giving up on assassin snails and trying loaches again

[MotionInSilver]

The big hurdle is

I have breeding plecos/catfish in a 65-73 degree unheated tank its temp depends on the season/room temp and the heat generated from the light strip also it goes up to 78 degree in hot summer days.

heavily planted with swords, crypts and java moss

I need smaller loach that won't be a threat to the CPDs/ Dwarf catfish sp. I have in there- the water flow isn't suitable for a hillstream loach anyways- I was wondering if there was other dwarf loach sp. that would appreciate eating the pesky ramshorns that I totally want to be gone hence the reason of getting loaches. Assassins seem not to last long in my tanks as I'm always finding empty shells in all of my tanks- my plecos seem to have taste for assassin snails not ramshorns.

any input would be great.

 

[vanillarum]

Have you tried Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki, or sids ? I have heard they will eat snails, albeit small ones, although I have never seen mine eat any. I also have sewellia lineolata, and although they do like more flow, they have spawned for me in 80 degree water, with minimal flow. I have never seen them eat snails either. How about a puffer fish ? My figure 8 eats a few snails here and there. Too bad about your assassins. Mine have all but eliminated other snails from all 4 of my tanks. Good luck.

 

[fishorama]

That temp is a bit low for sids & other tropical loaches. Maybe 1 of the smaller schistura species, they can handle 73F for the most part. I've only kept crimsons & savonas & not with small fish or many adult snails. As I recall there were some smaller empty snail shells with both.

 

[Lupin]

Hillstream loaches will never eat any snail. They are not meant to prey on snails at all. The assassin snails would have been the best choice if you had no issues with keeping them.

What species are your plecos? I find it odd they'll go after your assassins.

 

[MotionInSilver]

I got regular garden variety BN's in there however they're going to be moved out into the 78 degree temp as the breeding has ceased when the temp dropped. So they're going to be moved to the 78 degree tank. They're my prime suspects as it seems every tank I had those specific BNs in the assassins had turned up with empty shells. I had moved them around so many times in different tanks for one reason or another. This summer I had the tank temp at 78 degrees so it had L204, L052, L206s in there at one point or another.

I'm always finding empty shells of assassins I've spent so much money in those snails that I have no idea why they keep getting gobbled up. I can't believe the T. Exilis would even have the ability to wrestle an assassin snail out of their shells like that.

In other tanks I have L264 that would eat the assassins over ramshorns- I've seen it myself as well as L134 in other tanks that just love to nibble on both sp. of snails- that tank with L134 does have the occassional snail but they do not last that long as I am always finding the empty shells eventually. The tank with L264 is just so overrun with snails too however I just switched over my tanks around and put 2 sp. of dwarf cichlids hoping they're going to be preying on the snail fry. I have seen significant reduction with snails in that tank though as it might have been a cycle.


For the problem tank: an army of BN's as the fry are still growing out will be moved to the 78 degree tank and other tanks I need the fry for alage control.

cooler water tank 20g:
its inhabitants
T. Exilis
CPDs (4 of them)
Green Fire Tetra pair
Panda cories
Will be leaving behind some fry as well too just to keep some alage down.

So what would have been eating the the assassins?

I am seriously considering getting a group of those sids for my 78 degree temp tank as they'll be fine in that tank.