Sidthimunki Botia Loach

[tort518]

I'm looking for a way to control my snail population without negatively impacting my ghost shrimp population to any large degree.

While I can use chemical agents (Had-A-Snail) in my 5 gallon secondary tank, which is just a holding tank for guppy fry on occasion and is currently a java moss growing tank, I don't want to risk it in the 30 gallon community tank with shrimp.

I stopped by the local fish store and was shown the above mentioned loach and told they could handle the smaller snails and most likely the shrimp, which are as big as the loaches in some instances, would be able to get away and be (mostly) left alone.

Can anyone confirm the snail hunting reputation and prowess of this fish? They're expensive and I don't want to increase bio-load without a benefit.

Thanks,

Jim

[Dave66]

Dwarf loaches are indeed excellent snail eaters, however, they are also a schooling fish, meaning no less than six, which as you stated would be a significant financial outlay. My primer stickied at the top of this forum has this information, and more on this loach.

Dave

[nwnittany]

Tort,

I'm glad you asked this question....I'm getting a bit of a snail problem and don't want to go the chemical route. And, I love loaches.


Anyone care to give me a stocking opinion ? Could my tank handle a school of maybe 5-6 of these guys ? Here's the tank info:

Planted 45 tall (note the 'tall'....the footprint of this tank is smaller than the longs or breeders). You can find a pic of it here (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/showphoto.php?photo=7716&cat=500&perpage=24&sort=2&ppuser=14639). I could live without that goofy waterfall decoration on the right-hand side, which would open up some more bottom.

Rena XP3 and a fairly large sponge filter. Current water conditions are good, save a bit of algae.

Currently stocked with 4 angels, 2 gourami, 1 small bn albino plec, and 4 oto, 5 danio. Seems like it could be a bit tight (12 inches of angels + 8 of gourami + 5 of pleco + 8 of oto + 10 of danio puts me a hair below 45).

[tort518]

Thanks for the reply Dave. Read the primer, excellent as are all of your primers.

My 30 gallon is planted (what I would call moderately as there's plenty of room for growth and plenty of swimming space) with 2 larger Anacharis, 2 medium Wisteria, 2 Red Broadleaf Ludwigia, 2 Dwarf Hairgrass, 1 Baby Tears, 1 Anubias on driftwood, 2 moss balls, and 1 small fern of some sort. All the plants are growing well and I have taken cuttings from an Anacharis and a Wisteria and gotten them started. I also had a cutting from one of the Ludwigia, but the pleco kept tearing it up. The Pleco also destroyed my two large Cabomba (in combination with a lack of sufficient CO2 for them).

That list is where the army of snails originated from. They are prospering.

I use an AC110 filter to provide good filtration and excellent currents throughout the tank.

Current fish include about 25 guppy juveniles (no adults yet), 8 Golden White Clouds, 1 pleco, 5 otocinclus, and about 10 ghost shrimp.

Most of the guppies will have another home once they get a little larger, and eventually the pleco will be housed in a larger tank.

I'm hunting for some true SAE (about 3) and contemplating a small school of these loaches, but really feel my bio load is high enough already.

I calculate bio load this way:

Load without real plants, and with high filtration = 1" of fish per gallon

Load with real plants (medium amount), and with high filtration = 1.5" fish/gal

Load with real plants (highly planted), and with high filtration = 2" fish/gal

Based on my formula I'm maxed out currently. Once the guppies get sent to their new diggs I should have plenty of room, especially so once the pleco gets rehoused.

If anyone feels my calculations are off and I could go for the loaches and/or SAE please let me know.

Thanks,
Jim

[Mvjnz]

You don't need to buy fish to control the snail population. Simply reduce feeding and remove any snails you see every day.

A lot of loaches are excellent snail hunters, and they are very fun fish, so if you want them, go for it. But they are not an absolute must to get rid of the snails.

A lot of people use the amount of snails to indicate whether or not they are feeding too much.

[toddnbecka]

I'm doing a group order of assassin snails if you want to get in on some. They aren't a quick fix, but over time should be able to control the population of other snails.

[tort518]

I'm doing a group order of assassin snails if you want to get in on some. They aren't a quick fix, but over time should be able to control the population of other snails.


Give me an idea of the cost. Might be an interesting option.

I'm also in Western Maryland. (Frederick), where are you located?

Jim

[tort518]

I'm doing a group order of assassin snails if you want to get in on some. They aren't a quick fix, but over time should be able to control the population of other snails.


After my last reply I took a few minutes to look these snails up. According to some of what I've seen they also eat shrimp they can catch (Cherry, etc).

If that really is the case I'll have to pass on them and it looks like it is back to other methods.

Jim

[toddnbecka]

I have a hard time picturing a snail eating a shrimp unless it's already dead. I'd be concerned about the ghost shrimp eating guppy fry.
I'm in Cumberland, about 70 miles from Frederick.