I thought Loaches eat snails!

[BigMac]

I have 8 Zebra Loaches. I also have one super lucky snail!

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishpictures/data/746/medium/still_lucky.JPG

I recently did two 50% water changes. After the two water changes I noticed my loaches started swimming together, in the corner. They swim up and down the corner. I cant figure out what the heck they are doing.

So I look a little closer and find this snail at the top of this corner. Each of my loaches will go up and touch this snail every third trip or so up and down the tank. I actaully took video of this, but have not figured out how to post it.

[gm72]

They can't figure out how to get to him and the snail is scared out of his mind, that is a funny shot!

[Wild Turkey]

Haha omg yes it is!:laugh1blue:

It might be spawning behavior, or just they are happier because of the improvement to their water chemistry.

I would put the snail out in the middle, if they are already investigating it, they should figure it out.

[Algenco]

they can't eat the larger snails.
I feed my clowns daily with small ramshorn and very small mystery snails.
I noticed 2 mystery's the escaped the carnage and are now too large, the loach's ignore them

[Wild Turkey]

they can't eat the larger snails.
I feed my clowns daily with small ramshorn and very small mystery snails.
I noticed 2 mystery's the escaped the carnage and are now too large, the loach's ignore them

I didnt think about that. That snail has a little ways to grow still but i think you may be right after closer examination of the picture, the footprint doesnt tell its size, the shell is kinda hard to see in the pic.

[BigMac]

This snail was half this size when it went into the tank.

If I spot him again, he's getting his own tank. My plants dont like it.

I forget, they got another 50% water change last night and are still going up and down in that corner.. the snail is no longer there, he fell during cleaning or something.

[mac]

Hi,
My Zebra Loaches use to swim like that after a water change. But I had no snails to contend with. IMO I think they are frightened and are trying to swim away.

mac

[Palor]

Once a snail is larger than a pea these loaches tend to ignore them.

[Northernguy]

Thats a great shot!
Have you seen them eat the snails yet?
You will have plenty of smaller snails soon if you left that one in there but your fish should keep the numbers down.
I didn't realize that pond snails were bad for plants?

[korith]

Smart snail! You should turn on the lights at 3 or 4am and see if it's still there or scavenging around the tank.

[BigMac]

Turn them on when?

This old man isn't sure those hours actually exist ;)