Loaches Online Forum

do loaches eat plants? ie amazon swords

Directorate, all of this, and more, is already available on the Loaches Online main site:
http://www.loaches.com/

The forums are here for us to talk fish (and other fish related stuff) and to help each other when needed.

Each species has some specific requirements which are detailed in the species index.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index

Well Loaches is a pretty broad group of fish to be asking a specific question about... hillstreams probably not, dojo, probably not... I have clowns, straita, and yoyo currently with various swords like amazon, red rubin, etc, and they seem to be excellent choices with loaches as they have massive rootes which I highly doubt even a 12"+ clown could uproot (at least if the plant is mature and roots fully grown). When I pulled out my giant red rubin it was quite difficult for me to remove, and the roots pulled probably 10 pounds of flourite up with them leaving a giant crater. I do occasionaly see a hole punch but thats about it. Also realize that this might be somewhat specific to the individual loaches preference, some are much more plant eaters than others.

I've heard that clowns like uprooting plants. Some people have found that yoyo's bite random holes out of leaves but I've never actually found that with mine.

I have a two clowns who seem to ignore both java fern and cryptocoryne wendtii. I have wisteria that they do not eat, but often uproot by rummaging through the substrate between plants. I've also kept rotala in the past with no problem, and water sprite.

I cannot keep Aponogeton Crispus, however. They snip off every single leaf right at the base of the stem. I'm not sure if the stems taste good, or if it's just fun, but they do this every time with that particular plant.

Folks:

I have floating, rooted and attached plants in my main aquarium and have never observed my yoyos show any interest in these plants.

My growing HS loaches have not shown any interest in the floating plants in their tank.

TR