Loach for a 20 Gal.

TetraBotia said:
I mean something "published" where someone's actual expertise and credibility is on the line. Someone who wrote a book, has a degree, and really has something at stake concerning the veracity of such a comment or report.
Why?

In the Aquarium Atlas by Riehl and Baensch ...pg 364 states they eat all live foods..and "FD tablets"..
They are Panagio kuhlii common name Coolie Loach, Prickly Eye
there are several fishes called loaches that are not botia.

My personal observations...after I put 3 kuhlies in my 10 gallon...I started seeing empty snail shells. I did not see any empty snail shells before that. They have not decimated the population by any means, but seem to enjoy them. I have also observed them to eat cucumber..
In my 55 gallon...I have both kuhlies and clowns. I have some snails, but not an overwhelming amount. They seem to leave the bigger ones alone.

I've probably written a book in my posts here...well.. a smal pamphlet at least...
I do have a degree..in nursing..you didn't specify in what
I do have something at stake concerning the veracity of my posts here...I would not want to be thought of as giving out bad info.
If you want documentation as opposed to anecdotal reports, why not go by a book instead of post on a site?
 
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nursie said:
Why?

In the Aquarium Atlas by Riehl and Baensch ...pg 364 states they eat all live foods..and "FD tablets"..
So I suppose I could report they eat cats too then, and use that reference as support.


nursie said:
They are Panagio kuhlii common name Coolie Loach, Prickly Eye
there are several fishes called loaches that are not botia.
Fully aware of that. The question was about Kühli's and snails. Then "evidence" was given using a Skunk Loach. I was pointing out that a Kühli is not a Skunk Loach, and furhtermore, not even the same Genus as the loaches who are perhaps most known to eat snails (Botia). And I am not saying all Botia eat snails, either...

nursie said:
My personal observations...after I put 3 kuhlies in my 10 gallon...I started seeing empty snail shells.
I could run the same "experiment" with say, amano shrimp, and get empty shells.

nursie said:
I did not see any empty snail shells before that.
And probably were not exactly looking very hard. Once I bought a white Ford Windstar Van... then I noticed everybody had one, once I started looking for them.

Snails do die... and when they leave, they leave shells. And verrrrrrry often, snails produce far too many of their offspring, who grow for a while, then the food runs out. Then snail man checks out from starvation. And he leaves a shell of a juvenile snail.
Just like if I died, I would leave a Ford Windstar somewhere.
;)

nursie said:
They have not decimated the population by any means, but seem to enjoy them. I have also observed them to eat cucumber..
Not once have you said you have actually "seen" a Kühli eat a snail... but twice in that sentence you make that implication you have.


nursie said:
In my 55 gallon...I have both kuhlies and clowns. I have some snails, but not an overwhelming amount. They seem to leave the bigger ones alone.
And now we turn to "evidence" of a tank with Kühlis (not known to eat snails in any published literature by an accredited person of any type) and Clowns (known to eat snails)...

nursie said:
I've probably written a book in my posts here...well.. a smal pamphlet at least...
I do have a degree..in nursing..you didn't specify in what
I do have something at stake concerning the veracity of my posts here...I would not want to be thought of as giving out bad info.
If you want documentation as opposed to anecdotal reports, why not go by a book instead of post on a site?

Anyone can write on the internet. Getting your comments published about such factual topics of reference/science, requires quite a different threshold.

I ask here because I am looking for that elusive book that might support the claim... figured someone on here might be able to point me in the right direction.
And I do occasionally come across information from people on sites like this who can convince me of something with their own studies and evidence. Not every bit of info is in a book, especially in this hobby; but not every anecdotal story on the net is worth the 1's and 0's floating in the ether that make it up.
 
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And as an additional thesis, one could very well argue that the reason people start seeing snail shells empty in their tank after getting a group of Kühlis is, you now have a scavenger that can mop up what hits the bottom of the tank a whole lot more effectively and quickly than a snail does. A high snail poplulation due to overfeeding and waste hitting the bottom was wiped out because you put some snake shaped vacuum cleaners on the bottom of the tank, who not only could eat more than the snails, but eat it faster too.

End result might be the same, but there is a big difference between saying:

Kühli's help keep organic waste under control, which makes it harder for snails to live and multiply in great numbers;
- and -
Kühli's eat snails. I know. I have Kühli's, and dead snail shells in the bottom of my tank.
 
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