I need a loach

[amsw53]

I am having a snail problem in one of my tanks (14 gal.). In that tank I have 2 male molly's and 7 fry. The female died giving birth. I am also planning to get 2 ADF's. I need a loach that will not eat the FRY and bother ADF's, but eat all snails. Can any one help??

[san-ho-zay]

Loaches have preferences that should be taken into consideration if you want to keep them happy and healthy. Most prefer to be kept in groups for example, which rules out a lot of species for a 14-gallon.

Buy loaches because you want to keep loaches and keep them well, not because you have a few snails IMO.

[amsw53]

I do love loaches, especially the clown. Thought I might get 2 of them for the 14 ga. tank. When the fry get bigger they will move to my 29 gal. tank. If 2 loaches will not work well in the 14 gallon tank what will?

[san-ho-zay]

I'm afraid clown loaches can get very large and should be kept in a minimum 4' tank as juveniles and in a 6'x2'x2' minimum thereafter.

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

Smaller loaches include Botia striata, which reaches 4 inches, but a group of five is considered the minimum. A 14-gallon is really too small IMO.

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

[shari2]

Hi amsw53,

You won't find anyone here who will recommend clowns for a 14g tank, or even a 29g. They live a LONG time, and will get up to a foot long and are bulky, athletic, and social fish that need room to swim and a gang of buddies.

Snails are not just pests, they are part of a healthy ecosystem so having snails in the tank is not the worst thing in the world.

You could try using a piece of cucumber, lettuce or zuchini overnight which will lure the snails to it en masse, then slip a net beneath it when you remove it. You'll get rid of a ton of them at a time. Check the veggie first thing in the morning before you turn on lights. Also, feeding less will help keep the population down.

Getting a fish that you know will not thrive in your tank just for snail control is irresponsible if not cruel. I know most fish stores will sell you clowns and even recommend them for 'snail control', but they are live creatures with particular needs that should not just be tossed into a tank and discarded once they've done their 'job'.

I don't mean to sound nasty or critical, but here, at a loach forum we keep them because we like them and the loaches are our focus. They aren't simply extraneous fish we 'use' for waste control or pest control.

[amsw53]

okay, thanks for the advice. I am new to this and wanted the best information I can get, and thought you could help. I did try lettuce in a small container, but they appear to like my plants more.
Looking at other web sites, they said the Clown usually gets to be about 6" long. I thought if that were the case I would get 2 of them, but I guess not. Thanks

[Dutch]

I am new to this and wanted the best information I can get, and thought you could help.

This is just the place for that, in particular for Loaches. There are people here who are not just enthusiasts, but experts and professionals. Plus, any criticism is meant as constructive and not meant to flame a person. I personally appreciate that highly.

Be sure to check the articles on the main site, very informative and could provide you with an excellent basis for plans for your aquaria.

[brett_fishman]

Looking at other web sites, they said the Clown usually gets to be about 6" long. I thought if that were the case I would get 2 of them, but I guess not.

a 6" fish is still far too large for a 14g, nevermind two of them AND other fish in the tank

[shari2]

I did try lettuce in a small container, but they appear to like my plants more.

What kind of plants do you have?

Have you tried fasting your fish for three days then adding a piece of cucumber (you'll have to stick a stainless steel knife or spoon or something through it to weight it down) right onto the substrate? Also, if you have a jar of chopped garlic, or even raw garlic, and you soak the cuc in it overnight before you add it to the tank both the mollies and the snails will go for it. Mollies like and benefit from vegetable matter in their diet. You could also try squishing a snail or two (be careful not to cut your fingers or use a spoon or something). The mollies may eat them if they can get through the shell.

After three days their will be less food around for the snails to get and they may be more likely to get to the cucumber. Just make sure you have a net handy in the morning to catch the snails as you lift the knife (or whatever weight you use) since once it starts moving they will fall off.

How long have you had your mollies?

[bullisbm]

What temp is your tank? You could always try a dwarf (pea) puffer. They love snails and don't get much bigger than an inch.

I have to get snails about every two weeks for them from the pet store becasue they can't breed fast enough for them.

[Diana]

With fry in the tank your choices are quite limited. I would never put a puffer in any community tank. You could set up two tanks, and alternate which tank the puffer lived in, and put the Mollies in the other tank while the puffer deals with the snails.

Best way to get rid of snails:
Raise the fry in a bare bottom tank. The extra food they need cannot be avoided. You cannot skip feeding. Vacuum the bottom daily or every other day. Keep a lot of Java Moss drifting in the tank. There are a lot of microscopic organisms among the moss that the fry will eat.

Get a larger tank for the Molly parents, and then you can add a few more fish, but I do not know about snail control types. Mollies prefer hard, alkaline water, (salt is optional) and I am not sure many Loaches will handle that well (do not add salt for any Loach). When you further stipulate that the tank is maybe 20 gallons or so, you have reduced the Loach list to about nil. MAYBE Kuhlies.
You can, however, control the feeding in a tank with adult fish, and so, minimize the snail population.

I have found that popping the snails showed my fish that they could eat the snails. I am not sure if any of the fish learned how to open the shells themselves, though.

My favorite bait is thinly sliced orange. The fish will eat the same part we like, and the snails will collect on the rind.

[starsplitter7]

I have a bare bottom tank for Molly Fry right now. I use a turkey baster everyday to suction out the yuck to keep their tank clean.

I actually ended up moving a few snails in to help keep the tank clean.

It is too bad you don't live near any of us in search of snails. I breed my own snails for my puffers and my loaches, because they like them very much. (I have 8 tanks.)

Good Luck.

[Fish Dork]

You could try a sinking algae wafer to attract the snails. I know my snails move astonishingly quickly to converge on an algae wafer. The stronger smell maybe?

Jessica