Loaches and plants

[Mike Lang]

Hello, new guy here. I've been keeping tropicals about 16 years and still have 3 of my original catfish to prove it. I've been keeping loaches, Clown Botias, about 10 years, although not properly. I'm currently setting up a new tank for the 6 of them along with their tank mates, a Synodontis Eupterus, several Pimlodella Pictus and a couple of plecos. It's a 75 gallon tank and I'll be using a river tank manifold filtration setup with an 1100 GPH pump. My main question concerns plants. I haven't kept my loaches with live plants before, although I have plants in other tanks. I have read that loaches can be hard on plants and also the high GPH may not suit all plants. I'm sure that some of you folks have experience with this and I'm looking for advice. .......Thanks much!!

[cybermeez]

With regard to the type of plants....loaches, Botias in particular, love to punch holes in the leaves of plants like Amazon sword. I've had success with Wendelov by tying it to bog wood and letting it take root. The leaves are so small and scraggly that the loaches don't seem to have much impact.

[Rocco]

Yeah, if you aren't careful with your plant selection, you'll wake up one day and say

"Hey! I didn't plant swiss cheese! What is that?!"

My poor amazon swiss cheese... I mean swords, I'll have to relocate them.

As far as flow is concerned, try placing the plant behind some wood or in a section where the flow isn't too strong. You can try putting the plants to the side of the powerhead, before the flow starts. That might help too.

[Mike Lang]

Thanks folks for that input. You're reinforcing what I already expected. As much as I enjoy a planted tank, it may be difficult to pull off with my clown loaches. I'll probably try some java fern, annubias, the wendalov and anything else that is suggested. Speaking of swiss cheese, I had a similar experience with my garden when I built my home in the woods. I put much time and money into nice flower beds for my wife and then the local deer herd found it and turned it into a salad bar. We make our plans on paper, but in reality we're stuck with what actually works!!

[bslindgren]

I have Cryptocorynes only, and my loaches leave them alone. Mind you I don't have any real large clowns (the biggest one is about 5 inches). I also feed quite a bit of vegetables so perhaps that helps.

[Rocco]

My loaches (kubotai, yoyo, zebra, and khuli) like to attack the algae wafers and zucchini I throw in for my BN and L052 plecos and otos so am I wrong in saying that loaches are actually omnivorous?

[cybermeez]

My loaches (kubotai, yoyo, zebra, and khuli) like to attack the algae wafers and zucchini I throw in for my BN and L052 plecos and otos so am I wrong in saying that loaches are actually omnivorous?

I'd say that's a fairly accurate statement, particularly regarding Pangios and Botias.