Help-loaches are eating my plants!

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purestar

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Oct 20, 2013
Messages
23
Location
Vancouver, BC
Any advice from members about what to do with my juvenile Burmese border loaches? They are awesome little fellows, but they are eating my amazon swords... I tried feeding peas and lettuce, which they ate at first, but then went back to the swords. I was looking forward to watching the loaches grow and change from stripes to polka dots, but I do love my plants. Return to LFS or anything I can do? Oh yeah, one other concern is that they may be eating all the food I leave for my gentler corydoras.
:confused:
 
Loaches won!

Well, my little loaches have proven un-catchable. They hide amongst the plants, rocks, and driftwood, and can fit into very small places. I can't even "scare" them out into the open to catch. I tried coaxing them out with some food, but they are very alert to changes in the tank. SIGH. I guess my new approach will be to remove all of my amazon swords into another tank and hope they don't eat my wisteria, annubias or java fern.

Any thoughts anyone?
 
Well, my little loaches have proven un-catchable. They hide amongst the plants, rocks, and driftwood, and can fit into very small places. I can't even "scare" them out into the open to catch. I tried coaxing them out with some food, but they are very alert to changes in the tank. SIGH. I guess my new approach will be to remove all of my amazon swords into another tank and hope they don't eat my wisteria, annubias or java fern. Any thoughts anyone?

Bait them into a container.
 
Have you tried putting something like a veggie wafer or actually something like a slice of blanched zucchini on the bottom of the tank for them to pick at? Many loaches actually just like to put/tear holes in sword leaves. Don't know why, maybe bored. By putting a food item in they can work on, not just pick right up and eat it may help distract them.
 
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