View Full Version : snail eating loach
tjcher
12-23-2008, 7:34 PM
We are looking for a loach that is peaceful,grows no bigger than 6in. and wants to consume those pesky pond snails as a snack. any help or sugesstions ?
PsyKick
12-23-2008, 7:47 PM
zebra loach (botia striata)
grows to about 4 inches, but you will need to keep about 5 or more (they get lonely if you don't). however if you are just looking for something to control snails, but not decimate them, then you may want something else as these little guys will devour all of your snails.
Lupin probably has the perfect answer for you
You can't just keep one loach. The majority of loaches that eat snails need to be kept in shoals. Your best bet to remove the snails is to take them out by hand.
What size is the tank? H3D is right. Loaches are sociable creatures and should not be deprived of their company. We need to determine the tank size first so we can find a perfect species for you. If you like loaches, get them.:) Snails may be pesky but they are also beneficial eating leftover foods and in most species' cases, stir the substrate around thus preventing deadly anaerobic pockets.
Malaysian trumpets stir the substrate around thus preventing anaerobic pockets which if disturbed can release hydrogen sulfide causing acute respiratory problems to the fish. These have very few predators due to their thick hard shells. A lot of puffers seem unable to crush them and most loaches have snouts that discourage them from attempting to pry off the mollusk. Tiger loaches (Syncrossus sp.) are by far the most versatile I have seen. They skillfully burrow into the substrate and with their elongated snout, they can suck out the mollusk quite efficiently. The downside is they're downright nasty and can grow too large for most tanks.
If your tank is 55g and over, you could attempt a group of yoyos. Do bear in mind these fish are very boisterous so most tankmates will not take well to them. They do have slightly elongated snouts which make them effective in working through several snail species such as MTS. Zebras, kubotais, histrionicas and rostratas are fine but their snouts are less elongated so they may be unable to eliminate several MTS. Pond snails and ramshorns however are more vulnerable so they can work well there.
Jeremy Smith
12-23-2008, 8:53 PM
Tank size as Lupin said would be major factor. As well as what other tank mates are in the tank.
Also is the fish in your profile pic yours? My shcistura crimson and similus, loved ramshorn snails. Although the snails where small at the time.
Hooked Newbie
12-23-2008, 9:08 PM
Totally agree with Lupin, but would add Robustas to the list. I have to breed pond snails in another tank to keep them satisfied. :)
tjcher
12-25-2008, 3:44 AM
I would have them in my 33 long with a common pleco,a red tailed shark,and a few male swordtails
tjcher
12-25-2008, 3:46 AM
Tank size as Lupin said would be major factor. As well as what other tank mates are in the tank.
Also is the fish in your profile pic yours? My shcistura crimson and similus, loved ramshorn snails. Although the snails where small at the time.
yes the loach in my profile pic was mine but recently passed away,but i loved my sumo
Zebras or kubotais will do but ditch the common pleco.
evelyn80
12-25-2008, 8:07 AM
agreed plecs gotta go, i believe it was 2 feet long they reach? as for loaches, zebra loaches(botia striata) or marble loaches(botia kubotai) would work fine
Zebras or kubotais will do but ditch the common pleco.
A 33 long is too small for a proper group of either of those IMO.
evelyn80
12-25-2008, 8:11 AM
there 4-5 inches and take long time to grow. IMO i think it would work
They don't take that long to grow. They should reach 3-4 inches in under a year. That being said keeping 5-7 very messy fish in a 33 gallon tank is not the best idea.
evelyn80
12-25-2008, 8:20 AM
5 of them with proper maintenence(WC's, vacuums) would be fine i think
Lupin
12-25-2008, 11:10 PM
Well, we're entitled to our own opinions. I think it should be fine IMO. 'Messy' is a subjective term. It depends how much you actually feed and how you maintain your tank. The size in itself is pretty much okay for a 33g.
How much you "actually" feed them? Unreal. I guess if you starve your fish it makes them easier to keep in a smaller tank.
Lupin
12-25-2008, 11:29 PM
How much you "actually" feed them? Unreal. I guess if you starve your fish it makes them easier to keep in a smaller tank.
