I have had a snail problem and went to the LFS. I was shown my choices and thought I'd get the snail rid and subsiquently OD'd the tanks by over estimating there sizes and killed most of my adult guppies, all other fish were fine.

Now I have went back to the LFS and decided, this is some time later, to get the loach that I was advised to get the first time, a skunk loach. Since then I have found some interesting reading saying what a fin nipper it is. I have only had it an hour and I really don't want one that's going to be nipping other's fins as I've just gotten rid of my other two tank bullies. Can anyone help me here? I want a nice, peacefull, non fin nipping, snail eating loach that won't get to big for my 3 foot tank.

thanks ya'll

Kuli could be option. Keeps one of my tanks clean

I had asked about one of them and was told they don't they don't eat snails. I am really rather put out because I THOUGHT I was getting a lovely peaceful comunity fish and turns out I've got a semi agresive, teritorial one. I tell you I am not impressed.

Khuli Loaches don't eat snails as far as I know. Clown Loaches are peaceful and do eat them though.

I'd stick with the skunk loach until it causes a problem. They can be tempermental, but they can also be good. Give it plenty of places to hide and it will probably be fine.

Mine never nipped fins, but it can definitely be a boisterous fish. It was actively hassling a kribensis for a while but that was mostly competition for hiding places and no one got damaged. It certainly didn't bite or kill any other fish (unlike that kribensis).

Mine arrived accidentally with a bunch of plants and like you I panicked when I first read about it - but everything has turned well.

As hummingbird has said Clown Loach is a good one.

I have 2 in my 4ft tank and they don't nip

well there are pleanty of hidy holes, I think, in the tank but there are 4 ppr cory's and 3 albino corys, a BN, gonna be 2 blue steel apistogrammas (males), a dozen or so guppylings, 3 adults, and one male betta. I really don't want it to bully my other fish, they all get on quite well.

Becarefull if you get a clown loach as they are prone to white spot, as I have recently found out, as I treated for it killed my favorite Elephant Nose Fish (NOT HAPPY). Although they have rid my tank of snails, i would recommend putting them into a hospital tank before putting them into your main tank for atleast 1month to make sure they have no white spot.

White spot is in most water, from my understanding, Clown Loaches are just prone to it because they have no scales. I wouldn't put them in a hospital tank because that would mean putting them through the stress of acclimatisation twice.

We have 4 clown loaches, they seriously go insane for snails. We have absolutly no snails in our community tank. But they are rough on the plants and sometimes dig them up.

They are prone to white spot, but other than that I think they are great little guys (although they grow to 10 inches) and are very amusing to watch.

clown loaches are prone to whitespot, at work they get bad whitespot more than any other fish, no matter what tank they are in.

At work (i work in an LFS for those that dont know) we have had trouble with skunk loaches fin nipping, however, they are in a large school and do seem to gang together a bit, so maybe one on its own would be ok. keep a close eye tho.

Interestingly i have never had snails in my main community tank, even though i know i have bought plants in from tanks with plenty of snails. I have kuhli loaches, no other fish known for eating snails. so maybe they do eat snails???

plecs

If you have 2 Skunk Loachs then the will spend all their time picking (playing?) with each other and leave the other fish alone. Well, at least that is what happened in my tank.

I've got 5 clown loaches, 2 yo-yo's, 2 queens, 2 angelicious and 2 striata's. The most peacefull would be the striata's followed by the clown's, yo-yo's then queens and angelicious.

My pick would be the striatas or clowns.

I haven't had skunks before but have heard they can be aggressive.

hey snowman sounds like you NEED a skunk. wanna trade lol

I have two skunks and three clowns, all just over 1" long

the skunks have attitude, yes.. I wouldn't say agressive. They definitely like chasing at times, other times I see em hanging happily with all the other fish in the tank (b/n, guppies, tetras etc)

I have a massive Yo-Yo that came with my tank (5") and two small ones (yoyos as well) I got to keep him.... company. He's pretty much nocturnal and hangs out in a hiding place all day and comes out at night and once in a while during feeding. I've gotten rid of the agressive Golden Algae Eater that was "playing" a bit rough with the other fish, and his playmate the Golden Rainbow Shark will be leaving tomorrow. This is mostly to have a pleasant environ for Discus that we may be getting tomorrow, but hopefully the larger Yo-Yo will be more active now as well.

As for snails... never had any. Will get them eventually though, so I hope the loaches do their job and stop eating all the bottom feeder food!