Clown Loaches...

[Fish_n_Frys]

Hi,
Im thinking of buying clown loaches as i have a snail problem! Do clown loaches go with platies, mollies, tetras or guppies?

If not are there any snail eating fish that would go well with all the fish i have?

Missy

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank, as clown loaches have to be kept in group.

 

[Fish_n_Frys]

80x40x30=96 Litres

 

[WILDER]

Sorry no the tank is way to small for that type of fish, you are talking about a 90gal tank.

 

[Fish_n_Frys]

oh ok ... well are there any other snail eating fish that would go well with all the fish i have?

 

[WILDER]

You need to make a snail trap, like a bottle that you weigh down with gravel or pebbles in the bottom with green veg in side, once the snails go in remove the bottle.

 

[Fish_n_Frys]

funny you say that, ibe got 2 traps in my tank right now... but i thought maybe their could be a perminant solution, something that eats them all..

 

[WILDER]

Are the snails coming in on new live plants, as you need to sterlise new plants, if you keep removing the snails when you see them, eventually you will get rid of them.

 

[SamUK]

crush the snails and your fish will eat em.

my tank had loads. i spent about 5 mins crushing em off the glass and stuff and my fish did the rest.

 

[Fish_n_Frys]

yeh i would but mine r all on the bottom i have over 100

 

[WILDER]

Can you scoop them out with a net.

 

[andywg]

The best solution to your problem is to cut back on feeding. The only reason you have that many snails is bscause there is too much food getting down there to support them.

After that, a number of people swear by putting a cucumber on a plate after lights out and removing it around an hour or two later.

There are a nubmer of loach species that eat snails that do not get to the same size as clowns (which can surpass 12"). Check out the relevant section in the forum (Cypranids) for more info.

HIH

Andy

 

[Fella]

Removing fish from a community aquarium can be a major task, and one that some people can only make with the use of chemicals or by removing everything from the tank and starting over.

If you choose to use chemicals then you should be aware that the impact on your filter can be deadly, the number of snail "corpses" (or do I mean escargots?) will be large and the consequence of them breaking down would result in quite a lot of ammonia for a small bioload filter to take on.

As for loaches, apparently from what I have read the use of clown loaches as effective snail removers is debatable, some people swear by them, some don't notice a difference. In a 96 litre tank, you want to aim for a small botia loach, (that is a loach with a flat underside, not something eel like, like a kuhli) with a proven history. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but clown loaches are certainly unsuitable in a 96 litre tank.

HTH

 

[bogwood]

what about a Pakistani (YoYo) Loach?...

 

[Animation]

Get the clown loaches if you ask me, buy 3 - when they grow to big sell them.