Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem

fishington26 · 05-01-2005, 12:42 AM

I have a snail problem in my heavily planted tank. I have had clown loaches in the past, but they get way too big. Is there an alternative fish that would do the same job and not get so huge??

Cichlid Man · 05-01-2005, 05:56 AM

yes, a humbug catfish.

osteoporoosi · 05-01-2005, 06:07 AM

yoyo-loaches, but need a group of 5.

leongreenway · 05-01-2005, 09:00 AM

another alternative is snail killing solutions. I spotted some down LFS, but sorry dont know any names.

fishington26 · 05-01-2005, 12:51 PM

The humbug catfish gets way too big

fishboy · 05-01-2005, 05:04 PM

dwarf puffer

fishington26 · 05-01-2005, 10:14 PM

I have a guppie tank and dwarf puffers are notorious fin nippers, I had one once, thanks though.

MyraVan · 05-04-2005, 04:47 AM

Check out the Zebra Loach, info here:
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_striata.html
and here:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_striata.php

I think they are the smallest snail-eating loaches.

atltk · 05-04-2005, 12:31 PM

Kuhli loaches work well also and stay relatively small.

Damon · 05-04-2005, 03:17 PM

Kuhli loaches don't eat many snails, black kuhlis even fewer.

MyraVan · 05-04-2005, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Kuhli loaches don't eat many snails

Indeed. They are recommended on the applesnail.net forums as good tankmates for apple snails!

**fish_doc** · 05-04-2005, 09:20 PM

Most loaches are good. Some obviously better than others. There are also many Cichlids that will work but they dont do well in planted tanks.

fishington26 · 05-04-2005, 11:13 PM

Thank you so much for the response. Could I just have 1 zebra loach. Because they are bottom feeders, loaches tend to get a bit territorial about the bottom of the tank. My guppies like to sleep on the bottom and they were bitten badly by the clown loaches as they got bigger and more aggressive, hence why I had to find a new home for them. I was thinking 1 zebra might not get so hostile. Suggestions?

And thank you so much for the responses.

osteoporoosi · 05-05-2005, 07:11 AM

All loaches(exept kuhlis) are schooling fish, and they tend to go crazy ans extremely aggressive ****when kept alone.

atltk · 05-05-2005, 08:22 AM

I didn't know khuli's don't eat snails, good to know! I guess there's something else in my tank that eats them then, cause I see tiny empty shells all the time (tag-alongs from plants from other tanks, I suspect)

**TheOldSalt** · 05-05-2005, 11:11 AM

Does it have to be a new fish? There are non-fish ways to get rid of snails, too.

**fish_doc** · 05-05-2005, 06:58 PM

On a side note - I would avoid any of the rid-snail water treatments I have tried them and so have others I know and the only thing it seems to have killed is the fish in the tank. And I did not even use it at full doses. The bottle says harmless to fish but I definatally dont beleive it esp after using it.

atltk · 05-06-2005, 12:52 PM

I try to avoid adding ANY meds/chemicals if I can help it. Natural solutions are always the way to go

fishington26 · 05-07-2005, 11:56 AM

Sidthimunki Botia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stays about an inch long, non-agressive, eats snails. Everything I wanted!

osteoporoosi · 05-08-2005, 12:48 PM

Remeber to get a group 4-5 is enough.

05-01-2005, 12:42 AM	#1
fishington26 Fishy Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 19	Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem I have a snail problem in my heavily planted tank. I have had clown loaches in the past, but they get way too big. Is there an alternative fish that would do the same job and not get so huge??

05-01-2005, 05:56 AM	#2
Cichlid Man Super moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,093	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem yes, a humbug catfish. __________________ If you have a big enough tank with enough hiding places, pH of around 7, you can keep virtually any fish together as long as all the fish are around the same size and these two groups of fish are avioded: Serrasalmus Tetradon(figure eights and dwarfs are the exception). I keep a successful community of fish in a 4 foot tank including the following families: Cichlids, tetras, loaches, gouramis, barbs, rainbows, livebearers, killiefish, catfish, puffers.

