# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Cyprinids >  Sewellia lineolata - Vietnamese hillstream loach

## hwchoy

*Benny can you comment on the post processing*


these are really cute buggers, they have modified paired fins to help them maintain a grip on rocks in hill streams with fast flowing current. this fellow is about 4cm, from Vietnam.

see 2400×1800 version of close-up of mouth.

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## benny

First of all, excellent fish and a handsome specimen.

The colors seem a bit on the cool side, judging from the rock. But the subject does not seem to be the case, except in the third photo, where the magenta seems slightly stronger than the rest. All in all, good color control.

Contrast is very well handled too. Obviously plenty of details in these photos as well and they do not look excessivly sharpened.

Cheers,

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## hwchoy

yeah? great I will keep this monitor calibration  :Smile: 

btw I am now using a new workflow:Open RAW file in DPPuse DPP for RAW brightening, and sharpening, occassionally for RGB adjustmentfrom DPP directly transfer (Alt-P) to PS/CS2cropping, cleaning, levelling etc plus other annotation tasks as per normalno more sharpening to be done in PS/CS2 i.e. no USM which I find is noisier than DPP RAW sharpeningoutput final uncompressed full size JPEG master file

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## hwchoy

btw I was also using custom WB by sinking the white card into the tank.

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## MrTree

I saw pics of freshly caught specimens of this fish, damn golden!

Started to appear in the trade from early 2004 I think.

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## benny

Well...if you lose a bit of the blue, then it will appear to be more golden.

Cheers,

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## hwchoy

wasn't very golden in the tank, so didn't want to tweak.

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## MrTree

Yup, but uncle choy's fish is still young.

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## hwchoy

RMBR complaining how come you never send them the yunnan fishes.

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## MrTree

I am thinking of bring them back myself.  :Razz:  haha

Just managed to sort everything a couple days ago...the post office is restrict now, can no longer send through them. 

Anyway, if i cannot make it then still got visitors coming soon.  :Razz:

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## paperman

Can anyone assist to tell me where I can buy these cute little fishes ? Are they aggressive ? And, will they attack my cherry shrimps ?

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## hwchoy

they only come in very rarely, all gone as far as I know. I don't think they will attack cherry shrimps.

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## paperman

hwchoy, thank you for your reply. Just would like to check with you more on this loaches.

1) Use to see something similar pre-packed 3 to 5 pieces in a pack at either C328 & also Y618. However, they are always labelled as Hill Stream Loaches. Are this the same fishes ? If yes, I may want to purchase them next time I am at either LFS.

2) A friend of mine told me that he saw these Vietnam Hill Loaches in NA last week. I may want to buy them there but how do I tell the correct fish ? Is there only 1 type of this fish or many types with slight different in colouration & markings ?

3) By the way, are they Algae Eater ? Or what do they feed on ?

Thank You.

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## ranmasatome

many kinds.. so many someitmes its hard to tell.. but still okay la.. i'm not a very hillstream loach guy..but can see a few common types here in singapore.. but they are rarely this one. Most..i know do eat algae.

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## hwchoy

most of the common ones are borneo hillstream loach (of which there are many many species, but a few are commonly imported I think). these vietnamese ones are very rarely imported.

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## Nik-enduser

Most of the hillstream loaches in the trade are from southern China, i.e. Beaufortia, Sinogastromyzon, occasionally Pseudogastromyzon, Liniparhomaloptera; from Borneo, i.e. Gastromyzon ctenocephalus, G. stellatus, G. zebrinus, G. ocellatus (these are the only four seen in the trade, out of 36).

Basically, to tell them apart, look at their mouths from the underside (easier if they are already in a bag). Gastromyzon have the widest mouth, almost as wide as the head width. They also look more streamlined and tadpole-shaped. Also the pelvic fins are fused completely. The chinese butterfly loach appear more flat and have a small (usually) u-shaped mouth. the pelvic fins can be fully fused (Sinogastromyzon), partially fused (Beaufortia), not fused at all (Liniparhomaloptera, Pseudogastromyzon).

Sewellia is more a recent phenomenon. Rarely encountered in the trade. Scientifically only re-discovered in 1998. 

All hillstream and butterfly loaches come from fast flowing clear hill streams. These habitats all have stone, gravel and rock bottom. So if you want to keep them successfully, ensure lotsa rocks and fast current. They will feed on most food, but all require a certain amount of algae.

