About loaches

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
J

Jarred Darque

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
682
ok, I am looking at a loach for snail control. I would prefer a type that doesnt need others to be happy, and wont kill anything in the tank.

Tank includes 2 angels, small and medium, 1 small raphael, 1 large raphael, 2 ABFs, 6 cory cats, and TONS ok MTSs and ponds

Now, I need one that will eat snails, I dont care if it doesnt get them all, as long as it gets some, and at the least snacks on them. If it does get them all, that is fine too.

If it is a type that gets larger than 6 inches, I want a type where I only need 1, if it is smaller, it is ok if I have to get 2-3 of em

Some loaches bury through gravel/sand? If it does that, eats snails, and meets all other requirements, that is an added bonus. :p

BTW, current tank is a 29 gallon, 75 planned in a few months.

I am looking at the Tiger Loach, but it says semi agressive? Also, the khuuli loach I havent seen anything that says definitavely if they eat snails or not

Will a snail eating loach go after teh medium sized apples snails? (a bit over an inch in diameter) they can be moved if need be
 
You can put a piece of spinach or zucchini in there overnight and the snails with attach themselves to it, then you can remove them quickly. Beware of getting a loach to control the snails b/c I have heard of loaches actually eating themselves to death on snails. They eat too many at once and the snails become impacted in their digestive system. It is a horrible death. So, I would remove the majority of the snails, then get the loach to clean up the scragglers.
 
As far as I know most of the botias eat snails. Clown's are supposed to be the best at it, from what I've heard. The problem with them is how big they get.
 
i fell into the same mistake. I had a snail problem, the guy at the lfs sold me on a clown loach, not telling me that they are schooling fish, or how big they can get. I got attached to the little bugger, so i can't bring myself to take him back, in fact, i bought a second one after i found out they were schooling fish. Then found out how large they get, so a second tank purchase is in my near future for those two, as well as more loaches :D BTW: They did take care of the snails, haven't seen any since the loaches were brought home.

as far as other loaches that will help you out, i honestly have no clue :D just sharing my experience
 
Skunk Loaches only get to 3-4", but are better kept in at least a trio. I'm conisdering getting them for my 55gal. They are semi aggressive, but in a tank with rapheals I don't think they will be too much of a bother. Also, I am asuming the 75gal is for the rapheals, AFBs, and angels possibly? Well if that is the case and you are still willing to run the 29gal and 75gal. The skunks could live in the 29gal just fine when you move everybody else. HTH
 
Kuhli loaches most definately eat snails. They suck the snails right out of the shells like noodles. Pretty interesting if you ask me.
 
and do I need 3 khuuli loaches or is a lone one ok?

khuulis and tigers are so far at the top of the list, does anyone have any long time experience with tiger loaches?
 
You should get atleast 3 if you want to see them regularily. One would be really shy and scared. 3 kuhlis in a 29 gallon wont hurt your tank. In a 29 gallon you could probably fit 8-10 kuhlis (not considering other fish ofcourse).

Also, if you get Kuhlis, don't forget to quarantine for atleast 3 weeks. Most Kuhli stocks have been horrible lately, and they get this mysterious disease that crashes the whole tank. Quarantining would prevent this.
 
I just bought a single Tiger Loach. He is quickly becoming my favorite fish, even though I rarely see him. When he does come out I hover nearby. As soon as he sees me it's under the gravel again. I have an as yet a very minor snail problem. At this point I don't even care if he takes care of the snails cuz he's so cooll!! :D
 
I have 3 botia striata (tiger loach, zebra loach, whatever!) and yes, they do eat snails, but wont manage the larger ones as they are smaller loaches. It depends how old they snails are i suppose. They such the snails out of the shell. I still have small empty shells on the bottom of my tank.

Peregrine - have you ever considered getting your loach a friend or two? He will become much more confident with some company. My three love swimming about the tank together. Just a thought.
 
Funny you say that. Yes, I am considering it. At $20 per Loach at my LFS I may add one more each payday until I have 3. ;)

They only get to like 5-6 inches, correct? That's what Innes says anyway.
 
Zebra's only get to about 5", but when I had 1 I never saw him (he was always hiding). Now that I have 4 they are swimming around.

Kuhli's are cheap and small, but you will never see them. I bet after adding them to your tank you will think they died or got eaten, they just disappear. I made a rock hiding spot for them and put it right up front in my tank just so I could find them. I freak out when my fish are missing.
 
I have 2 Zebra loaches and I see them quite often. I do have 5 Yoyo loaches also, so I dont know if that helps or not.
 
5inches!!! I was always led to believe that they grew to 3-4inches! I always wanted to hear they would get a bit bigger than that!

I think your single loach will be pleased with your decision to get him some mates! When i first put my three into my tank there were two dominent ones, one was slightly left out, you could see he didnt like being on his own, then over time he muscled his way in and now they are all friends!
Occasionally the 2nd in command will challenge the leader for first place! I think this is normal behaviour.
 
erm. May hold off on more loaches for a little while. Got home tonight and my Neons appear to be tattered. One looks like he was flat out bitten. I suspect my loach.
Also, one of my platies is missing a nice chunk of his tail fin.
I watch him when the light is out and he seems to not even notice the other fish.. and yet?!? No one else in my tank is at all agressive.
 
TwoHobbies said:
Zebra's only get to about 5", but when I had 1 I never saw him (he was always hiding). Now that I have 4 they are swimming around.

Kuhli's are cheap and small, but you will never see them. I bet after adding them to your tank you will think they died or got eaten, they just disappear. I made a rock hiding spot for them and put it right up front in my tank just so I could find them. I freak out when my fish are missing.
Click to expand...

Zebras rarely get to 4 inches in an aquarium. I have some, and they are still under 3 inches, and had them about 8 months now. They are my favorite snail busters, and are very peaceful. Never bothers any other fish.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
Dwarf Chain Loaches
Replies
2
Views
336
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
V
Reticulated Hillstream Loaches
Replies
1
Views
614
Vince Bassist
V
S
Missing loach
Replies
13
Views
541
saiwong
S
B
changing substrate
Replies
4
Views
256
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
B
fish territorial maybe?
Replies
3
Views
343
Andy Sager
Andy Sager

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom