Loach noob and Flourite

[Potts050]

I bought a trio of weather loaches to control snails in my planted tank. I have about 3 inches of gravel that is about 60 % Flourite by Seachem. Its a platey clay based gravel and now after the fact I'm concerned about how my weathers will deal with the gravel. They seem quite active rooting around in the gravel but they don't dig much.

Will they suffer in th elong run or am I being a worry wart?

 

[Lupin]

Weather loaches have a mouth structure that will not help you control the snails. I've never known fluorite. Does it have sharp edges? Usually fine sand or gravel with no sharp edges are best advisable for loaches of any species.

 

[Potts050]

Yes it generaly does. I've mixed it with another planting media also clay based that is more angular and much lighter. The loaches seem busy enough rooting under the plants and along the surface of the gravel but they don't dig.

That suites me fine but I'm wondering if the loaches feel deprived...

As to wether they help control the snails or not, its no longer a concern since they decimated them in about three days.

 

[Lupin]

The mouth structure is impossible for them to destroy the snails. What snails do you have? If pond snails or ramshorns, I am on a firm belief that they eat the eggs rather than the snails themselves which is why there was a large dent on their population. No serpentine loaches can eat snails that effectively. If it was MTS, I'd be surprised if the loaches did. A dieoff is more likely once the food supply is severely cut.

 

[Woodworm]

The mouth structure is impossible for them to destroy the snails. What snails do you have? If pond snails or ramshorns, I am on a firm belief that they eat the eggs rather than the snails themselves which is why there was a large dent on their population. No serpentine loaches can eat snails that effectively. If it was MTS, I'd be surprised if the loaches did. A dieoff is more likely once the food supply is severely cut.

Loaches are such "pigs" that unless the tank is way over fed the snails starved to death. Just this last week I added some Nerite snails to the tank that has the DoJo's in it and have had no problems. I will be adding more to the tank once my supplier gets more in. I might add some mystery snails to that tank also, but am concerned about them eating my plants. I have a experiment runing for that.
I use Flourite in all my planted tanks and didn't have any problem with any of my different loaches with it. I understand the concern and I keep a eye on mine just in case, but no problems so far. The DoJo's that I have root around enough to up root the less established plants at times.

 

[Lupin]

Mystery snails are the true Pomacea diffusa. There are many other apple snail species mistaken for diffusas. Diffusas will not eat the plants. Dojos will not eat any snails contrary to popular beliefs. I have my dojo with my canas and he isn't happy with them crawling around him.lol

 

[Potts050]

Thanks guys for all the info.
My loaches moved out of the refugium tank, swimming 'down river' to the mbuna tank. They seem a lot happier there.
I've purchased some Assassin snails to keep the reugium clear of nuisance snails. They don't seem interested in the plants at all. So far no sign of any other snails for the past week.

 

[Lupin]

I've purchased some Assassin snails to keep the reugium clear of nuisance snails. They don't seem interested in the plants at all. So far no sign of any other snails for the past week.

Assassin snails are predatory. They don't eat plants but the 'pest' snails. Are you mixing the assassins with loaches? What loaches do you have?

 

[Potts050]

No loaches in the tank anymore. I had Weather Loaches in there but they moved out.