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Re: Clown Loaches and Cucumber
>
>From: olga at arts_ubc.ca
>Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 10:55:08 -0700
>Subject: Clown loaches and plants
>
>Merrill wrote:
>
>>I'm taking a wild guess on this one -- do you, perhaps, have a large
>>Clown Loach? They can do a job on many aquatic plants -- punching
>>holes in Amazon Sword leaves and munching on Rhizomes. If so, start
>>feeding cucumber to your Clown Loach. They love it and so do many of
>>the other fish that are not of the Pl*co family!
>
>Interesting that you should post this Merrill. Just yesterday I
observed
>(for the first time) my clown loach attacking one of my Lobelia
cardinalis
>leaves. I had been wondering why some of the leaves looked chewed and
some
>had holes in them. I will add a little piece of cucumber and see what
>happens. No one has ever said (that I've noticed) that Clown Loaches
will
>eat plants. I have heard they eat the flowers of Lobelia but not the
>leaves.
Olga:
They will eat much more than a "little piece" of cucumber. Actually, I
have three 5 inch Clown Loaches in a 70 gallon aquarium with other
fish, of course; and they devour a half cucumber (sliced lengthwise) in
three days. Incidentally, they also appreciate small pieces of ripe
bananas. Many other fish eat cucumber, also; so give it a try. I
honestly believe that it imparts something to the water that the plants
also get benefit. I have Altum Angels that eat a type of "hair algae",
so vegetables are not to be given a fast "no".
Good luck and let us all know your results.
Merrill