By including more Yoyo Loaches in the tank, there’s a smaller chance of infighting among the group. Learn more. Did the screen just come rushing at you while the dissonant scrape of a violin sounded in the background, like some horrible aquatic horror movie? Avoid any aggressive species that will show aggression. Remember that a few snails in your tank isn't a problem, and might even be good for it. Finally, remember that good tank management practices can help you avoid a snail problem to begin with. They all have a long and slender body. Fill the bottom of the tank with a soft sand substrate. Make sure that everything is anchored and protected. But because of their size and need to be keep in groups of at least five, they can only be kept with angelfish in very large aquariums. With that in mind, here are a few things I’d like you to consider before you add any new fish to your tank. Sinking pellets ensure they get the nutrition they need. The water is a bit warmer and on the acidic side. Again, always be sure to feed sinking pellets when you have bottom dwellers like cories and loaches in your tank. By Benutzer:martin8721 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. I wouldn’t try them again unless I had something like a 200-gallon tank, and even then I might think twice. Freshwater snails are easy to care for only requiring water parameters that do not change abruptly, and plenty of calcium in their diet to keep their shells healthy and strong. The Yoyo Loach (Botia almorhae) is a freshwater fish that goes by many different names. Author Note: It’s worth pointing out that keeping these fish in a large tank doesn’t guarantee that they’ll exceed their average length in captivity. However, their size can depend on several factors. They’re also found throughout Nepal and surrounding areas. Most green spotted puffers will eat as many snails as you can give them, but they do come with very specific care requirements. Loaches and pufferfish are well-known for eating snails! It’s a common misconception that Yoyo Loaches are timid. The larger the group, the better their displays will be. Since you’ll want to keep them in small schools of six or more you’ll need a 55-gallon tank or bigger for these guys. Logically, you’ll need a pretty large tank for a school of foot-long fish. Puffers have bony plates in their mouths that will overgrow if they don’t eat hard foods to grind them down. The most important thing to remember is that when you’re choosing the appropriate tank, bigger is always better. Feel free to get creative and introduce a wide variety of plants into the tank. Large goldfish will often eat snails. So, having other species to occupy the upper portion of the tank is always good. how pest snail problems happen in an aquarium. If someone figures out a way to safely and reliably replicate this in a home aquarium setup we’ll make sure to add it to this guide. Whether you’re a seasoned aquarist or someone with very little experience, you shouldn’t have any major issues with this species. Because the health of these fish is so closely tied to the size of their habitat, you need to provide enough room for them to swim around comfortably. This means doing the necessary research before purchase. Tank Mates for Yoyo Loaches. In fact, they aren’t appropriate for most home aquariums. Leave some open space in the center for swimming and play. Yoyo Loaches will even eat snails. However, if you intend to have them anyway, keep an eye out and see how they do. You might see some fish with a slight blue tint as well. They don’t offer nearly as much protection as the scales on other fish. They are some of the best algae-eaters around, they stay relatively small at about an inch in length, and they don’t excessively reproduce like some other freshwater snails. I never noticed any of them eating snails, or having any impact on the resident pest snail population. However, there are some important things to consider before you run out and get snail-eating fish. With all of that out of the way, here are some popular freshwater fish that eat snails. I don’t think that’s a smart idea for most of us, but if you have a large cold-water tank and you think you’d like a goldfish in there he might just munch up most of your snails. You’ll see them grouping up and playing. They can also use their barbels to look through the sand for something to munch on. These fish will pick on “weaker” Yoyo Loaches. In addition to dried food, you can supplement their diets with frozen and live food. Peapuffers are small puffers that can kill small-medium sized snails. For smaller tanks, pea puffers love going after snails. These fish have a bit of snout. create a 20 row - three column table (Do not write the heading as shown in the answer). Just because these fish aren’t super sensitive, it doesn’t mean you can afford to get lazy with water changes or overall maintenance. Many fish even have alternating forked stripes and dots. With those two factors in mind, here are some fish that eat snails for you to consider: 1. That is, however, except for the belly. If you have a pest snail outbreak in your freshwater aquarium you may be considering adding some fish that eat snails to your tank. However, I do think there are probably cases where they will. If only they had some help. If you want to extend their lifespan as much as possible and keep them in good health, proper care and tank maintenance are a must. In most instances, Yoyo Loaches will not show signs of aggression to other peaceful fish in the tank (they can be a bit nosy though). It increases their chances significantly, but you can never be 100% sure how things will turn out. You do need to keep a group of at least 6 but they are smaller than Yo-Yo's who should also be kept in a group. Any standard filter will do. Females can fill up with eggs, but the eggs will not be fertilized in captivity. The most identifying feature of these fish is their mouths. Although, do keep in mind that they grow quite large and may only suitable for a larger aquarium. While bigger and tougher than the average pond snail, they are still susceptible to predators that see them as food. It will eat other things too, like leftover fish food, algae wafers, and sinking pellets. You can always add new snails to your tank that will eat the other snails. As omnivores, these fish will eat a wide range of foods. Making a bad choice can doom not only your new fish but possibly your whole tank. While these fish are known to eat snails, they may or may not decide to do so in your tank. And other smaller loaches include dojo loaches and skunk loaches, so those might be good options for your aquarium as well. It’s theorized that this stripe and dot pattern is where they got the trade name “Yoyo.”. Just reach out to us via the contact form on our site and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can! By Felix Gertz [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0] from Wikimedia Commons. It is possible for a Yoyo Loach to reach this size in captivity as well, but you’ll need to give them a very spacious tank where they have plenty of room to grow. They are also best kept in schools of six or more. Of course, it’s still imperative that you follow the recommended care guidelines. While there are some benefits to keeping fish that can help regulate your snail problem, there are also a few pitfalls. The truth is every betta behaves differently, and some are more likely to munch on gastropods than others. A large group of 5 or 6 fish will require a tank that holds over 100 gallons of water! Understanding how to deal with these issues is part of the learning process, and if you can get them under control your snail problem may decrease or go away altogether. As I discovered several years later, bala sharks are very large fish. One unique thing about the appearance of Yoyo Loaches is that it can change over time. You will need to worry about common freshwater diseases, such as Ich. This is because they tend to migrate during the breeding season in the wild. The typical Yoyo Loach size is only about 2.5 inches long when fully grown. Assassin snails will hunt down pest snails in your tank. Just because two species are typically compatible doesn’t mean it works 100 percent of the time. While it’s always very important to research any fish you intend to stock, it becomes even more so when you bring in a fish to do a specific job. Yoyo Loaches are unique in the fact that they tend to migrate. 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