Snail Explosion!!!

[shari2]

one way to encourage them to eat snails is to crush a couple before you drop them in. They get a taste and try harder to get them out of the shells.

[soul-hugger]

Thank-you, Shari, I had never thought of doing that! I'm not sure where my loaches came from before they were in the store, but it's possible they haven't eaten anything live for a long time. I'm too scared to try live food, though I often give them frozen. Now I'm absolutely certain they don't know what to do, because I put some snails in with them last night and they haven't eaten a single one, as far as I can tell. Maybe this will be all the motivation they need!

soul-hugger

[shari2]

What fish are in the tank you're hoping will eat the snails?
Most botia will be avid snail eaters, khuli's are iffy, dojos I'm not sure...

[soul-hugger]

Shari, I have oblonga (or cinnamon, I'm not sure because they were being sold as dojos, in cold water, and I informed the staff right away this was incorrect) but they looked healthy enough, so I broght four home. I asked if they could please catch the solitary baby dojo, who at the time was no larger than the khulis, among them. I wa pleasantly surprised to see he wa among the four.

This makes six loaches in the tank altogether. There are the three black khulis, and three dojos. One of the dojos is still a baby, about three to four inches long, and quite narrow. The other two are about six and seven inches long, at least, and the larger of the two is about 3/4 inches round. They are in a 55 gallon tank with three longfin blushing white tetras. (I am still working on stocking this one, so it is very sparsely stocked). Before I buy any more fish I need a quarantine tank. I have been in the hobby for long enough that there is no excuse for me not to quarantine. I just finished dealing with ich, and that was enough to scare me. Though I lost no fish it was a lot of work to treat! And in the long run with all the medications, I could have bought that 10 gallon Q!

I really have never seen dojos eating snails. I'm not even sure they eat the eggs, because I see them often, and one would think they would be an easy treat. They check them out and then go on their way. I still may try crushing one if I can get up the nerve to do it. I even have trouble killing bugs.

Bye for now
But not for long
soul-hugger

[soul-hugger]

I finally got up the nerve to crush a snail. I was surprised at how soft their shells were. I dropped it in the dojo tank, and within only a few seconds, one of the loaches devoured it and was looking for more! Even the baby dojo came out and he got the biggest one. It took him a couple minutes to eat it. It seems they were eating the crushed shell as well as the meat. The big loach ate a small one in one gulp! I guess they do enjoy eating snails, you just have to help them a little. I'm hoping now they will try harder to eat the live ones. I didn't want to give them too many at once, but each day I will crush a few more and drop them in. That with less feeding, regular maintenance, and assassin snails should do the trick I'll let you all know how it goes....

soul-hugger