Botias?

[MayorNewton]

Seems like they'd be good for cleaning the bottom and taking care of snails (planted tank). Any thoughts?

Newt

[wolfbane]

I have 2 little skunk botias in my discus tank. They eat the smaller snails, there's lots of empty shells, by they don't eat the bigger ones. They seem to leave the other fish alone.

[frisco008]

I am no expert here I have other tanks with other than discus in them and it would be something to just watch. If they grow up together they might do ok. I have yoyo's, clown loaches and the blue with orange finned ones, the blue are somewhat aggressive and the clowns can be if they get bigger. Just have to watch and learn I guess.

Good luck:D

P.S. With my blood pigeons I have 2 Gold Severums, a Chocolate Albino Pleco and now an albino rainbow shark.....no problems at all. Severums are a bit aggressive but it has made the discus more aggressive too.

[Alight]

There was a nice thread on this site about using loaches for snail control in Discus tanks. The short answer was "yes they work very well" . The longer answer was that some loaches are better with Discus than others, although some found that even the largest, most aggressive loaches (clown loaches for example) worked fine with at least some Discus.

I have angelicus loaches that worked well for snail control until recently when the snail population exploded for various reasons. I got some small clown loaches which can be returned to the place I got them when they get big for temporary snail population control.

[tpl*co]

I have angelicus (burmese boarder loach) with my discus too, they are OK, but I also have a clown loach in my other community that seems to really keep the snails down (they eventually get big though). I need to move him over to my discus tanks. I agree some loaches are more agressive than others, I tried Yo-Yos in a community tank and they were agressive.

Tina

[MayorNewton]

Do the angelicus take care of the snails, Tina? That's what I'm thinking of getting, and mainly for snail removal. They're a pretty fish, too.

Newt

[MayorNewton]

Anyone know if botias (3 inch) will go after cardinals, or are they pretty much bottom/snail feeders?

Newt

[Alight]

None of my loaches have gone after the cardinal tetras in my tank. These are rather large tetras, and small loaches, though. I beleive that many have successfully house loaches of various types, with tetras.

In my experience, loaches only "bother" other loaches, although some have had problems with aggresive loaches.

[AmberC]

I have 4 yoyos in my 55 (no discus) planted and they do a pretty awesome job. Very fun! Then I have 3 of what I think are zipper loaches in my discus tank. They DO go after my tetras, but ONLY during feeding time and they are tryin to chase the tetras away from food sitting on the bottom. Never bother the discus or angel or ram tho. They have been diggin big pits under rocks/driftwood in my tank. Pretty cool seeing them digging lol

Anyways.. I think they are a fun good addition.
Amberhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_3_203.gif

[tpl*co]

Do the angelicus take care of the snails, Tina? That's what I'm thinking of getting, and mainly for snail removal. They're a pretty fish, too.

Newt

Sorry, just saw this now. Yes I see empty snail shells in the tank with the angelicus, pretty gentle as far as loaches go too. I think the king of snail removal is the clown loach though.

Tina