Clown loaches and snails

[Zydrunas]

I've been searching all over the forums (and internet in general) and am getting too much conflicting info. I have an 85 gallon tank that has some (9) clown loaches (they're small, and will be moving to a bigger tank when they grow, so no need to lecture on that). I also recently switched from gravel to sand, and am paranoid about gas pockets. I do water changes weekly and stir up the gravel when I do them, but I'm still scared. What I need to know from the pros here is whether ANY snail (especially ones that burrow) can be kept with clown loaches? I've searched about MTS and get conflicting reports:
- they can't eat the big ones
- they can eat the big ones
- they only eat the small ones
- they will reproduce faster than the loaches can eat them
- the loaches will completely eradicate them
- if the loaches are fed other things they'll ignore the snails, etc.

Is there anyone here that has successfully kept snails with clown loaches and how did you do it?

Or just tell me I'm just being paranoid about the gas pockets and weekly sand stirring is enough. I have recently introduced MTS to my 180 gallon which I switched to sand as well, and my Oscars/Midas/Green Terror have all tried to snack on them but just spit them out, so I'm not worried about that tank as much. TIA

 

[Lupin]

Loaches, by nature, love invertebrates on their menu so you are least likely to successfully keep them. Mine have managed to eliminate ramshorn, pond snails and Malayan trumpet snails so far leaving no one alive.

 

[Dreamsofpeace54]

if u have a goodpopulation you should be able to keep them for awhile to do reproduce fairly fast but they do hide under the sand. But eventually i think your loaches with kill them all but it may take awhile.

 

[Lupin]

if u have a goodpopulation you should be able to keep them for awhile to do reproduce fairly fast but they do hide under the sand. But eventually i think your loaches with kill them all but it may take awhile.

I wouldn't be too sure about trumpet snails able to reproduce to continue existence for awhile and even hide. The loaches will eventually eliminate all of them in a few days which in my case took only about 2-3 days as far as I can remember.

 

[gomezladdams]

You could always keep a back up population in a 10g tank.Then theyll serve 2 purposes stir the sand and dietary supplement.

 

[arowana man]

in the wild there diet manly consists of snails. i had one of those big trapdoor pond snails and they ate it. they also ate my large apple snail. i feed them snails from my planted tank all the time. basically i would not risk puting snails in there. you may get away with malasian trumpet snails. they berrow.

 

[Dreamsofpeace54]

I wouldn't be too sure about trumpet snails able to reproduce to continue existence for awhile and even hide. The loaches will eventually eliminate all of them in a few days which in my case took only about 2-3 days as far as I can remember.

i forgot that he had 9 loaches lol, yea the snails would get owned. My 3 loaches in my african tank take their time finding them.

 

[arowana man]

i forgot that he had 9 loaches lol, yea the snails would get owned. My 3 loaches in my african tank take their time finding them.

never mind about trumpet snails. they tend to climb the glass at night and would get owned. clown loaches will also dig for them

 

[Zydrunas]

Thanks for all the replies! I guess I'll give up on trying to use snails to aerate the sand. Is there anything else that would burrow and do that that the loaches wouldn't eat?

 

[arowana man]

good question