Loaches Online Forum

Hi all - I am new to the forum and have lots of questions as I am also the new and proud parent of four weather loaches (soon to be seven as we are adopting three more in the near future - about a two hours drive there and back....so have to plan a road trip!). The loaches share their home with denison barbs and gold barbs.

I understand that most loaches eat snails, and I also realize that all loaches have different personalities and likings, so I'm just hoping to hear about general experiences regarding weather loaches and snails. There are currently seven large trumpet snails in the tank with them (working diligently to aerate the sand!), and it seems that, for the most part, the weather loaches ignore them (with the exception of the odd 'run in' where one of the loaches will fly by one of the snails and knock it over). They have been together in the tank for almost a week now, and I have not seen any empty shells (fingers crossed it stays that way - kind of like the big trumpets!). I was considering adding nerite snails - but I will definitly not do this if the weathers are known to be like, say, clown loaches (i.e. if they are likely to pester and try to eat the poor nerites, then they will not be added!).

So, question one: Nerite snails with weather loaches, yea or nay?

And an addtional question: Anyone know of any algea eating fish that are siutable for a cool water tank?

Thanks so much in advance!

Weather Loaches and snails: Some do and some don't. I would not risk Nerites with them.

Cool water algae eaters: Are you looking for the fish that eat the flat sort of 'stuck on' algae? Many Loricariads are fine in cooler water, just gotta do some research to see which size will work in your tank. Smaller is better, up to a point. Planet Catfish is a great place to get info about Loricariads and other Cats. Look into things like Bristlenose Plecos (many species, I think the most common is the most adaptable to different water parameters), and Pitbull Plecos (look a lot like Otocinclus) and Rubberlip Plecos.

Are you looking for fish that eat long stringy types of algae? Florida Flagfish, Rosy Barbs and other fish are fine in room temperature tanks, and are known to eat stringy types of algae.

Thanks for your reply. It is a "green-ish" algae on the sides and back of the tank, where jungle val is planted (assuming there may be a connection?). It is not stringy, it is more the "flat stuck on glass" stuff; in fact, when I first saw it, I thought the glass was stained. It is easy enough to clean off with a sponge (okay - well, a little more difficult to clean the back, the tank is 2ft tall and 2 ft deep, and with the added height from the stand, I sometimes feel like I'm going to fall in when trying to reach the back bottom!), but, it is manageable! Where we leave the aquatic lights on for 8 hours a day and blue lights for 4 hours a day, I thought it would be nice to have a fish (or snail - but I'm thinking that idea is off the table now!) that would enjoy eating this slimy stuff!

Quick edit: After looking closer, it is more of a brown-ish colour algae - I think the plants gave the illusion of being green-ish!!