OK, snail control, what's next?

[FishLover888]

I added the yoyos and it did not work out because they are picking on my other fish. I have to take them out. Word of advise, if you have cories, never get yoyos. They will pick out the eyes of cories. Trust me on this one!

Any other options? Any safer loach than yoyo? I know clowns are kind of too active for the discus.

The tank is a 125 g with 11 discus and few cories.

[tpl*co]

How about Burmese Border or angelis loaches? They are really peaceful, but are active. I had them with my discus with no problems though.

Tina

[FishLover888]

At this stage, I'm willing to try anything. I'll check if my LFS carry these.

Do they eat snails?

[saroberts]

I would check this out before moving forward with a purchase. They may be too much for the discus.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile87.html

Good luck

Steve

[tpl*co]

I would check this out before moving forward with a purchase. They may be too much for the discus.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile87.html

Good luck

Steve

That's them, I had six of these guys and they were gentle, not nippy or agressive like Yo-Yo's or other types of loaches, pretty much cruise with themselves. They did OK with the snails, some snails may have been harder for them to eat than others, but I did notice a difference in the tank they were in and the one without loaches. I wouldn't think they are any more active than a tetra though and the ones I had didn't attack anybody (unlike Yo-Yo's which I had to return one time since they were nipping everything!)

Tina

[Harriett]

"Any other options? Any safer loach than yoyo? I know clowns are kind of too active for the discus.
"

I keep yo-yos, burmese, and six 5-6" clowns in my planted discus tank and have for years [I lost count but there must be a dozen or so]. The botias never bug the discus, the discus are not stressed over their occasional antics, and it's a harmonious thing. For my set up, I found that to keep loaches, make sure you have lots of hiding places--I have pieces of driftwood in there and they all have their chosen 'apartments'--they'll be much calmer with hiding / resting places to go to.
Hope this feedback helps!
Harriett

[pcsb23]

I have to say in my experience clowns are about as safe as they get with discus. I think once I might have seen a clown bug a discus, but it is only a "might". They are also one of th emost effective snaill eaters that are safe with discus. If you get 3 or more you should not have any problems. Also like Harriet says, give the clowns somewhere to hide/rest.

[FishLover888]

Finally caught the last yoyo.

I'm now thinking of clown loaches. I did not have luck with them in the past. It was the rainbow tank. I only had one in there and it was dead in few days. Some kind of skin problem killed it.

I think I maybe ok this time since the discus tank is more acidic (6.3) than the rainbow tank (8.3).

Anything else to watch out?

[Alight]

I have angelicus loaches and clown loaches in my planted tank for snail control. The angelicus were first, but they weren't controlling the snails will enough, and because I couldn't easily get more, I asked the only decent Discus store in the area if I could buy some small clown loaches, and return them if they got too big. Well that was almost a year ago, and the clown loaches took care of all of the remaining snails, and still aren't too big, yet.

OK, to watch for. With any loach, I'd treat with Prazi for flukes and tapeworm and with fenbendazole or levamisole for nematodes before introducing them to a Discus tank. These species are notorious for "skinny" disease that is most likely cause by the same nematodes that can infect Discus. Don't take a chance. Treat them first.

I had no problems with full dosing of both Prazi and Levamisole on the clowns and the angelicus.

There is one more problem. I don't know if I could ever get the loaches out of my tank--at least not at this size (less than 6 inches). They can really hide out well in a fully planted tank, and I'd have to rip out all the plants and all the rocks, etc., to have any hope of getting them out.

"She swallowed the spider to catch the fly, I don't know why she swallowed the fly...."

[pcsb23]

As well as what Al says, get at least 3 they like to be in groups.