Feeding my yo-yos.

[asincero]

I bought a school of 3 yo-yo loaches for my 36g tank for the purpose of curtailing my snail problem. They've really done a bang up job at that because I hardly ever see any snails any more. Which has me concerned on how to continue feeding them. I try to feed them sinking shrimp pellets, but 1) I haven't witnessed them ever eating them, and 2) the mollies in the tank attack the pellets with gusto before the loaches are even aware the pellets are there.

I'm afraid no matter what kind of sinking food I put in there, the mollies will get at them first. The loaches are usually too busy doing whatever it is that they do under the rocks to notice that theres food when I feed them. Which has me considering the idea of cultivating snails just for the loaches. I know the mollies don't eat the snails. I know the loaches love the snails because I've actually witness one loach feeding on one. Plus the snails are free and they sure as hell are easy enough to breed. Is this a good idea or bad idea?

[thefirethief]

Ive just put 3 yo-yos in my 35 gallon last week. Definately great fun to watch. Ive been feeding the whole tank frozen brine shrimp every few days and the yo-yos are more than happy to take that. I put the shrimp in some water first then just pour it in the tank and the filter moves it all around the tank. Only problem is that its hard to remove any un-eaten food that way. Theyve also been eating any flakes that float to the bottom, not had any problems so far!

[SKAPSYCHO]

When I've had any type of loach, they always seemed to relish snails. If you dump some in, I guarantee that the loaches will eat them faster than they can reproduce. So, if you have access to a lot of them, go for it. In my experience, loaches are tremendous at finding food that other fish miss. Perhaps feeding a few sinking tablets every now and then at night will give them a better chance to get the food?
Good luck,
~Skap

[TorturedSOUL]

You can get live tubaflex worms and put them in a beta bowl or 8-ball glass and fill it with water then sink it to the bottom of the tank. The worms usually stay in a clump in the glass until eaten.

[loaches r cool]

I Have some Yoyo's plus lots of other loaches. I typicaly drop in several shrimp pellets after the lights go out. Alot of the loaches are nocturnal and I have seen the Yoyo's scouring the tank under the moonlights. I also have some plecos and cats so I make sure there is plenty of food in there after dark as they always clean the tank pretty well of food. I have thrown a zuchinni spear (1/4 the zuchinni, about 6" long) in the tank and it will usually be gone by morning except for the green skin.

[cherrypie]

One thing my clowns and yo-yos absolutely adore is Hikari algae wafers, they all crowd around and try and push each other away, clicking constantly as they eat.

[joephys]

You could get a small 5 or 10 gallon tank and raise snails for them to eat.

[echoofformless]

I bought sinking foods along with my yoyos...but I've since stopped using them all that often. The reason is that the yoyos originally had no problem scavenging but eventually they just started coming to the top at feeding time to do a cute little upside down backstroke and feed with the other fish.

[thesydmonster]

I feed my zebra loaches sinking algae wafers, shrimp pellets, freeze dried tubifex worms, flake, frozen bloodworms/daphnia/mysis shrimp, fresh zucchini, etc. I do put the algae wafers in at night occasionally to make sure they get some -- they are in a tank with greedy guppies. However, they come out promplty in the morning now when I feed and share with the guppies, clicking away!