Clown Loach?

[monica]

Well I have snails taking over my 10 gallon universe!
Those tiny ones that grown on plants. I tried pulling them out, but their eggs hatch, and more come. I was wondering if it would be good to add 2 clown loaches to my ten gallon?

Current stocking:
2 fully grown guppies
1 red comet platy
3 white cloud mountain Minnows
4 young guppies in breeder box will be freed into the tank shortly

I know little of these fish, but I asked an owner who said I should definitely get 2, because they are like best buddies. How big will they grow? Will they finish off the snails? Will they eat and guppy fry? Will they eat my White clouds, or smaller fish?

 

[SJ2K]

Not unless you can rehome them very shortly after tried snail killers yet?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How big will they grow: about 12inches long, but they do grow slowly, but they grow too large for a tank such as yours.
Will they finish off the snails? Not nesarsarily, i've seen my clown loaches eat snails from time to time but they are not very avid snail eaters and they seem to prefer some types of snails over others.
Will they eat guppy fry? They can but they don't tend to since guppy fry instintively hide in places like densely planted area's in the tank, where the clown loaches will not venture into and explore thoroughly often, so guppy fry are still likely to survive in clown loach tanks.
Will they eat white clouds or small fish? Nope.


What have you tried so far to lower the snails population and what type/s of snails do you have in the tank?

 

[fiskkeeperpro]

its they are going in the 10gal then its way too small unless they are only in there for a short amount of time.

 

[monica]

I have not tried Snail Killers, because I don't trust meds that kill 'certain' things without having an effect on others. Am I too worrisome?

Whew, that is big... But will they grow to fit your tank like algae eaters?

I have so far just tried plucking them out... Sad, but I haven't had many options.
And my snails are those kinds that are the size of smileys like this and that shape. I don't know the species.

its they are going in the 10gal then its way too small unless they are only in there for a short amount of time.

What else would I do with them when they are finished snail eating?

 

[SJ2K]

What else would I do with them when they are finished snail eating?

Give them back or buy a 6ft tank

I have not tried Snail Killers, because I don't trust meds that kill 'certain' things without having an effect on others. Am I too worrisome?

Yes, unless you keep a surprisingly expensive fish in a 10g.

 

[Matt_northants]

Heres a tip for a homemade snail trap.

1. At lights out place a saucer on your subtraste
2. Put a small piece of potatoe or courgette on it.
3. Place another saucer upside down on top of the first using a small stone on the lip to leave a small gap.
4. The following day before you turn on the lights remove the stone hold the two saucers tightly together and remove from the tank.
5. Voila the potato will be covered in snails.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I have not tried Snail Killers, because I don't trust meds that kill 'certain' things without having an effect on others. Am I too worrisome?

Whew, that is big... But will they grow to fit your tank like algae eaters?

Snail killers aren't that great because if you have a great deal of snails and the anti-snail meds kill them off all at once, all of a sudden you will have lots of quickly decomposing snails in your tank which will foul the tanks water quality. I have also heard reports of snail killing meds having a negative impact on the health of some fish.


The "fish growing to fit the size of the tank" is actually a very bad thing, its called stunted growth and fish suffering from it will have a reduced quality of life and shortened life expectancy and increased risk of suffering from numerous health problems.
Petshops often spread the idea of fish growing to fit the size of the tank thing so they can sell customers tankbusting fish which are completely unsuitable for their tanks so the petshop can make a profit on them. At the end of the day, someone should never buy a fish if they know they cannot give it the size tank it needs to have a decent quality of life in - there are also a lot of fish whose growth will not stunt even when kept in very small tanks.

 

[Ian H]

i wouldnt trust a snail killer either. Like its been said 10g is way to small for clown loachs.

Also no fish grow to the size of the tank, its called stunted growth and is extremely cruel to fish

 

[monica]

I have not tried Snail Killers, because I don't trust meds that kill 'certain' things without having an effect on others. Am I too worrisome?

Whew, that is big... But will they grow to fit your tank like algae eaters?

Snail killers aren't that great because if you have a great deal of snails and the anti-snail meds kill them off all at once, all of a sudden you will have lots of quickly decomposing snails in your tank which will foul the tanks water quality. I have also heard reports of snail killing meds having a negative impact on the health of some fish.

uh huh. I was worried about that



And about the fish growing to the size of the tank; I agree. Though it is kind of weird because my sister bought a ten Gallon. and got one of those inch algae eaters, who grew to be a couple inches in the end. And my neighbor got the same algae eater, but kept it in a 100 and something gallon, where it grew to be quite a bit bigger. My sister's has been living now for over 4 years, and she has never had problems with it.... But I suppose Clowns are different then.



About that Potato idea... Does it wreck the frying pan?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

And about the fish growing to the size of the tank; I agree. Though it is kind of weird because my sister bought a ten Gallon. and got one of those inch algae eaters, who grew to be a couple inches in the end. And my neighbor got the same algae eater, but kept it in a 100 and something gallon, where it grew to be quite a bit bigger. My sister's has been living now for over 4 years, and she has never had problems with it.... But I suppose Clowns are different then.

It depends on what you mean by "algae eater"- this is often used to refer to a whole variety of fish, from plecos to chinese algae eaters to oto's etc. When it comes to plecos, many can easily live for many decades, so the negative health effects of stunted growth are not seen until to many many years later.

Common plecos;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...p?species_id=88

and Sailfin plecos;

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...?species_id=148


Are often sold as algae eating fish and their growth can become stunted in tanks but stunted growth is really not a good thing- there are hundreds of types of freshwater fish which will eat algae, some like oto's only grow to about 1-2inches long maximum, others like sailfin plecos can grow to over 2ft long, there isn't any need for anyone to forcefully stunt a fishes growth so because they want the fish but don't want to buy the size tank it really needs.
People need to spread the message about how bad stunted growth for fish really is because the myths about fish adjusting their growth to the size of tanks and it been ok and safe for the fish and all really need to stop as they have been going around for too long and were created mostly in the fishkeeping fossil era's of times like 70's goldfish bowl keeping and stuff when people really didn't know much about what they were doing back then and weren't as morally aware about the ethics and morals of fishkeeping (people back then didn't even know that fish could feel pain or believed things like goldfish having 3second memories etc) etc.

 

[monica]

she has a Chinese or Siamese I do believe. Not a pleco

Is therea nother option for snail reduction?

 

[monica]

B)

 

[kribensis12]

I would do the snail trap, it sound's good to me.

 

[monica]

But I just don't think it would get the eggs, then I would end up with quite a few more... And doees it wreck the frying pan?