Botia Loaches

Sanguinefox

This has been my experience so far with Rostata, Yoyo, and Burmese (golden zebra). All of them have a healthy appetite for snails but I wish they didn't at times. I like having snails in all of my tanks and don't mind if they nibble a bit on my plants.

As for uprooting plants, same experience. The only time they really uproot things is if they are not firmly planted to begin with. It helps to tie things down proper, or give the plants a chance to develop their roots if one wants loaches and are worried about them uprooting plants.

But a trick I do is I buy live black worms, and litter them around the open areas of sand. My experience with live black worms is they will burrow into your substrate. Do this when you introduce the loaches to a tank, and keep up with replenishing the stock when they hunt down all the worms. It gives them a great stimulating activity and conditions them to dig in the open areas of your tank where you want them too. This helps cut down on cases of plants being uprooted.

AndrewM21

When I initially bought the Yoyo's, I figured they would drop the population of my snails from a few hundred, to 10-20. But that wasn't the case, I may be lucky if I find 2-3 snails in my aquarium at the same time.

I have actually began moving snails from my 20G fry tank (MTS) and adding them to my main aquarium in hopes of re population, but that's not going to happen ;)

They are, however, marvelous fish and I would rather have them than snails anyhow.

Sanguinefox

Haha that's that's an argument the loaches won't let you win. I do agree, they are a lovely addition to a tank when you can properly keep them. it's endless hours of fun to watch them run around my 80 gallon loach tank that was set up specifically for them.

But you know, if you can get your hands on live black worms, you might try turning the fish onto digging for them. I will buy 1-2 portions at a time from a local store and just gently separate them out over the open substrate. If you can get your loaches digging for worms it may give the snails a fighting chance. The only problem is once those worms are gone and if you don't replace the stock...the loaches go right back to being butts and eating every snail in sight.

AndrewM21

I actually don't believe they sell these at the LFS here nor the fish store I get my fish from. Do you know if there is anywhere you can snag these online at?

Enough derailment, I'll PM you.

Shewbert

You would actually be amazed at how many different fish will eat snails if they have been starved for 3 -4 days.
They are fed each day so they do not feel hungry, they soon get a hunting instinct back and snaffle up anything small enough to eat.
MANDY

Shewbert

Snails are indeed beneficial to your aquarium, they keep your substrate clean and aerated, the problem occurs when you have an infestation, an earlier post suggested that the number of snails depend on the size of tank, this is not the case,(depending on the species) it does not take long before there are many hundred in your tank.
Even though chemical treatments are available, I tend to place fish that will eat snails into this tank to clear the bulk of the infestation, I would rather feed a fish with natural food than feed it chemicals.
Ray