Do yoyo loaches poke holes in anubias?

[Pinkie Pie]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for bottom dwellers to replace my clown loaches that get a long with angels and kribs. I like the fact that clown loaches don't bother fry and I'm hoping that there will be other bottom dwellers who follow the same notion.

I just can't take it anymore that my clowns keep poking holes in my anubias. It's just so aggravating seeing this out of the blue when you think that they stopped doing it. I mean, they stopped doing it at one point but then they started doing it again! I was excited to see a bunch of brand new, bright green leaves growing and then the next morning they're horribly mutilated.

I was thinking some kind of cory, but I don't know how they'll react to krib fry and get themselves killed. Since I'm removing the clown loach, I wont have my temperature so high, giving me more options for cory catfish.

I was told that yoyo loach might be up my alley, but I'd like some confirmation. Would a Yoyo loach get a long with the fish I've listed and not poke holes in my Anubias?







And yes. I have tried and not tried feeding them vegetables. Any vegetable offered to them wont satisfy their appetite unless its Anubias... sigh.

[atmichaels]

Sorry, I don't know about yoyos but what about a bushynose ancistrus or two? They're peaceful, won't mess with your krib fry and will gently eat the algae off your anubias without making holes.

[Loachloach]

Clown loaches are the most peaceful ones that mind their own business. Corys won't do well with aggressive fish in breeding mode because they don't tend to run away from attackers.

Just a question but are you sure it's the clowns making holes in the anubias? It looks like some sort of melt to me, deficiencies of some sort.
I've got clown loaches in an anubias tank and have never seen them do anything to it, neither have I seen holes. They used to nip some other plants a couple of years ago when I fed them too much meety food and no green stuff but with changing the diet to include a lot of algae wafers and vegetables/fruit they stopped touching the plants completely.

I see there is a suggestion for bristlenose plecos, but they won't eat the Green Spot Algae which affects the anubias. They are not good bottom cleaners either.

How big is your tank? I have a common pleco (grows large) who is like a hoover/vacuum cleaner, does a spotless clean of anything that is edible whether algae or left overs and won't touch fry either.

Also, if the kribensis are not aggressive to shrimp, they are also very good when in large numbers.

[Pinkie Pie]

Yes. I'm a 120% to the nth degree positive that the clown loach poked holes in the plants. Every puncture or tears you see on those Anubias leaves in that image is from the clown loach. How am I so sure? It's because I see them do it. My clown loach always target healthy new growing leaves for some odd reason and very rarely do new leaves make it anymore.

There are no deficiencies in my plants, I have been properly dosing micro and macro nutrients for years.

I'm kind of scared of having a common pleco in my aquarium, they just get so freaking huge! Because of this they rearrange any kind of planted tank, Which is the aquarium in particular I'm looking of a suitable bottom dweller. Also, I heard they can some times fight with cichlids. I remember have a blood parrot a long time ago, and the common pleco would try to suck off the poor things slime coat.

I always wanted a bushynose, though my LFS rarely have them.

[Diana]

I do not know if Yoyos attack plants, but I know they will eat small fish.
My not-full-grown Yoyos ate adult Neon Tetras.
Of course the Neons were not being protected by Kribensis parents.
I still would not risk it.

How about even smaller Loaches, perhaps Zebras? Or Kubotais?

[Loachloach]

Yes. I'm a 120% to the nth degree positive that the clown loach poked holes in the plants. Every puncture or tears you see on those Anubias leaves in that image is from the clown loach. How am I so sure? It's because I see them do it. My clown loach always target healthy new growing leaves for some odd reason and very rarely do new leaves make it anymore.

There are no deficiencies in my plants, I have been properly dosing micro and macro nutrients for years.

I'm kind of scared of having a common pleco in my aquarium, they just get so freaking huge! Because of this they rearrange any kind of planted tank, Which is the aquarium in particular I'm looking of a suitable bottom dweller. Also, I heard they can some times fight with cichlids. I remember have a blood parrot a long time ago, and the common pleco would try to suck off the poor things slime coat.

I always wanted a bushynose, though my LFS rarely have them.

OK, I believe you
Yes, they'd target newly grown leaves. Fresh salad . They may like a piece of cucumber in the tank instead
The reason I am saying deficiencies is because the anubias has greenspot algae and yellowing leaves at the bottom. Maybe a bit less light intensity can sort that as it's prone to green spot when exposed to too much light, lack of CO2.

The common pleco isn't a good idea for a densely planted tank I agree. They won't suck up anyone's slime coat if they are fed as they should. They are big fish, they need to eat. People don't feed them well. Mine is extremely peaceful so I can't believe the anecdotal stuff flying around them on forums. He won't hurt any fish and despite the size is quite flexible and gentle around plants when he's learnt his way around the tank.

Honestly, if you want something to clean the bottom or you have gunk gathering around then extra filtration positioned properly is the key.

I can't think of any other bottom dweller that won't eat fry. Khuli loaches maybe? They'd prefer sand substrate.