Best loaches (or other fish) to treat snail infestation?

Well first off, I would get a couple more Zebra Loaches when you can for the 55 g. You could get up to 5 Dwarf Loaches, they won't outgrow a 10 g. In fact, I think that you could get some Assassin Snails as well as the Dwarfs. I think chanchitos are a type of Cichlid by the way.
 
Don't get the sids, they're an investment that shouldn't be made JUST because of the snails. And it has already been mentioned that they are not great snail eaters. They're very active and would probably not do as well in a 10 gallon, although it is possible. I feel bad keeping them in a 15, granted the extra footprint makes a difference. There's no sense in getting a fish only to do a job that can easily be controlled and then stick them in a tank where they will not thrive.

If you are keeping the zebras in the long run they need more than just the two of them.
 
I feel ya danimal_dan... the 10gal has a fake bamboo tree inside and a log. Totally discouraged by the planted tank thing!

Update on the loaches: I have no idea how it happened, but when I was about to sleep I went to shut off the lights in the tank and my little brother found a fish lying in the ground... one of the loaches! There's only one possible space they could have jumped out from, and that's next to the filter since the canopy has an opening for filters and cables and such. Now every centimeter is covered by a magazine, but it's too late now.

The fins were stuck to the tile and it was hard to pick it up. I put it back in the tank and it's breathing now so it's alive, but it moves verry slowly. I didn't even read the instructions but the only thing I could think of was dosing a lot of stress guard... I hope it's alive tomorrow morning.

The other loach is not in the tank (or it's a very good at hide and seek), and I looked all around the room and nothing. My two cats were suspiciously staring at me close by :(

Horrible disaster. If the loach survives I'll definitely get more zebras. Not to keen on getting any more fish right now because I'm trying to get over the massacre.
 
Sorry about the loaches :(. As I've said before, I agree that you shouldn't get loaches just to get rid of snails, but irmuddled has already stated that they're not and they'll care for them the same way as any other fish.
 
Thank you Mich :)

Update number two... jumping loach is still alive, but can't really swim. It sort of wobbles around and hides into safety corners. I might have injured its fins when I was trying to "peel" them off the floor since they were stuck! I hope it makes it! Loach number two was spotted swimming around this morning, so whew. The cats didn't eat it, it's just a really good hider.

I'll go to my LFS to pick up more loaches later on, I just want to focus on the injured one first before introducing more fish. :c
 
With regards to small loach iv recently discovered yo-yo loachs (Pakistani loach) are amazing for snail elimination much better than clown loachs etc as are smaller and completely passive as long as kept with others of same breed. search them on wikipedia for more info but if purchasing please ensure it is the yo-yo loach as there are many similar species but with very different behavior.
 
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