Eating Loaches...

[DiezelEinstein]

Quik question ....do loaches eat plants? or are there some that do and some that dont?

I have a clown loach now, but only one and he just leaves them all alone, wondering if i get a few more will i have destruction?

 

[Squawkbert]

Clown loaches, and most loaches, for that matter, are (AFAIK) not plant eaters. They may uproot poorly planted/unestablished plants as they forage through substrate and mulm looking for inverts to eat (most loach species will rid your tank of pods, snails etc. - smaller Pangios being the exception w/ respect to snails).

re Clown loaches - they do prefer to be in groups of at least 5 or 6, but they also get pretty big despite being slow growers. A suitable tank for a grown 6 pack would be at least 4' long, preferably 6'.

 

[DiezelEinstein]

great info thank you.

 

[DarkDH]

Your title made me think that you wanted a recipe for cooking loaches o_0

 

[Lupin]

Clown loaches, and most loaches, for that matter, are (AFAIK) not plant eaters. They may uproot poorly planted/unestablished plants as they forage through substrate and mulm looking for inverts to eat (most loach species will rid your tank of pods, snails etc. - smaller Pangios being the exception w/ respect to snails).

If you are not adding veggies in their menu, they will most certainly mow down several plants especially ones with soft foliage. My yoyos, clowns and tigers did this on my cryptocoryne and Amazon swords.

 

[DiezelEinstein]

i use lettuce and zukes..well if they chew plants i can support them in a different tank. but i think im gonna pass on loaches and go shrimp and odd compatible inverts with 6-8 schoolers.