Snail eating fish

[Alien Anna]

Hi Everyone,
I just posted to the Betta group about Betta imballis, which was a fish I was vaguing toying with getting, as I saw some advertised on the Net.

In that post I mentioned my cunning plan to sneak another 10-20 gal tank into the house. It has to be a small tank because I've already promised I won't get another aquarium, but my husband might just assume a small tank was a hospital tank. By the time he realised his mistake, it would have a hood and lights and all the acoutraments of a proper tank including fish and he'd just sigh. I'm nothing if not devious

Anyway, I suddenly had an inspiration due to my snail infestation in my "Amazon" tank (tetras and gouramis). Is there any kind of snail-eating fish that could live in a community tank, albeit temporarily, and then be moved to a small tank (say 10-20 gals)? I can't fit in a clown loach or three and I've never seen dwarf loaches (not to mention the fact that they sound a little territorial for my tank).

The fish I'm thinking of has to have the following attributes:
1. Small and appropriate for a smaller tank or fully stocked community tank on a temporary basis (for snail clearance).
2. Voracious appetite for snails.
3. Preferably fresh water fish, although I could feasibly keep it in its own brackish tank but "borrow" snail-infested bogwood from another tank.
4. Compatible with Pearl Gouramis, cardinal and rummy-nosed tetras, cherry barbs and ancistrus, if part of community tank for snail clearance.
5. Something a bit "different" as I'd like to stretch my fish-keeping wings a little.

Ideally I'd like a veil-tailed, snail-eating dwarf plec, but I expect that's the impossible dream

 

[CFC]

Banjo catfish are good snail eaters and dont need big tanks as they hardly ever move, would be a bit boring for a species tank though as youd never see them.

Dwarf puffers eat a lot of snails and could be kept in a 10g, but they are fin nippers and could not be kept with the other fish first, some species may also need a little salt.

 

[Pufferpack]

What about some of the smaller loaches? Maybe Yoyo loaches, or Queen Loaches. I think they may be snail eaters.

 

[Dman]

YoYo loaches get a decent size and will get to large for a 10 gallon tank, it seems my 75 gallon is 2 small for my 2 yoyo's. but if u want something that stay's grows slowly and is pieceful to other fish try some skunk botias cause when i got mine a year ago almost the have barely grown a half inch. and they are great pigs. but they do seem to eat any snail they can find just like my yoyo's and clown loachs..




Damien

 

[Alien Anna]

Thanks guys! I forgot I'd started this thread.

I have some pygmy chain loaches on order from Tri-Mar - due to arrive Tuesday. I'm exciting but the snails are going about their business obivious that the end is coming

I'm still interested in having a puffer species tank, but that's another project for another day and shall be added to the project for blind cave fish, and shelldweller cichlids and whatever else I come across. I'm definitely not getting one of those frog fish that looks like a rock with weeds on it!

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

As a treat I get some of the small snails from my lfs who is only too happy to give them to me.

They don't last very long in my loach tank, especially my botia striata (sp) they love them.

 

[Ron]

Gosh, Anna, I wish I had your problem with snails. All my LFS are out of stock on snails untill Thursday. My puffer needs some. I'm goona have to buy oyters, $14 a pound intead of $0.50 a snail. Oh well,
Ron