Mel Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 OK i have like a zillion snails, malysian trumpet snails and also tiny litte ones that i'm not sure of and I am sooo over them - I WANT THEM GONE!!!!! So what is the best fish to elimanate these pests!! Fish in questions must: 1. be ok in high temps, ie: discus tank 2. NOT eat plants 3. easy fish to get, ie: readilly available at LFS and cheap 4. must get on with my other fish 5. would be good, but no big deal - like eating algae Many thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Loaches are the only snail eater that I know of. I got 2 Zebra Loaches to clean up my snail infestation and they did a real good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 I got a kuhli loach yesterday - will he do the trick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 I got a kuhli loach yesterday - will he do the trick? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 No. So I've done a quick google search, and it says the yoyo loach is a good snail eater!! I'll wait for more advice from you wise peoples before deciding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diver21 Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 had a similar problem as you and added a few clown loaches and theyre controlling the snail population from hundreds to just a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskas Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 I found the dwarf chain loaches did a great job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 clown loaches will be ideal, they eradicated my snail infestation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 yes. Cl's are great, as are dwarf chain loaches (they will look nicer in your discus community tank). :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 My snail hit squad it a group of 4 chain loaches, great snail eater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Awesome guys, thanks Oh my the dwarf loaches are cute - how much are they usually to buy at LFS? says they need to be a groups of at least 5+ I do like the clown loaches, but they'll grow abit to big for my discus tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oeminx Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Mine seem happy in a group of 4, I think the last price i saw was around $18 each for memory (correct me if I'm wrong) so they are the cheapest fish ever but not to bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Collect them up and send them to HaNs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Send them to meeeeeee!!! Because it's so cold, my snail population is dwindling. Tania and Scott very nicely bought me a whole heap a couple of weeks ago , but it's freezing outside where they live so the breed really slow.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Awesome guys, thanks Oh my the dwarf loaches are cute - how much are they usually to buy at LFS? says they need to be a groups of at least 5+ I do like the clown loaches, but they'll grow abit to big for my discus tank Clown loaches would be awesome but do need large tanks. Yo Yo's might be a better option, max size is about 15cm. Zebra Loaches only get to about 10 cm. Dwarf chain even smaller - about 6cm. I've only ever had Zebra Loaches, and only managed to get 2 of them. Despite recommendations they are happier in groups of 5+ as they are a shoaling fish, seemed to do fine as a twosome. One died a few months back and the one left still seems happy enough, he's started hanging out with the tiger barbs. I don't know how readily available they are as I've only seen them twice at my LFS and one of those times was when I bought them. They were around the $12 mark from memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Send them to meeeeeee!!! Because it's so cold, my snail population is dwindling. Tania and Scott very nicely bought me a whole heap a couple of weeks ago , but it's freezing outside where they live so the breed really slow.... Hmm thats proberly why I have so many, breeding in my nice overly warm discus tanks :-? If you'd like to pm me your address - if i get a chance and don't manage to get some loaches then I will be more than happy to send you some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Awesome guys, thanks Oh my the dwarf loaches are cute - how much are they usually to buy at LFS? says they need to be a groups of at least 5+ I do like the clown loaches, but they'll grow abit to big for my discus tank clowns take 20 years to get big, what size is your tank. It must be a least 3 foot to have discus or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 clowns take 20 years to get big, what size is your tank. It must be a least 3 foot to have discus or not? We have several tanks so homing them when bigger is not a problem - our biggest tank is 1800 x 600 x 600 - it's wheather they'll live with african cichlids My biggest discus tank is 3 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 i have my four clowns in african tanks & they do very well, they out compete the africans when it comes to feed time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Hmm I would have to ask hubby first on the clowns - the african tanks are his :roll: not sure if he'll want them in there :lol: and the discus tanks are mine So are small clown loaches good at eating snails, I mainly have the trumpet snails which range in size from tiny babies to fully sized Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Trumpet snails are the hardest to get rid of because they burrow in the substrate, and come out at night. But loaches should eat them, albeit slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 obviously a loach can only eat what i can fit in its mouth. here's the pic form the Show us your clowns thread of mine with africans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 they are so cool. What size are those ones smidey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 they are so cool. What size are those ones smidey? about 4 1/2 inches, i also have 2 that are about 1 1/2 inches in size. i have lent them to friends that have had snail explosions in small tanks to clean them up, they eat so many in such a short time it was amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandysme Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 yoyo loaches worked great for us within a week, there were none, get 2-3... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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