Botiine Loaches and Plants

[Lupin]

Hi all,

I am interested to hear from those who have tried certain plants with botiine loaches successfully. As most of us may have already known, some of the species have the tendency to bore holes on leaves, uproot the plants or even eat them.

If you are willing to share your experience, it would be great to hear from you.

Here's what I tried...

Destroyed:
1. Cryptocoryne crispatula-clown loaches and yoyo loaches
2. Echinodorus sp.-clown loaches and yoyo loaches
3. Nymphaea lotus-yoyo loaches
4. Cabomba caroliana-yoyo loaches
5. Ludwigia repens-yoyo loaches
6. Elodea densa-clown loaches and yoyo loaches
7. Duckweeds-clown loaches and yoyo loaches

Successfully introduced:
1. Cryptocoryne crispatula-tiger loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti) and Y. modesta
2. Nymphaea lotus-tiger loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti) and Y. modesta
3. Anubias sp.-clown loaches, B. kubotai, yoyo loaches
4. Cryptocoryne becketii-clown loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti) B. kubotai, yoyo loaches
5. C. wendtii-clown loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti) and yoyo loaches
6. Elodea densa-tiger loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti) and Y. modesta
7. Ceratophyllum demersum-all loaches
8. Dwarf sags-clown loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti), B. kubotai, yoyo loaches, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti)
9. Java fern-all loaches
10. Duckweeds-Botia kubotai, skunk loaches (Yasuhikotakia morleti)

There are a few plants that I still can't remember and some loach species that I never tried with them so they are not really on the list at the moment.

Again, this list will apply only to loaches of botia genus which means we cannot include those of the Pangio, Schistura, Nemacheilus, weather loaches (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) and many others.

 

[pinkertd]

My sidthimunki's are very well behaved when it comes to plants. They do not destroy any of the plants in their tank. I have willow leaf, sunset, and giant hygro, hornwort, anubias, java fern, taiwan moss, crypt wendtii red, crypt wendtii x hybrid, crypt lucens, crypt parva and dwarf sags.

They do uproot the baby drawf sags accidentally when they are rooting thru the substrate.

 

[Lupin]

My sidthimunki's are very well behaved when it comes to plants. They do not destroy any of the plants in their tank. I have willow leaf, sunset, and giant hygro, hornwort, anubias, java fern, taiwan moss, crypt wendtii red, crypt wendtii x hybrid, crypt lucens, crypt parva and dwarf sags.

They do uproot the baby drawf sags accidentally when they are rooting thru the substrate.

I knew you'd pop in here, Debbi.:grinyes: Thanks for sharing your experience.

Hooked Newbie and a few others are supposed to share as well.

 

[fishorama]

My clowns "tasted" most plants at first, they loved punching holes in swords. Now I give them veggies, mostly romaine & zucchini & they don't bother any plants. They clean off a bit of algae & fish food but no damage.

My sids & striatas have never done any damage either, AFAIK. They're not as into veggies as my clowns.

My plants are mostly low light crypts, swords etc. I think it's the SAEs not loaches that nibble ambulia.

Lots of people in the US are on long weekend/vacation through today.

 

[Hooked Newbie]

The only plants I've had trouble with are any fine leaved plants. Dwarf hairgrass & Ludwigia, forget about it!!! My Robustas and Mahnertis shredded it in one night. My Festivum is also picky though so it's tough to fully blame the loaches.

In my other loachy tank, my Yoyos haven't ever bothered anything. It's planted with a couple Swords, Moss, Wisteria, and some random stuff that just worked in the lighting (< 1WPG).

Sorry Lupin, I suck with remembering or recording plant names. :huh:

 

[Lupin]

That's okay, HN. Common names also give us clues which plants to avoid and thanks for sharing as well as Nancy (fishorama).

 

[2rivers]

modesta uproots all my Rotala. My rotala is now a floating plant, only the Anubias sp. and Java fern remain. modesta prefers to snap holes in the largest Anubias leaves. I think its been leaving the Java fern alone cuz its the farthest from his precious stump. Im learning alot about Loaches, Thanx Lupin

 

[fishorama]

I don't know if the old T12 bulbs, the shorter days or my reduced veggie feeding is causing my sword's death, & my crypts spiralis & moehlmanii decline. Could be my SAE, he's a veg pig too, but doesn't leave loachy holes...

 

[FallenAngel]

It seems that the clown's and yoyo's (the bigger variety's) are the destructive ones.
I have had 2 zebras and 1 golden zebra (kubotai) in a heavily planted tank successfully.

 

[DLV082]

Sorry but can't give you botanical names. I have a tank planted with anubias, wisteria, blue stricta, several varieties of swords and also several crypt species. The loaches in with these plants are, clown loaches (the largest is 9"), sidthimunki's and Golden Chinese Loaches. I have never had any problems with my loaches but the syno's and other catfish, SAE's also the whiptails have a tendancy to lie down on my more delicate plants an damage them. So as far as I am concerned loaches are not the problem in my tank with regards to plant damage. But on another note I do feed my loaches plenty of veges so that may alleviate their need to eat or damage my plants.