safe loaches for apple snails?

Discussion in 'Community Tanks' started by windfire, Feb 20, 2010.

  1. windfire

    windfire

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2009
    Messages:
    1,150
    Likes Received:
    13
    Location:
    joburg and pretoria. i cant travel to pta everyday
    are there any safe loaches that will not harm my apple snail? i see this morning that i know have a few trumpet snails in my community tank. i need to control them before they get out of hand as they did in my fry tank and was wondering if hillstream loaches or maybe horse faced loaches would be suitable? my apple snail is a lil smaller than a ping pong ball
     
  2. Guest




  3. Big G

    Big G Apisto Nutz!!!

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    2,508
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Cape Town
    Hillstreams and Horsefaces do not eat snails, or at least not to any significance!

    The Botia group tend to be the main snail eaters, but they will probably also go for the Apple too?

    There is not really a middle ground loach that will eat one and not the other. The best thing to do would be to remove the MTS (Trumpet snails) by hand whenever you see them, or you could always buy a couple of Pakistani Loaches, remove the apple snail whilst the Botia take care of your MTS, and then maybe sell the botia off after, or provide another tank for them?? Bit extreme, but a good excuse for the other kind of MTS (More Tank Syndrome)!

    Cheers
    Big G!
     
  4. SalmonAfrica

    SalmonAfrica Batfish

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2008
    Messages:
    3,079
    Likes Received:
    468
    Location:
    Durban
    If avaliable, your best bet would be Dwarf Loaches, Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki. They're very similar to Botia type loaches, but stay much smaller at around 5cm.

    However, they aren't the most eager snail eaters, and you might find that they will only eat the young of the snails - the larger ones might be left alone.

    Otherwise I just recommend putting a slice of cucumber in every night. In the morning, you'll see the cucumber will have a decent number of snails on it. Remove the apple snails from the cumber (if they're eating it, that is), and throw away the rest of the cucumber with the snails on it.
     
  5. Big G

    Big G Apisto Nutz!!!

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    2,508
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Cape Town
    I have looked Hi and Lo for those dwarf chain loaches, and have never ever seen them!! They do best in a group of at least 6 - 10 tho, so bare that in mind (should you be able to find them??)

    The other problem is that MTS have shells that are more difficult to penatrate than other snails, so are more able to survive attacks!!!

    Cheers
    Big G!
     
  6. SalmonAfrica

    SalmonAfrica Batfish

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2008
    Messages:
    3,079
    Likes Received:
    468
    Location:
    Durban
    This is a most important point - Malaysian Trumpet Snails are really tough. Other than the jaws of specialist snail/mollusc eaters, these guys are invulnerable to almost any form of attack.

    I've found that even a mature clown loach (15cm +) is more likely to eat a young snail with a softer shell than bother with adults.

    Like I said, bait them out with some cucumber. They'll come out from all their hiding places and eventually you'll be snail free.
     
  7. Whipme

    Whipme Microsword

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2009
    Messages:
    928
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Centuion
    I recently put about 6 1cm ramshorn snails in my main tank that houses 3 Polka dot and 1 Pakistani loach, and much to my surprise the loaches don't seem to bother them all that much. They have a field day with the pond snails though. It also looks like they leave the Malaysian trumpet snails alone though. This is either because the shell is very hard, the snails don't taste too nice, or because they're difficult to get out of their shells.

    If you've got trumpets your only option is to manually remove them as frequently as needed. I'd say put the cucumber on a piece of mesh so the damn snails don't just jump ship when you pick it up ;)
     
  8. Zoom

    Zoom Retired Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2009
    Messages:
    8,465
    Likes Received:
    119
    Location:
    Jhb- Fourways
    MTS shells are generally too hard for the loaches. They might eat the VERY small ones. But generally MTS need manual removal
     
  9. Bufamotis

    Bufamotis

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2009
    Messages:
    1,852
    Likes Received:
    26
    Location:
    Zevoland
    except for the spinning-kick-crunching-boot-heel-of-doom, or the planter-tongs-of-destruction :D

    i got rid of my trumpet snail project recently... by effectively removing all trace of ... the substrate. lol, i couldnt get rid of them any other way, they multiply too fast
     
  10. Zoom

    Zoom Retired Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2009
    Messages:
    8,465
    Likes Received:
    119
    Location:
    Jhb- Fourways
    Yeah, I saw some in an LPS about 6 months ago... and knowing their "churning of the substrate" ability, I asked the LPS to gooi me a few. Boy was that a mistake!!!!
     
  11. Bufamotis

    Bufamotis

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2009
    Messages:
    1,852
    Likes Received:
    26
    Location:
    Zevoland
    i got a few from gareth, kept them in a small tank with large granule soil, and they were easily kept. when i drained that tank, i put them in my previous 2ft, with silica sand, and suddenly i recieved a metropolis of snails
     
  12. Whipme

    Whipme Microsword

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2009
    Messages:
    928
    Likes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Centuion
    I don't know hey, I didn't even know I had them till I took the loaches out the tank. It would seem that the loaches bother them so much that they stay underground and you never see them. So they get to do their thing churning the substrate and eating sunken poop, and you don't have to look at their massive population :)
     
  13. OP
    windfire

    windfire

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2009
    Messages:
    1,150
    Likes Received:
    13
    Location:
    joburg and pretoria. i cant travel to pta everyday
    so it looks like manual removal is the only option then? ahh well, im getting new stock for the new tank on sunday, im looking at some platys and maybe danios. i might also stop off at animal kingdom on attebury on saturday as i got to fetch some notes for varsity, does anyone know what time they close on saturdays? i have work until 3 first and i need to check on my granfather in frail care cos of internal problems, doesnt abuse of the elderly make you sick?, so hmmmm now that i think about it i probably wont make it before 5. so itll have to be nxt week wednesday, i want panda cories and thats the only place iv seen them. im stoking 3 new cories to bring my count up to 6, 2 bronze, 2 peppers and hopefully 2 pandas. i dont really like the albinos and i think with my black substrate theyd be too in your face. next month im doing the mollies but i still need to decide how many i want as i have 3 babies as well as the adult, does anyone know how long mollies take to develope their colour? all my babies are a muddy brown colour while the mther is white.
     

Recent Posts

Loading...
Similar Threads - safe loaches apple Forum Date
Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium Podophyllum) Safe For Aquariums? General Discussions May 28, 2024
Are these rocks safe for aquariums in particular a betta? Beginner Discussions Jun 25, 2022
Where can I find tank safe expanding foam? Anything DIY related Mar 14, 2022
Bluechem Filter Sand From Builders is it safe and how to clean it Anything DIY related Apr 30, 2021
Making decorations safe General Discussions Mar 30, 2021
RSS Feed Aquarium-Safe Silicone: The Safest Options For Your Tank RSS Feeds Feb 11, 2021
RSS Feed Aquarium Gloves: The Best Options For Fish Tank Safety RSS Feeds Oct 29, 2020

Share This Page