A theory on internal parasites in loaches.
This post is an observation I have made while working at my LFS. We frequently utilize clown loaches to eliminate snails in our tanks, especially the planted tanks. These tanks are frequently loaded with Malaysian trumpet snails and other "undesirable" snail pests that come in with plant orders. We usually use the smallest loaches, and they are frequently skinny and are suspect carriers of internal parasites. It's cheaper to use them at their smallest size.
What I have observed with these fish intrigues me. Almost every small and skinny loach we drop into an infested tank not only beats the assumed parasite infection, but grows more rapidly than would be expected.
My theory:
These fish do have internal parasites. They show all of the symptoms. I believe they have this infection due to being underfed while in holding tanks, and not being fed at all during the long travel from exporting country to importer to transhipper to distributor, and finally to the retailer. The fact that they are then placed in a tank with a virtually unlimited high protein source has two benefits that aids the fish in ridding itself of these parasites: The high protein diet kick starts the immune system that is deficient from being highly under fed for extended periods of time, and the large amount of food taken in daily for a months at a time "flushes" these parasites from the digestive tract. I have observed this phenomenon over the last two years and have never seen a fish succumb to internal parasites in these tanks. They start out at about an inch and a half. They are fed a limited amount of flake food, but I have never seen a fish in this situation eat it. They seem to survive solely on the snails. Within a month the fish is no longer skinny, and within a couple months the fish has grown to 2" or more. Within 3 months the fishes color and size makes it desirable to a certain fishkeeper employee (me). I buy the fish, and the cycle starts all over again.
Again, it's just a theory, and I'd appreciate your feedback. I'll post this on my blog for future users that miss the thread.
This post is an observation I have made while working at my LFS. We frequently utilize clown loaches to eliminate snails in our tanks, especially the planted tanks. These tanks are frequently loaded with Malaysian trumpet snails and other "undesirable" snail pests that come in with plant orders. We usually use the smallest loaches, and they are frequently skinny and are suspect carriers of internal parasites. It's cheaper to use them at their smallest size.
What I have observed with these fish intrigues me. Almost every small and skinny loach we drop into an infested tank not only beats the assumed parasite infection, but grows more rapidly than would be expected.
My theory:
These fish do have internal parasites. They show all of the symptoms. I believe they have this infection due to being underfed while in holding tanks, and not being fed at all during the long travel from exporting country to importer to transhipper to distributor, and finally to the retailer. The fact that they are then placed in a tank with a virtually unlimited high protein source has two benefits that aids the fish in ridding itself of these parasites: The high protein diet kick starts the immune system that is deficient from being highly under fed for extended periods of time, and the large amount of food taken in daily for a months at a time "flushes" these parasites from the digestive tract. I have observed this phenomenon over the last two years and have never seen a fish succumb to internal parasites in these tanks. They start out at about an inch and a half. They are fed a limited amount of flake food, but I have never seen a fish in this situation eat it. They seem to survive solely on the snails. Within a month the fish is no longer skinny, and within a couple months the fish has grown to 2" or more. Within 3 months the fishes color and size makes it desirable to a certain fishkeeper employee (me). I buy the fish, and the cycle starts all over again.
Again, it's just a theory, and I'd appreciate your feedback. I'll post this on my blog for future users that miss the thread.
they out do rabits by a long shot i have a pond snail in a planted tank for algea control, now this snail has laid around 4 -5 large batches of baby's in in the last few weeks so in a snail only tank with high water changes and high feeding ytou could have a simple to keep and fast breeding source of feeders.
