Loach recommendation for small planted tank

[Victor Martinez]

Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many snails
in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands of
snails, 3 different species.
Any help would be most appreciated.

--
Victor Martinez
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[Dunter Powries]

Victor Martinez > wrote in message
...
> Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
> substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many snails
> in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
> permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
> species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands of
> snails, 3 different species.
> Any help would be most appreciated.
>
> --
> Victor Martinez
> Send your spam here:
> Email me here:


Horsehead loach: Acantopsis choirorhynchus

I THINK I have two in my 75-gallon - entire weeks go by that I don't see
them. They don't actually eat any snails, but they eat every speck of
(submerged) snail spawn - I have to raise my redramshorns in a separate
tank. They're my favorite loach for planted tanks.

http://pages.prodigy.net/rahill0/species/horsefaced.html

There's some confusion between horsehead, horseface, and long-nosed... make
sure you're getting A. choirorhynchus!

http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/acantopsis_choirothynchus.html

[~*~ Vosklady ~*~]

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 16:07:40 GMT, Dunter Powries wrote:

> Victor Martinez > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
>> substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many snails
>> in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
>> permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
>> species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands of
>> snails, 3 different species.
>> Any help would be most appreciated.
>>
>> --
>> Victor Martinez
>> Send your spam here:
>> Email me here:
>
>
> Horsehead loach: Acantopsis choirorhynchus
>
> I THINK I have two in my 75-gallon - entire weeks go by that I don't see
> them. They don't actually eat any snails, but they eat every speck of
> (submerged) snail spawn - I have to raise my redramshorns in a separate
> tank. They're my favorite loach for planted tanks.
>
> http://pages.prodigy.net/rahill0/species/horsefaced.html
>
> There's some confusion between horsehead, horseface, and long-nosed... make
> sure you're getting A. choirorhynchus!
>
> http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/acantopsis_choirothynchus.html


I'd have to say I'd recommend the Yo-Yo Loach (Botia almorhae) a.k.a
Pakistani Loach and formerly known as Botia Lohachata. I've had three of
these guys in my tank for well over a year and they've just about maxed out
in size at 4.5 inches. They have good temperaments and have never bothered
the other tank residents. At most, I've just seen them "play" with other
tank residents, swimming back and forth the length of the tank in a cute
and playful way.

I've seen them eat snails . . . mostly smaller ones, but if you have
larger snails you want to treat them with, then just crunch the shells and
let it drop to the bottom. The Yo-Yo's will eat this up after lights out.
:)

Further Info:

http://loaches.com/species_pages/botia_almorhae.html

http://www.aqualink.com/columns/k-loach1.html

Hope This Helps!

Regards,

~*~ Vosklady ~*~
--
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Victor Martinez]

~*~ Vosklady ~*~ wrote:
> Pakistani Loach and formerly known as Botia Lohachata. I've had three of
> these guys in my tank for well over a year and they've just about maxed out
> in size at 4.5 inches. They have good temperaments and have never bothered

I have yoyo loaches in my big tank, but I think they might be too big
for a 20g tank.


--
Victor Martinez
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[Dunter Powries]

~*~ Vosklady ~*~ > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 16:07:40 GMT, Dunter Powries wrote:
>
> > Victor Martinez > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
> >> substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many
snails
> >> in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
> >> permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
> >> species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands
of
> >> snails, 3 different species.
> >> Any help would be most appreciated.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Victor Martinez
> >> Send your spam here:
> >> Email me here:
> >
> >
> > Horsehead loach: Acantopsis choirorhynchus
> >
> > I THINK I have two in my 75-gallon - entire weeks go by that I don't see
> > them. They don't actually eat any snails, but they eat every speck of
> > (submerged) snail spawn - I have to raise my redramshorns in a separate
> > tank. They're my favorite loach for planted tanks.
> >
> > http://pages.prodigy.net/rahill0/species/horsefaced.html
> >
> > There's some confusion between horsehead, horseface, and long-nosed...
make
> > sure you're getting A. choirorhynchus!
> >
> > http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/acantopsis_choirothynchus.html
>
>
> I'd have to say I'd recommend the Yo-Yo Loach (Botia almorhae) a.k.a
> Pakistani Loach and formerly known as Botia Lohachata...

AY YAI YAI!!!

I have two - they're over four years old now, easily over five inches each,
and WILL NOT DIE! - that are murder in a planted tank! I keep them in a
15-gallon tank full of rocks now. I was never able to have stem cuttings in
with them because they'd instantly uproot them, and I still start to tear up
when I remember what they did to a particularly nice lileaopsis lawn a
couple of years ago. Mine will eat ANY size snail and, in fact, it's their
favourite pastime, worrying snails out of their shells.

