Help Identifying Loach

[pwright414]

Hello.

I've been looking for a loach species to consume snails. Stores selling quality fish are few and far between, but I think I've found an interesting species, although I cannot be sure what it is. (I am an American living in Japan, and I only know a little Japanese.)

It's a very small (2-3 inches long), slender-bodied fish - almost eel-like. It is silvery-white in color with long horizontal stripes along the body.

They seem fairly gregarious, and if they are, in fact, loaches, I would like to get a few for my community tank. Other species in tank: neon tetras, bronze corydoras, Amano shrimp, snails.

Please e-mail yokota_paws@yahoo.com or post a response ASAP. Thank you!

[archer772]

I know that my clown loaches tear up any snails that make it into my tank.

[parrotfish100]

Sounds like the body shape might make it a Kuhlii or a close relative, but they are usually orange... maybe a very pale one? Would you happen to be able to find a picture of it?

If you are looking for one to eat snails, just about any loach absolutely ADORES snails. My Yo-Yo Loach completely wiped out my snail problem in a single night :D

[Teelie]

Kuhlis are black and yellow or some variation of striping. Take a look at the species index at Loaches.com and see if you can find it.
http://loaches.com/species_index.html
I have a species of Schistura I got for free but can't identify. Sometimes you just can't find the right species for some fish in the trade.

[pwright414]

Thanks for your help. After getting them home and researching some more, I think that my new loaches are Cobitis genus. Not sure if they are taenia or melanoleuca. But I still can't figure out if they will eat the snails. I was able to ask the fish guy in Japanese if they ate snails, but I forget the word for snail, so I pointed in a book. Of course, the snails in the book are not the kind I have at home, and the fish guy said that they don't eat those. So, I don't know if they'll eat my snails or not. Either way, they're really cute and very active.

I also picked up a little pleco today.

Thanks again.

[dddptc@yahoo.co]

undefined[QUOTE=pwright414]Hello.
the buramse border loach loves snails for lunch.

[nursie]

Without a pic it's hard to be able to help you. The eel-like ones I have are kuhli loaches. They eat some snails, but not in amounts to keep your tank cleared of them.