Will Clown Loaches eat large Mystery Snails?
- Thread starter gcis
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Lupin
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- Sep 21, 2006
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- Paul
Clown loaches do relish invertebrates therefore your mystery snails are unable to live with them. I wouldn't consider loaches to clean up the snails. Please limit feeding as overfeeding is the main cause of overpopulation and manually remove the snails. Squish the snails and feed the crushed body to the fish.
I agree with Lupin and would add that if you have an over-abundance of "pest" snails, you are most likely overfeeding or doing inadequate maintenance. Adding a fish to solve a problem just about always leads to further problems. Also, Clown loaches get BIG and prefer to be in groups.
Even if he is unable to manually eat the mystery snail, he will harass it to the point that the snail will stop feeding and die.
Thank you for this forum and your replies, everyone. I now have 3 loaches (2 tiger, 1 yo-yo), if anyone wants them, because I did not do adequate research! I thought they would be good discus-friendly bottom feeders, but one tiger loach is nipping at my sweet snails! I prefer the snails to the loaches, so if no one here wants some near-free loaches, they're going back to Pet World! Aaagh I'm such a flake!
update: the little effers are going back, in exchange for a bristlenose. Hey, we've got time to balance the town before the King comes in!
Lupin
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Tiger loaches as in the Syncrossus species? They are indeed very aggressive and do not suit well in community setups at all with the exception of feisty barbs and other aggressive loach species. None are compatible with invertebrates.
Thank you very much, Lupin. Your signature was one of the "duh" moments I encountered, as soon as I searched loaches+snails! It's a lesson in the importance of doing research and realizing that while you're taking into account a fish's function, compatibility with other fish, plant-eating habits, and appearance in the tank, you'd better also do your research regarding your invertebrates! Everyone is happy now, and the bristlenose is gentle with all inhabitants, plant and animal alike.
PS, I don't know their type, beside their tea-colored-and-black diagonal stripes and pink "lips." They had the same body as the yo-yo.
PS, I don't know their type, beside their tea-colored-and-black diagonal stripes and pink "lips." They had the same body as the yo-yo.