Hope that helps.

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## hwchoy

Hey Heok! didn't know you joined AQ as well. A belated welcome  :Wink:

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## paperman

> Most of the hillstream loaches in the trade are from southern China, i.e. Beaufortia, Sinogastromyzon, occasionally Pseudogastromyzon, Liniparhomaloptera; from Borneo, i.e. Gastromyzon ctenocephalus, G. stellatus, G. zebrinus, G. ocellatus (these are the only four seen in the trade, out of 36).
> 
> Basically, to tell them apart, look at their mouths from the underside (easier if they are already in a bag). Gastromyzon have the widest mouth, almost as wide as the head width. They also look more streamlined and tadpole-shaped. Also the pelvic fins are fused completely. The chinese butterfly loach appear more flat and have a small (usually) u-shaped mouth. the pelvic fins can be fully fused (Sinogastromyzon), partially fused (Beaufortia), not fused at all (Liniparhomaloptera, Pseudogastromyzon).
> 
> Sewellia is more a recent phenomenon. Rarely encountered in the trade. Scientifically only re-discovered in 1998. 
> 
> All hillstream and butterfly loaches come from fast flowing clear hill streams. These habitats all have stone, gravel and rock bottom. So if you want to keep them successfully, ensure lotsa rocks and fast current. They will feed on most food, but all require a certain amount of algae.
> 
> Hope that helps.



Thank you very much for the information. Have always been facinated by these hillstream loaches but afraid to buy them as I do not have much knowledge on them. Some friends discourage me from getting them claiming that as sucker fish, they will harass the other fishes by chasing & sucking the slime off their body. So, these are peaceful community fish for the planted tank ?

By the way, what is the maximum size they will grow into ? Do not like them to grow large like some plecos

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## MrTree

Wah..BIG WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!

I am keeping some _Pseudogastromyzon myersi_ that I caught from LUO HU district(yes, it's got a 944 m ASL mountain within the district!). Don't accept bloodworm but only go after algae, very skinny now.

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## Quixotic

They were in town and I managed to pick up two of them. Nice fellas and good size too.

Anyone knows how to sex them? Read the article from Loaches Online but not sure if I understood correctly.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/sewellia-lineolata

Choy, based on the article, yours should be a male, yes?

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## avant

Hmm.. where did you get them??  :Shocked:

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## Quixotic

C328, where the _Gastromyzon_ sp. are found, bagged individually. But I think I took the last 2 bags.

However, the middle shop of the same block where the oddballs are has a tankful of them, around 6 to 8?  :Wink:

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## alanhi

I've just seen this species for the first time, in my LFS (which is BAS the large importer in Bolton). I had been wondering about trying to keep hillstream fish - and seeing them has _almost_ convinced me. I'm thinking of 2 pairs to go in a 36 inch tank with very good filtration & water movement, keeping the water at around 20 Celsius. I have a nice shoal of pearl danios which I also would also like to put in that tank. Does that seem sensible? Can anyone describe how to sex _S. lineolata_?

Alan

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## hwchoy

Alan, certainly _D. albolineatus_ can be expected to be conspecific with _S. lineolata_.

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## avant

Thanks for the tip-off. But clementi will be slightly out of the way for me  :Sad: 

Alan, a river-tank setup will be nice for them. you may wish to visit www.loaches.com for more information on them.  :Smile:

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## alanhi

Thank you. I went back to BAS and had another look today (and I remembered to take my reading glasses this time  :Grin: ). I think I'm hooked. I have been looking at Loaches on Line - but couldn't find the sexing information until after I'd posted here. But I think I can do it now - as long as I remember my reading glasses  :Wink: 

Alan

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## mickthefish

hi alan 
where abouts in manchester are you from bud, i'm from new moston.
i might see you at BAS sometime, if you say when your next there.

cheers
mick

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## alanhi

I live in Bury - so BAS is just down the road. I pay a quick visit most weekends (with my reading glasses and a notebook  :Wink: ). But I aim to be there about 5pm tomorrow to get those _Sewellia_: the quarantine tank is waiting.

Alan

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## MrTree

One more fine spotted species(probably undescribed) can be expected too, if you are lucky.

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