# Loaches



## ranchu dad (May 28, 2008)

I'm just wondering if anyone can tell me the best loaches for snail removal. I have two tanks that have exploded with pond snails and I need to get them under control soon. I have Clown's but they just don't seen to want to eat them, they are so busy chasing each other. If you can help it would be great.


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## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

I wish LFS's wouldn't sell clown loaches for snail control. They grow so big! You could try squashing a few snails at feeding time so they pick up the fact they are food.

Otherwise any of the botia loaches are good. I've got Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki in mine as they stay very small compared to the other loaches.

Have you considered getting some assassin snails?


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## Stormy_87 (Dec 16, 2009)

I would recommend a dwarf skunk bodia loach. I have a one in my tank and he devours the Malaysian trumpet snails.


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

botia loaches burrow in the substrate and push up your plants.
but botia loaches are fantasitc for eating snails(i would use them myself but they are very distructive)
i reccomend a clown loach (less distructive)


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Clowns get pretty huge! Stick to dwarf varieties.



doubleott05 said:


> botia loaches burrow in the substrate and push up your plants.
> but botia loaches are fantasitc for eating snails(i would use them myself but they are very distructive)
> i reccomend a clown loach (less distructive)


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## Andy Ritter (Nov 26, 2008)

I find it interesting that your Clowns aren't taking care of your snails for you. Back in the nineties I had an issue with my 75 gallon where I could easily pull several hundred (I'm not exaggerating) ramshorn snails out every week, until finally I got tired of it and bought three Clown loaches (each about 2-3" long). Within a couple of weeks the snails were completely gone! I kept those Clowns for a couple of years, and they didn't really grow all that fast or big for me. Later on I took the tank down, but I thought they were great. When I set the tank back up, I researched loaches and decided to get some of the Dwarf Chain Loaches (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki), which I really love because they are so cool to watch. However, due to swapping some plants lately, I now have some ramshorn and pond snails appearing in my tank. I've been furiously working on crushing the snails to feed them to the fish, but I don't think the Dwarf Chain Loaches have big enough mouths to take care of crushing the snails on their own. Either that or they don't have the desire, because they will only eat the snails when I crush them. I have read that Yo Yo loaches (Botia almorhae) will eat snails, but I have never had any. If you haven't already done so, check out this web site: http://www.loaches.com/. I got lots of good information there.

Hope this helps.

Andy


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## Grendel (Apr 11, 2005)

I've had b. almorhae and b. striata and both have wreaked absolute destruction upon snails. Excellent snail control.


G


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## ranchu dad (May 28, 2008)

Thanks for the info about the loaches. I have got some Assasin snails and they just don't come close to keeping up with the spawning snails. I will look around and see if I can find some of the dwarf types. I have allot of tanks and more snails so I might get 2-3 types of loaches and just see what are the best type for my tanks. Thanks again.


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## Knotty Bitz (Mar 11, 2009)

My zebra loaches destroyed my large snail population in a few days


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Loaches or Assasin snails - keep in mind that something in your tank is a little off. That's why you get so many snails. 

Organics are probably elevated. If the organics are reduced the snail population will be severely reduced. Then the animals that eat them will be much more successful in taking care of them.

--Nikolay


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

so feed less and the snails will die off


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## James He (Aug 24, 2009)

Recommend Ladder Stripe Loaches.
The good thing for this type loach is max lenght less then 2.5 inches.

Very active, I love them. clean and keep my tank clean after several months I introduce them.

Keep 3+ in your tank, they would be very happy.

Here is the picture:


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