snail eradication using loaches

lakerat37 · Post by **lakerat37** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:27 pm

Forgive me if this topic has been discussed before. I have searched the forum for old posts, but I can't find one to match the scenario I have. I have a 75gal guppy tank with a large number of young guppies that I hope to raise and breed (several different strains that I need to separate soon). I have alot of floating plants which of course brought snails into the tank.

Here is the question: I have 6 adult (1 1/2 years) clowns in two different 90 gal tanks. If I put some of the clowns in the guppy tank will I be in danger of losing my young guppies as well as the snails, or will they pick on the guppies first?

Question #2: If the clowns are not a good solution what would you recommend?

this is my first post. I really enjoy learning about these fish, so I appreciate your help

Thank you, Ken

brett_fishman · Post by **brett_fishman** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:14 pm

clowns are VERY mellow fish, i doubt they would eat your fry...

but i'd wait for an expert to reply, just incase...

-brett.

Emma Turner · Post by **Emma Turner** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:20 pm

Hi Ken, and welcome to Loaches Online.

Even large adult clowns are unlikely to eat small fry. I have over 40 of them in with a breeding group of Filamentosus barbs and none of them ever look at the barb fry (and the clowns range in size from 4" up to 12").

Personally, with the size tank that you have, I'd be inclined to suggest another peaceful (but smaller-growing) loach species - Botia striata. http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-striata These only get to around 4" and will happily eat through the snail population. You'll need to go for a group of at least 5 specimens for them to feel secure.

Good luck,

Emma

Icewall42 · Post by **Icewall42** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:21 pm

Hmmm I don't know, my assumption would be that the loaches would eat the baby guppies. I've had baby loaches in with my big loaches, hoping they'd grow up, but instead they disappeared. I have a suspicion of where they went. Rule of thumb with fish is that bigger fish eat littler fish in most cases, unless the fish are tetras. I imagine any loach you put in with the guppies is going to eat those baby guppies, because a few loaches do like meat... whether it's shrimp, fish egg, apparently beefheart, worms, or bitty fishes. Usually, skunk loaches and clowns are the best snail-eaters so I've heard

However, loaches are bottom feeders, so they might not bother the baby guppies if those babies stay up in the floating foliage.

I've heard of another kind of fish that eats snails but I'm not sure what it was. My instinct says it was corydora catfish, but I'm probably wrong.

I wish I could give you better info, but I've only ever had a horseface loach in with the breeding guppies we had, and in both cases the fry did just fine, but the snails were still a problem.

shari2 · Post by **shari2** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:22 pm

If the babies are small enough to fit in their mouths, and slow enough to get caught, I don't think I'd trust them. Though I haven't seen mine actually chase after fry (I breed angels sporadically), the fry do give them a wide birth. They will chow down on angel eggs, however. The main question for me would be how large are the fry in the 75?

If you have good places on the bottom for the clowns to hide and congregate, and good plant cover for the fry, it might be safe enough to give it a try. If your snails are pond snails, they will be toast. Clowns love em.

I don't know that clowns (or any fish, really) would appreciate being moved around on a regular basis, so would you plan to keep them in that tank?

Mark in Vancouver · Post by **Mark in Vancouver** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:26 pm

Is there any way that the guppies could be kept separate within the tank? A net or breeding divider? If the clowns are only 1.5 years old, they can't be very big - 4 inches, I would think.

Maybe you should wait until it's time to divide the guppies up and aim to get them out of the tank before you add the clowns.

Martin Thoene · Post by **Martin Thoene** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:26 pm

I've bred countless Limia vittata in with Clowns. In the same tank before, my wife had bred Dwarf Gouramis and Dwarf Cichlids. The only problem she ever had was when she had Harlequin rasboras in the tank. Those were ruthless hunters and would eat any fry.

Martin.

Icewall42 · Post by **Icewall42** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:33 pm

Yup clowns really love snails. When I found pond snails, I used to crush them and put them in the tank with my clowns and they'd be gone faster than you could blink.

newshound · Post by **newshound** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:21 am

as always YMWV
I would go for it.
the clowns will take out the snails so fast that your fry losses will be minimal.
In one of my tanks I have super tricky zebras (strata) that pluck the eyes out of my hatchets. It is really weird/creepy to see a school of them lacking an eye each.

brett_fishman · Post by **brett_fishman** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:37 am

newshound..i am going to have 6-8 yoyos and 6 hatchetfish in my 55g...is that a concern?

-brett.

newshound · Post by **newshound** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:06 am

I have kept zebra, yoyo, kubs, dario, horseface and clowns with the hatchets no problem for well over a year...until I added more hatchets

I would have more hatchets if I was going for it. Some will die off.
Do not have a fast fish like a tetra etc... in with the hatchets. The hatchets don't find food as quickly as other fish and will possibly start to starve.

newshound · Post by **newshound** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:14 am

ps- geez that is a scary pic of yoyos 1/2 way down!
http://aquatic-hobbyist.com/phpBB2/view ... hp?t=19089

shari2 · Post by **shari2** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:00 am

Yeah, those are pics of Kamphol's breeder females. Most likely hormone assisted. Never could get out of him any details of spawning...

lakerat37 · Post by **lakerat37** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:01 pm

Thank you folks, this was great help!

Ken

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snail eradication using loaches

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