Loaches Online Forum

I had a really big scare a couple of mornings ago that kinda frightened me until I figured out what it was.

I checked on my loach tank Sunday morning when I woke up and I saw something sitting on the bottom of the tank. It was black, white and so badly torn up that I couldn't figure out what it was. In a panic, I quickly started looking for all my Black Kuhlies. To my great relief they were all there. I then located my botias and my otos and they were all there. I looked at the pile of tissue one more time and I came to the realization that it was the maimed body of a deshelled snail. It had been one of the larger snails too, about the size of a quarter. Yesterday afternoon, I found another snail body on the bottom of the tank. Apparently, one of my loaches has figured out how to kill the larger snails but was uninterested in eating it all.

Whew! That must have been a relief! I bet now you're not sure whether to applaud your loaches' ingenuity or feel sorry for the snail. I wonder who's doing it, or if you'll catch them???

soul-hugger

I'm glad it wasn't one of your loaches. Poor snail.

I just had a really bad scare, too. Two of my kubotai got out of their tank and were crawling all around on the kitchen floor with their pectoral fins. I was busy with my kids, so I kept telling everyone not to step on them. When I finally got the time to catch them, I could only find one. I was in a terrible panic, and then the alarm clock went off. Crazy dreams!

I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I figure out who or what is killing the snails. I was thinking that they may have gotten sucked into my powerhead and chewed up that way because I made some modifications to get better water flow and there is a gap on the outside of the base. Come to think of it, both empty shells are below the open gap and I found the mangled bodies where they would have been spit out by the powerhead. I think that may be what happened. I'll have to cover that hole so none of my loaches succumb to the same demise if this is indeed what happened :-/

loachmom wrote:I just had a really bad scare, too. Two of my kubotai got out of their tank and were crawling all around on the kitchen floor with their pectoral fins. I was busy with my kids, so I kept telling everyone not to step on them. When I finally got the time to catch them, I could only find one.

whoa you had me going there! that is so funny, and reminds me of a sort of recurring dream I used to have (been ages now since I've had it) where I would find my fish 'flying' around the room (swimming thru the air?)... this dream was usually precipitated by some guilt feelings about not keeping up with the tank cleaning duties, I think!

I have had dreams about my guppies jumping tank before, Probably precipitated by coming back from vacation to find one of my male guppies on the stand behind the tank.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has dreams about their fish. I was thinking about my fish a lot the day before since my Pangio anguillaris died unexpectedly, and that had me concerned for the rest of my fish.
But it also could have been all those no-bake cookies I ate before bedtime.

loachmom wrote: it also could have been all those no-bake cookies I ate before bedtime.

You mean the chocolate/oatmeal ones that you can make in the microwave or with only a saucepan? I LOVE THOSE COOKIES!

raecarrow wrote:

loachmom wrote: it also could have been all those no-bake cookies I ate before bedtime.

You mean the chocolate/oatmeal ones that you can make in the microwave or with only a saucepan? I LOVE THOSE COOKIES!

Yep, those are the ones. We love them, too. We replace some of the oatmeal with coconut---Yummy!!!