snails and Loaches

[newshound]

Originally Posted by Crystalview

I think it is this:
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/641.htm

thanks that link is bad!
they should be called modesta
or tuff nuts!

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by James From Cali

MTS will not be eaten by Loaches. Loaches cannot break the shell to get to the snails soft body.

Loaches don't actually break shells. Their mouths are not built to crush snails more than the puffers can. They simply suck the soft parts out unless the snails use their operculum to shield themselves from that.

Originally Posted by Ozymandias

even baby ones?

Actually, even small ones can still be eaten by loaches. Botiidae loaches relish invertebrates and it is part of their natural diet.

Originally Posted by James From Cali

Real young ones but if they are easily identified from a distance without getting too close the tank no.

Loaches can smell them so no matter the size, they will attempt at all costs to get the snails to satisfy their appetites.

Originally Posted by honor

cant the loaches flip the snails over and suck them out? i remember when i had clown loaches you can hear them sucking the the gravel pretty loudly.

Yes, they can.

Originally Posted by James From Cali

You would think but the loaches dont. I learned that the hard way at my previous work. We had one tank filled with MTS and the loaches did not even bother.

What loaches did you try?

Originally Posted by lauraleellbp

My yoyo loach LOVED MTS. My clown loaches, however, couldn't seem to care less about them ATM?

Same here. As for the clown loaches, mine did but I believe the yoyos are much more efficient owing to the shape of their snouts. Tiger loaches are even more effective as their snouts are even more elongated in appearance.

Originally Posted by jelisoner

how will clown loaches do with mystery snails and spixi snails? i want both snails but want clown loaches too ...also how do they do with shrimp?

Botiine loaches will never mix well with any invertebrates regardless of the species.

Originally Posted by chaos theory

My mystery snail was in the tank when I used to have clown loaches and they never bothered her. She went from about the size of a nickel to over the size of a quarter. Occasionally they would knock her off the side of the glass but never did more than that. Don't know about spixi snails...never had them.

Now shrimp on the other hand didn't last more than about 5 minutes.

The operculum could have prevented such predation from happening but if the snail is somehow caught off guard, then the clown loaches will finally get their meal. Results can vary with different individual but try other loaches and they will eat the snails more effectively than the clowns can.

Originally Posted by rsretep

anyone have experience with horse face loaches????? cant seem to keep any snails in my 40 breeder..think the old horse face is the culprit...any ideas???? thanks in advance

What else do you have in your tank and what snails did you try?

Originally Posted by newshound

are you adding snails? Did some exsist in that tank before the HFL was put in?
this would be a first I'd heard of a horse eating a snail.

I have never seen horse-faced loaches eat snails. I used to have these fish but nothing of that sort has been observed.

Originally Posted by daFrimpster

My blueberry loach(not the dyed kind) loves MTS of all sizes. He is about 4.5" long.

Yasuhikotakia modesta grow even bigger at 8-10 inches and quite aggressive at that. They are indeed efficient in consuming snails.

[newshound]

a large modesta will tear into anything

[Crystalview]

I think when this thread started we just wanted to know Loaches that would not eat larger snails. I know that kuhli's don't but was not sure of others. I think that is why we chose the dwarf sids.

[Ozymandias]

right so quick up date last week before i tor down the tank there was a defant lack of pond snails and ramshorns but the Trapdoor snails and MTS's where still there

[Crystalview]

That's great. I got my Sids a week ago and the tiny snails are reduced a lot. I removed the adult pond snails and so far the sids ignore the brigs. Oz hope that keeps up for both of us.
The sids are so small think neons on a big diet. The swim all over the tank not just at the bottom.