Loach Eating Plants

[Josh&Leo]

Hi,

I have a 110-litre Juwel Rekord. I suspect I have been overdosing on the ferts & most of my plants are covered in black algae. Having realised my mistake I have decided to gradually replace each plant. However, my first batch of new plants now look like lace! I'm sure it's the clown loach eating them after "lights out".
I would VERY much appreciate any ideas on suitable plants for my tank (low-ish light) or links to any pics etc. I can't really afford to keep wasting them like this!
Thanks in advance

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Sorry, I'm struggling to get the picture of a giant aquatic Venus Fly Trap type plant preying on careless Clown Loaches, out of my head (after seeing the title)!

 

[SO19Firearms]

I suspect I have been overdosing on the ferts & most of my plants are covered in black algae.

That's unlikely to be the case. Check this guide to find out.

HTH

 

[rggardiner]

Yeah i've had clowns with the munchies. Bought lobelia cardinalis once, a beautiful plant, that turned out to be an expensive salad for them.
Plants I keep with loaches (in low-moderate lighting, co2, liquid ferts, gravel substrate)
Microsorium pteropus
Pogostermon helferi
Crytocoryne wendtii green
Rotala rotundifolia
Echindorus bleheri

Stem plants can be frustrating having to keep replanting them until there roots take hold and the sword has the occassional bite taken out of it but otherwise i've had no problem with these plants and clown loaches.

 

[blur411]

I heard that adding vegetables like cucumber and pea's occasionally will help. I've been doing that since I got my yo yo loaches, and they have pretty much left my plants alone.

 

[LongS]

Yeah definitely, loaches appreciate some vegetables in their diet. If they aren't available then they will eat plants. I feed my loaches cucumber, peas, algae waters, grape and stuff like that.