Snails and Yo-Yo's

[Froggi]

I have two quick questions-

What is the average lifespan of a yo-yo loach? I just lost 4 that were all the same age - some younger ones and all other fish in my tank (including clown loaches) are perfectly happy.

Secondly, my small community tank has a SERIOUS snail problem. I am considering resorting to "Snail Rid" (active ingredient 1g/L copper) but am worried that it will harm my loaches - I have dwarf chain loaches and kuhli's in the tank. Also, if I do use it I have so many snails in this tank, is all of them decomposing at once going to be a problem or should it be ok if I increase water change frequncy for a while?

Thanking-you in advance!

[Blue]

What is the average lifespan of a yo-yo loach? I just lost 4 that were all the same age - some younger ones and all other fish in my tank (including clown loaches) are perfectly happy.

Welcome to LOL.

How old are they?

Secondly, my small community tank has a SERIOUS snail problem. I am considering resorting to "Snail Rid" (active ingredient 1g/L copper) but am worried that it will harm my loaches - I have dwarf chain loaches and kuhli's in the tank. Also, if I do use it I have so many snails in this tank, is all of them decomposing at once going to be a problem or should it be ok if I increase water change frequncy for a while?

Don't use chemicals as your last resort. You will be harming even your fish. Use lettuce to bait them and pick as many snails you found as you can.

[Froggi]

They could't have been more than 3 years old.

As for the snails - I've tried that approach using cucumber and got rid of heaps, but this is a really BIG problem. The last few nights they've been acting wierd and gathering on the glass at the surface - I must have disposed of more than 1000, but there's heaps more.

[Blue]

They could't have been more than 3 years old.

Can't be that long.

As for the snails - I've tried that approach using cucumber and got rid of heaps, but this is a really BIG problem. The last few nights they've been acting wierd and gathering on the glass at the surface - I must have disposed of more than 1000, but there's heaps more.

You may be overfeeding enough to support a hundred snails. Siphon the leftovers and minimize feeding.

[shari2]

are they malaysian trumpet snails? if so, they will climb the glass at night and disappear into the substrate during the day.
I agree with Blue, an overabundance of snails can be a signal that you are overfeeding. what size tank and how many fish are in it? how much/often do you feed and how often do you do water changes?

and welcome.

[Diana]

I also agree that snails do not grow from nothing: the fish are not eating all the food.
Cut the fish food ration in half, and skip feeding one day a week.

In my tanks Kuhlies and sids can keep up with the snail breeding. They do not seem able to handle the adult snails, but I almost never see baby snails in these tanks. I have pond snails, Malaysian Trumpet Snails and Ramshorn snails. The MTS have a pretty hard shell, so are less targeted by the snail eating fish.

In some tanks (without benefit of Loaches) the snails do multiply, I harvest them and feed them to the tanks that do have Loaches.

[Graeme Robson]

Regarding the average life-span of Yoyo's (Botia almorhae), your looking at around 12+ years given the right conditions.

[mikev]

Regarding the average life-span of Yoyo's (Botia almorhae), your looking at around 12+ years given the right conditions.

If I may ask:
What is the source of this and how reliable is the number?

(The lifespans for botia's posted on various sites differ greatly and seem to err toward smaller values in most case, cf. for example, this table
http://www.fishforums.net/How-Long-Shou ... 93075.html

which agrees with you on yoyo's (but look around) OR this profile

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?what= ... ng=2&id=70

which cites much shorter and obviously incorrect span.

)

[Graeme Robson]

The source is from me and it is very much so reliable. Lets say i have first hand knowledge of this.

I must say the first link is very comical to read! Cheers for that! I do enjoy a good laugh!

[Laura]

I would test your water parameters and do some water changes. My understanding is that Malaysian Trumpet snails can be your 'canary in the coalmine' as they head up to the surface if there is water quality issues.

http://www.aquariumalgaeeaters.blogspot.com/
'This snail is a good indicator for bad water quality. If something is wrong they will all head up towards the surface over the aquarium glass."

[mikev]

Sorry for pushing you, but this is something I'm interested in.

Am I correct that you are saying that you kept yoyo's for 12 years and they exhibit(ed) signs of old age at about this age?
(this would be rather interesting: with genetics similar to clowns and the size more than halfsize of clowns, one would expect a longer lifespan).

As for the comical list: I feel really sorry for my Kubs, some of them already lived out half of their 4-year life span.... Maybe I should get rid of them before they started dropping dead...

Do you happen to have any other data on Botia's species? With the possible exception of Striata the numbers feel seriously off.....

[Froggi]

re my snail problem: Yes they are Malaysian trumpet snails. The tank is just 60L, there are 2 bristlenoses, 2 dwarf flame and 1 sparkling gourami, 3 dwarf chain loaches, 3 kuhlis, 1 siamese algae eater, 3 ember tetras and 1 harliquin tetra (I feel terrible about him being on his own, but his is a rescue from a friend's tank). I feed them once or twice a day (usually alternate twice one day, once the next) and they get the tiniest pich of tropical flake, 3-4 little shrimp pellets and one or 2 spirulina discs - plus zucchini on and off. Water changes - 30% fortnightly. I recently put in a less powerful filter - which is when the snails srarting coming to the surface - the old one was blasting my poor Sparkling gourami around the tank.

Am I overfeeding?

[tattooedgemini]

it doesn't sound like you are feeding that much, but you must consider that the fish in the tank are pretty small... and basically that if the snails didn't have enough to eat they wouldn't be breading so much and surviving.. i suggest cut down feedings to once a day and keep taking out as many snails as you can... you can feed them to your other loaches if you want.. i would

[Blue]

re my snail problem: Yes they are Malaysian trumpet snails. The tank is just 60L, there are 2 bristlenoses, 2 dwarf flame and 1 sparkling gourami, 3 dwarf chain loaches, 3 kuhlis, 1 siamese algae eater, 3 ember tetras and 1 harliquin tetra (I feel terrible about him being on his own, but his is a rescue from a friend's tank). I feed them once or twice a day (usually alternate twice one day, once the next) and they get the tiniest pich of tropical flake, 3-4 little shrimp pellets and one or 2 spirulina discs - plus zucchini on and off. Water changes - 30% fortnightly. I recently put in a less powerful filter - which is when the snails srarting coming to the surface - the old one was blasting my poor Sparkling gourami around the tank.

Am I overfeeding?

60 liters is too small for the yoyos and for any other loaches. The bigger the tank, the better to prevent cramping for space. The SAE will grow to 5 inches and that will require plenty of swimming space.

Are you telling us that the yoyos and clowns were also placed there? If so, I won't be surprised why they lasted only four years.

At this rate, do twice or thrice of water changes per week. Fortnight would really set a toll on your other fish considering how many fish are loaded in that tank. Two bristlenose plecs alone can produce enough wastes to harm and eventually kill all your fish.

What are your water parameters so far?

[Froggi]

No! My Yo-yo's and Clowns are in a 560L tank, it's just tiny little stuff in this tank.

Thanks all for your helpful advice, I'll cut back the food, increase water changes, keep pulling the snails out and avoid nasty snail killing chemicals.