Borneo Sucker
(Beaufortia Kweichowensis)
Alternate Names:
Hillstream Loach
Butterfly Pleco
Butterfly Loach
Chinese Loach
Chinese Devilsucker
Hong Kong Pleco
UFO Pleco

Geographic History

These funny shaped fish are native to the Xi Jiang river basin in China. They live in fast moving rivers and streams.

Enviornment

Borneo Suckers can be territorial with their own kind and show some aggressiveness. Provide them with lots of space and this should be less of a problem.

They require quite a bit of current, so position a powerhead or a filter outflow near a good hiding spot. Make sure that you have a little churn when your outflow hits your aquarium water to get a good oxygen exchange. These little guys must have high oxygen levels to be healthy.

Compatibility

Generally peaceful to other fish, these little suckers (pun intended) can be very aggressive to others of their species in tight spaces. Large fish, like Cichlids, will probably find a way to eat these fish, they make a nice chewy meal.

Sexing

These are difficult to sex. The best way might be to observe them during spawning. Males seem to display a brighter color.

Behavior

These Loaches spend most of the day hiding under rocks and driftwood. At night they graze algae from the glass and decor in your aquarium. They really love to feed on algae growing on drift wood and will scrape some of the wood off as well. They will also eat small bits of food left in the substrate on their nightly scavenging patrols.

Make sure that you have a tight fitting hood on your aquarium. In the wild these fish will leave their watery homes in search of different pools and nearby streams. They can climb rocks and smooth surfaces. You don't want them trying to get in another tank across the room.

Breeding

These are very difficult to breed in the home aquarium. They require fast flowing water and migrate in the wild. In captivity, they are usually bred using horomone treatments.

For more information, go to Wikipedia's Borneo Sucker page.