05-01-2005, 06:07 AM	#3
osteoporoosi Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 633	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem yoyo-loaches, but need a group of 5. __________________ http://photobucket.com/albums/v640/osteoporoosi/

05-01-2005, 09:00 AM	#4
leongreenway Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 238	another alternative is snail killing solutions. I spotted some down LFS, but sorry dont know any names. __________________ It's better to Burn out than to Fade Away !!

05-01-2005, 12:51 PM	#5
fishington26 Fishy Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 19	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem The humbug catfish gets way too big

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05-01-2005, 05:04 PM	#6
fishboy Custom User Title Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 17 Posts: 1,647	dwarf puffer __________________ It is only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything

05-01-2005, 10:14 PM	#7
fishington26 Fishy Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 19	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem I have a guppie tank and dwarf puffers are notorious fin nippers, I had one once, thanks though.

05-04-2005, 04:47 AM	#8
MyraVan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 861	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Check out the Zebra Loach, info here: http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_striata.html and here: http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_striata.php I think they are the smallest snail-eating loaches.

05-04-2005, 12:31 PM	#9
atltk Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 82	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Kuhli loaches work well also and stay relatively small.

05-04-2005, 03:17 PM	#10
Damon Aquatic Naturalist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Dayton, Ohio Age: 32 Posts: 14,971	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Kuhli loaches don't eat many snails, black kuhlis even fewer. __________________ For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Member of the AGA (Aquatic Gardner's Association) Member of the IBC (International Betta Congress)

05-04-2005, 09:20 PM	#12
fish_doc Advisor to Neptune (Mod) Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Illinois Age: 40 Posts: 3,953 Blog Entries: 19	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Most loaches are good. Some obviously better than others. There are also many Cichlids that will work but they dont do well in planted tanks. __________________ Dave (fish_doc) A World of fish

05-04-2005, 11:13 PM	#13
fishington26 Fishy Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 19	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Thank you so much for the response. Could I just have 1 zebra loach. Because they are bottom feeders, loaches tend to get a bit territorial about the bottom of the tank. My guppies like to sleep on the bottom and they were bitten badly by the clown loaches as they got bigger and more aggressive, hence why I had to find a new home for them. I was thinking 1 zebra might not get so hostile. Suggestions? And thank you so much for the responses.

05-05-2005, 07:11 AM	#14
osteoporoosi Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 633	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem All loaches(exept kuhlis) are schooling fish, and they tend to go crazy ans extremely aggressive ****when kept alone. __________________ http://photobucket.com/albums/v640/osteoporoosi/

05-05-2005, 08:22 AM	#15
atltk Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 82	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem I didn't know khuli's don't eat snails, good to know! I guess there's something else in my tank that eats them then, cause I see tiny empty shells all the time (tag-alongs from plants from other tanks, I suspect)

05-05-2005, 11:11 AM	#16
TheOldSalt Darth Ichthyos Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,534	Does it have to be a new fish? There are non-fish ways to get rid of snails, too.

05-05-2005, 06:58 PM	#17
fish_doc Advisor to Neptune (Mod) Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Illinois Age: 40 Posts: 3,953 Blog Entries: 19	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem On a side note - I would avoid any of the rid-snail water treatments I have tried them and so have others I know and the only thing it seems to have killed is the fish in the tank. And I did not even use it at full doses. The bottle says harmless to fish but I definatally dont beleive it esp after using it. __________________ Dave (fish_doc) A World of fish

05-06-2005, 12:52 PM	#18
atltk Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 82	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem I try to avoid adding ANY meds/chemicals if I can help it. Natural solutions are always the way to go __________________ MORE COWBELL!!!

05-07-2005, 11:56 AM	#19
fishington26 Fishy Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 19	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Sidthimunki Botia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stays about an inch long, non-agressive, eats snails. Everything I wanted!

05-08-2005, 12:48 PM	#20
osteoporoosi Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 633	Re: Alternative to clown loaches for snail problem Remeber to get a group 4-5 is enough. __________________ http://photobucket.com/albums/v640/osteoporoosi/

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