lineolata
In other languages
- English
- Tiger Hillstream Loach
- Japanese
- ベトナムプレコ
Quick answers
- Hillstream loach size: how big does it get?
- Adults reach about 6 cm.
- Hillstream loach tank size: what is the minimum?
- A tank at least 75 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Standard tank or larger.
- Hillstream loach water parameters: what does it need?
- Temperature 18–24 °C, pH 6.5–7.8, hardness 5–12 °dGH.
- Hillstream loach tank mates: what can it live with?
- It gets along with 21 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Black skirt tetra, Pearl danio, and Zebra danio.
- Hillstream loach: alone or in a group?
- Keep at least 6 together.
- Hillstream loach and plants: is it plant safe?
- Yes, it leaves plants alone.
- Hillstream loach: is it endangered?
- The IUCN Red List rates it Vulnerable.
Similar species
Sources
Hillstream loach: compiled from these references.