The only thing I'll say for them is that I never had to worry about removing
a dead fish from the tank because they'd inevitably have it stripped clean
by morning. Now that they've gotten big, they've slowed down a little...
but... I STILL don't trust 'em!

kush

[Home]

Try www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1590
They have some beautiiful loaches
I have this one and he doesn't bother anything
he is pricey but wonderful




"Victor Martinez" > wrote in message
...
> Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
> substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many snails
> in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
> permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
> species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands of
> snails, 3 different species.
> Any help would be most appreciated.
>
> --
> Victor Martinez
> Send your spam here:
> Email me here:

[[email protected]]

Victor Martinez > wrote in message >...
> Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
> substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many snails
> in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
> permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
> species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands of
> snails, 3 different species.
> Any help would be most appreciated.

Normally these are the best, B. striata. Nice, peaceful, schooling,
not too mean to eachother, available and don't cost too much.
Dwarf loaches are great(cost alot though).
Dojo's, golden's are very very nice fish as are the others in that
family.
Kuli's are nice also. There a number of Noemachilius sp and similar
families that are now common in the trade.

I had horseface loaches in the past with large sword plants etc, they
acted as worms like in a marine DBS substrate keeping it from
compacting etc.Smaller plants will be uprooted by these though.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[Victor Martinez]

Home wrote:
> Try www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1590
> They have some beautiiful loaches
> I have this one and he doesn't bother anything
> he is pricey but wonderful

I have two of those in my 110g tank, both are over 4" long. Too big for
the small tank. I might settle on B. sidthimunki (sp?)

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
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[Victor Martinez]

wrote:
> Normally these are the best, B. striata. Nice, peaceful, schooling,
> not too mean to eachother, available and don't cost too much.

The thing I didn't like about them is that I never saw them! For a while
I thought they had died on me! They're much more active in the 110g tank
for some reason.

> Dwarf loaches are great(cost alot though).

Are those Botia sidthimunki (sp?) ?

> Kuli's are nice also. There a number of Noemachilius sp and similar
> families that are now common in the trade.

I have lots of kuhlis in the big tank (two or three are full of eggs!),
but I have yet to see one eat a snail. Do they?

> I had horseface loaches in the past with large sword plants etc, they
> acted as worms like in a marine DBS substrate keeping it from
> compacting etc.Smaller plants will be uprooted by these though.

Yeah, and fluorite is so light uprooting is already an issue just with
MTS in the tank.

--
Victor Martinez
Send your spam here:
Email me here:

[Dunter Powries]

Victor Martinez > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
> ...
> Yeah, and fluorite is so light uprooting is already an issue just with
> MTS in the tank.

Oh, right you are. I wouldn't trade for my horseheads for anything, but
then I use a blend of coarse sand and fine gravel - in two or three years
they've never so much as uprooted a cutting.

I'd forgotten about kuhlis. I have'nt had any since I was a kid. I never
fed mine so they must have subsisted on snail spawn and planaria.

[Veronique]

I thought Khuli loaches were in a totally different family altogether. They
aren't Botias. Are you guys sure that khuli loaches eat snails?

I've had several botias over the years.. from yoyo to tiger to clown to
dwarf. I've had bad experiences with dwarf loaches. They can get very mean..
I've found my guppies missing all their fins one night because of a dominant
dwarf loach. None of the other loaches have ever done that (Tiger, clown,
and yoyo) although they sometimes chase my guramis away ..

Veronique


" > wrote in message
om...
> Victor Martinez > wrote in message
>...
> > Hi. I used to have B. striata in my 20g long planted tank (fluorite
> > substrate), but I moved them to the big tank. Now I have too many snails
> > in the little tank, so I'm thinking of adding 1-3 small loaches to be
> > permanent residents. Which species would you recommend? The tank has 4
> > species of shrimp in it, some ottos and 3 pigmy cories. And thousands of
> > snails, 3 different species.
> > Any help would be most appreciated.
>
> Normally these are the best, B. striata. Nice, peaceful, schooling,
> not too mean to eachother, available and don't cost too much.
> Dwarf loaches are great(cost alot though).
> Dojo's, golden's are very very nice fish as are the others in that
> family.
> Kuli's are nice also. There a number of Noemachilius sp and similar
> families that are now common in the trade.
>
> I had horseface loaches in the past with large sword plants etc, they
> acted as worms like in a marine DBS substrate keeping it from
> compacting etc.Smaller plants will be uprooted by these though.
>
> Regards,
> Tom Barr

[Victor Martinez]

Veronique wrote:
> I thought Khuli loaches were in a totally different family altogether. They
> aren't Botias. Are you guys sure that khuli loaches eat snails?

They are indeed not Botias. However, it seems the genus has been
rearranged and clown loaches are no longer Botia macracanthus, but
Chromobotia macracanthus. Kuhli loaches can be of two genus (geni?)
Acanthophthalmus and Pangio, IIRC. I've never seen one eat a snail.


--
Victor Martinez
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Email me here:

[smth.kvin]

I do not like them, I've never seen them! There was a time I thought they were dead to me! They are more active in 110 g cans For some reason.