How is it unreal? Most of us feed them once a day unless you are doing it several times a day. Most of the kubs sold are 2.5-3 inches so they do not need to be fed as often as younger ones do. Why would we actually starve a fish just to keep maintenance easier? Do you classify once a day feeding as starvation?
I don't classify feeding once a day as starving them, although it depends on how much you are giving them once a day. That being said if they are being given adequate meals once a day the bio-load from 5 loaches of that size in a tank that small would require a very rigorous maintenance schedule, far from "normal" maintenance.
Lupin
12-25-2008, 11:49 PM
I don't classify feeding once a day as starving them, although it depends on how much you are giving them once a day. That being said if they are being given adequate meals once a day the bio-load from 5 loaches of that size in a tank that small would require a very rigorous maintenance schedule, far from "normal" maintenance.
What do you consider 'normal' maintenance? If the OP is willing to do more than what you consider 'normal' maintenance, why not? I'll leave it to the OP to decide but again I do not think five 3-4 inch loaches is overstocked for a 33g. This is a subjective topic.
I can tell you what I don't consider "normal" maintenance. When you HAVE to do large weekly water changes to keep nitrates at an adequate level and when you HAVE to perform weekly or bi monthly filter maintenance because it is slowing the flow.
jpappy789
12-26-2008, 12:38 AM
Woah. Don't mean to get in the middle here but I think that manual removal by way of veggie baiting is always the best option...just my opinion...carry on...
plaalye
12-26-2008, 11:57 AM
Bio-load aside, I personally don't think a 33gal is enough room to swim for a school of these fish. I had 3 kubotai in a 29 for almost a year. It was my first experience with loaches and i didn't know better. They are obviously stunted and the others have outgrown them in the 75gal where they now live. I'd say a 4ft tank, preferably a 75 or 90 with the 18in width, would be the best choice for a healthy home.
Bio-load aside, I personally don't think a 33gal is enough room to swim for a school of these fish. I had 3 kubotai in a 29 for almost a year. It was my first experience with loaches and i didn't know better. They are obviously stunted and the others have outgrown them in the 75gal where they now live. I'd say a 4ft tank, preferably a 75 or 90 with the 18in width, would be the best choice for a healthy home.
:iagree:
fishorama
12-26-2008, 12:29 PM
I thought a 33g long was 4 ft x 1ft x 1 ft, so the same footprint as a 55g (more or less). Plenty of "space" for a group of smaller loaches. BUT with that plec especially & the other fish, no way. Even minus the plec there isn't enough room :nono:.
(This is why my stocking always starts with the loaches, I don't get the problems of other fish taking up loach space :evil_lol:)
My striatas in a 75g have gone from 1 inch SL to just over 2 in 2.5 years being fed twice a day. Not stunted, not starved just slow growers :silly:. My 1 inch histrionicas on the other hand have grown more than 1/4 inch in 6 weeks in a 20g long quarantine tank :eek:.
OP-- I think you'd be best off baiting & removing snails & reduce feeding to control but not eliminate them.
PsyKick
12-26-2008, 2:11 PM
I agree with Lupin on this. Yes, Zebs and Kubs are messy, but it doesn't require extra maintenance... I have Kuhlis and zebras in a 29 right now (temporary until I can get a larger tank) and I do regular weekly water changes, and the filter only needs maintenance about once a month (sometimes twice) (granted what filter you have can make a difference as well).
I test nitrates before and after every water change (combined with a vac), and they are never high, even when I missed a water change once and the tank went 2 weeks without maintenance the nitrates were still under the danger level.
(Also I have an albino BN plec in there too, talk about messy...)
I think what is important to note in this is that every tank is different. Every setup is different. What works for some of us might not work for others.
plaalye
12-26-2008, 3:36 PM
These fish are all wild caught so they have been swept up in a net from their natural habitat and shipped half way around the world in a bag for the sole purpose of our enjoyment. That's a pretty heavy burden on my conscience so I try to go the extra length to keep them happy and healthy.