cJw
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've an interesting situation developing that I only recently figured out... but first, I have to warn you - I don't do 'short posts'. :g:
My yoyo loach has been in the tank for quite a while now, but over the last few months has started looking very very overfed. At first I was worried it was a parasite/bacteria/digestion issue and I tried not to overreact and waited to see how it played out.
Well, 3 months later, the yoyo still looks practically pregnant. Yes, its belly is that big - distended might be a better word for it!
Anyway, I noticed during the last gravel vac a snail shell... and another... and another. I pulled 4 snails (MTS - long, spirally shells - I checked online almost before my hands were dry ) out and tossed 'em. That night my wife and I were searching and found 4 more, hiding just under the gravel... from 1/4" to almost 1".
Anyway, all that said, it finally clicked in my head why the yoyo looked so overfed - because it had been chowin' on the snails!
So now I'm trying to decide if I need to get another loach or two (stopped @ the lfs tonight... ) to assure the snail population stays down and my one yoyo doesn't eat itself literally out of the tank or if I just give it another month or three and see what happens...
(I actually like having the snails the clean up extra food - and from what I've read in my searches today, many of you would love to have some MTS as well - so it's not a matter of ACK! HELP ME GET RID OF THE ICKY SNAILS!)
My yoyo loach has been in the tank for quite a while now, but over the last few months has started looking very very overfed. At first I was worried it was a parasite/bacteria/digestion issue and I tried not to overreact and waited to see how it played out.
Well, 3 months later, the yoyo still looks practically pregnant. Yes, its belly is that big - distended might be a better word for it!
Anyway, I noticed during the last gravel vac a snail shell... and another... and another. I pulled 4 snails (MTS - long, spirally shells - I checked online almost before my hands were dry ) out and tossed 'em. That night my wife and I were searching and found 4 more, hiding just under the gravel... from 1/4" to almost 1".
Anyway, all that said, it finally clicked in my head why the yoyo looked so overfed - because it had been chowin' on the snails!
So now I'm trying to decide if I need to get another loach or two (stopped @ the lfs tonight... ) to assure the snail population stays down and my one yoyo doesn't eat itself literally out of the tank or if I just give it another month or three and see what happens...
(I actually like having the snails the clean up extra food - and from what I've read in my searches today, many of you would love to have some MTS as well - so it's not a matter of ACK! HELP ME GET RID OF THE ICKY SNAILS!)