Hahaha, a zoo might be an understatement at this point, eh? Thanks, Izzy. :)

Happy birthday to you! You live in a zoo!! Happy birthday to you!!! :D

Ouch. Those little guys are expensive. But I'm glad I could be of help :)

I found them online at azgardens for $7.99 but shipping is at least $37. I also discovered I could cram 6 zebra loaches in there too (botia striata) if I had to but again, I'd have to order online. I could try one yo-yo loach. That's what my LFS keeps recommending but I do have those gouramis . . . hmm. I think I should just start saving. Maybe start collecting cans for recycling instead of putting it in municipal recycling . . . Thanks Izzy. I know I can always rely on you for good advice. :)

Those little guys sure do have a hefty price tag on them. Is there any way you can buy six to take care of the problem and then return them? Or buy a single yo-yo to return later? If he stayed alone he would probably become a fin-nipper (loaches didn't get that reputation for nothing).

I think being the token fish vet would be better! You help people so much more than I do. I'm just an encyclopedia.

Hmm. Not sure if I want to or can pay $15 a piece for 6 fish. But that means 6 yo-yo loaches or burmese loaches would be way too much for my 20gal. One yo-yo would be unhappy alone, wouldn't it?

Haha, being the goldfish and loach expert is better than being the sick and dying fish expert. :)

Haha! I guess I'm the goldfish and loach lady now! XD Do you plan to keep the dwarf loaches? Because they will be shy and reserved in those numbers. This could also cause them to become nippy with the other fish (many Botia get that reputation when they are kept in small numbers). In a group of 6 they should be fine with everyone, including the kuhlies!

Izzy, you know a lot about loaches, don't you? Would a trio of dwarf loaches (sidthimunki botia) be too much with five kuhli loaches? I've heard the dwarf loaches tend to school midwater so I'm not sure there'd be trouble but I just want to make sure before I pay $15 a fish. I read only botia species eat snails and unfortunately, most botia get too big and/or too quarrelsome for me to keep a proper number of them in my 20gal. But I'm desperate for something to eat the snails that are eating the plants. Assassin snails didn't work. They died.

I think I was completely safe the entire time, but it was certainly stressful. I'm glad to be on the ground and have internet again.

Awesome! I'm glad those water hyacinth are working. Did you get the floating bag for them?

Yay! I'm glad you had a safe, if long and boring flight. :)

I guess they finally got hungry enough. Honestly, they do like to make me sweat. Oh! And the 10 water hyacinth have kept the nitrates down by a whoooole lot! I tested two days ago and it was only 20! Before, without the plants, it would have been 40-80 by then. Yay!