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Also, my 72g has no signs of snails. (Perhaps the clowns are eating them??)

Keith please tell me you didn't just say that the snail eggs could have come out of the tap water, please

I'm thinking that the heavy doses of chlorine and all the "other chemicals" that are used to purify our water here in the states, at least in houston would kill them you mean they won't? (Lime, Chlorine, Flourite, Carbon, and a couple of other heavy duty things I can't think of and probably shouldn't name*cough*formaldahyde to clean drums*cough*

heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

I know for a fact that strange things come via the tap water Eg a small eel to start off with. Snail eggs can survive in dry gravel for a long time even years.
In our area there is a weed that comes through the tap water as seeds it is a B pest.

Keith

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Yoyos will get around 4" and do best in a group of 6 or more. However 4 get along just fine in my tank since I haven't been able to locate any more healthy ones. They don't really take up alot of space but do need alot of room for all their antics so a tank 55g or more is great for them. I think Queen botias get up around 6". Clowns can reach past 10" in ideal conditions. Add in the fact they enjoy company like most loaches and I don't really consider them a good permanent option for snail control unless you have a tank somewhere around 100g or more. Clowns will do the job though and love snails. There are alot of other loaches besides yoyos that are small and do a great job eating snails. They only one I've heard doesn't always eat snails are kuhli loaches. You can try loaches.com for a huge list of all the loach species and a few interesting articles on them.

Couple of questions:

If snails come from tap water (and I am strongly strongly considering that theory) then why don't I have them in my sinks, dishwasher, washing machine, pet bowls, etc.? It just seems a bit of a stretch (although I cannot think of any other reason to have snails in my situation!). Also,I do not have them in my 72g bowfront.

Secondly, does everyone agree that small clown loaches (and small ones do not always have a great chance of success) or other loaches will work temporarily in a 65g hex? There is not much square footage for them to roam, it is a high tank rather than a long one. I'd be concerned about them.

HELP!!!! I think snails are a gross-out. I need to get rid of these things. My tank inhabitants are: Angelfish, Serpae Tetras, Pristella Tetras and Chinese Algae Eaters. Would a puffer be okay with them? Or better to have a loach (several loaches, since they like to school)

Thanks

The eggs came in the tap water?!?!? GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What am I drinking every day?!??!

The gravel was dry when I bought it. Could it still have been in there? Or in the dry lava rock I bought?

Will Yo-Yo loaches be okay in a 65g hex? I would love some more clowns, but once they would outgrow the 65g, I already have three clowns that are about 2 and 4 inches long in my 72g. I don't think there is room for more.

I am still stymied and disgusted with how those snails got in that tank

]:|]:|

I bought some small clown loaches (3) and they are doing the trick. The 65g hex will be fine for them now, but they will need to be moved eventually.

Thanks for everyone's advice

go get some clown loaches...they'll certainly help you out

Please tell me more about "aquabid" how do I find them? Good reputation?

[link=http://www.aquabid.com]http://www.aquabid.com" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link]

An online fish auction site. I have had really good luck with fish ordered on there. Just think ebay except for fish. And on that note you can find fish on ebay auctions as well

My yoyos are not the least aggressive of my loaches, but they have definately never bothered another fish. They just will not let other fish push them around, holding their own is a good way to put it.

Empty chairs at empty tables, the room silent, forlorn.

Hey, Houston!! I agree with you about keeping the clowns in a 12 gallon (I suppose this should be another topic). Their owner says "they haven't grown at all" or something to that effect. I bought my loaches while very small, and in 1.5 years they are now 2, 3 and 4 inches long!! I have heard they grow at the rate of one inch per year, but mine have done more than that. Good advice Houston, about stunting their growth

I am buying my yo-you loaches this weekend. I hope they work. I planned on doing the lettuce trick (and may still end up doing so) but I am a real wimp when it comes to slimy snaily things...........I don't want to take that piece of lettuce out of that tank and risk a snail attaching itself to my hands

Yoyo loaches will stand up for themselves but I've never had them harm another fish. They may push the others out of the way during feeding but noone has been hurt. I guess I wouldn't call them 100% peaceful because they won't let others push them around but they definitely aren't agressive. I had them in my peaceful community tank until I added applesnails. Then I had them with an african cichlid and now they are in a smaller community tank.
Skunk botia are actually more agressive. I've heard alot more cases of them picking on other fish than yoyos. It depends on your area as to what is common. You might find pygmy, chain, zebra, or queen loaches and each of those under several different names along with several other species. All will eat snails and aside from the queen which is slightly bigger they get the same size as yoyos or smaller.

hello, I have put two Clown loaches in my snail infested tank down stairs, it has worked very well but they will not stay there- not enough room.

upstairs in the brackish tank i would not risk my Clown Loaches - too much salt i put the lights out and put algae wafers, and cucumber and wait for the snails to come out(lights are off,) then suck up with the hose, I am afraid then they get fed to the clown loaches in the 35G which does make me feel guilty. it doesn 't solve the problem exactly but the tank looks less gross.

GFG

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reply ctack2 DO NOT suggest that man. Yes, she may not like snails but dont torture them. That'd be like throwing you in pure lye and watching your skin melt off.

Chris

Last edited by weighates at 26-Jul-2005 14:29

Well, i do not know how it would work in a tank, but in germany we used beer as a lure to get the snails out of the garden.....
I heard also that skunk loaches may be the way to go...

I found yo-you loaches at LFS today, but the sign said their compatibility factor was "c/d" which means semi-aggressive to aggressive. Is that correct??? I thought they were like my clown loaches, peaceful little fellas!! So I did not buy them. They were going 3 for $16.99 and they were about one inch long (babies?)

You can put the snails in a small plastic bag, dump some table salt in there and tie it up. They won't live to crawl out of the bag.

Carol B

Please tell me more about "aquabid" how do I find them? Good reputation?