Re: Snail eaters

["Tomoko Schum" <tomokoschum at knology_net>]

Hi Ray and other clown loach lovers,

Better watch what you ask for 'cause you might end up with a
monster! LOL

I do not do anything special for them.  They just grow fast
in my tank.  Really too fast for my taste.  I'd rather see
cute little baby ones schooling together rather than those 6
inch marauders uprooting my glossostigma or any small
transplants.

The only thing I can think of that might make a difference
is food.

My clown loaches love to eat.  They come out to feed every
time I open the glass cover.  They are the first ones there
to feed.  They eat anything, but they have a special craving
for live stuff.  I raise daphnia and grindal worms to feed
my apistogrammas (in other tanks.)  The fish in my 75G tank
are fed regularly with a variety of leftover live food, some
Hikari's micro pellets and sinking tablets.  They may even
get some bbs, clean blackworms and frozen bloodworms if I
have some left on hand.  I also add some snails from other
tanks into the 75G.  At night you can hear them crunching on
snails shells in the dark.

I don't know if tank conditions make any difference but here
is the spec.  My water is medium hard (GH: 80 ppm, KH: 4).
My tank is maintained a la Tom Barr style.  50% water change
every week.  Fertilized according to his recipe.
Pressurized CO2 injected for 7 hours during the day and
diffused with Tom's reactor and the tank is aerated after
midnight for about 4 hours (pH fluctuates from 6.6 to 6.8.)
The temp is set to 78 degree F but it goes up much higher in
the summer due to 220W power compact lighting.  The tank is
heavily planted and has 100% Flourite substrate and a large
driftwood.

Hope this helps,

Tomoko