miraloma

I bought a couple of Yoyo loaches to control the snail population. I see them ofter swim right by the snails and not pay any attention to them, let alone trying to eat them. The population hasn't decreased at all what so ever. What can I do to encourage snail eating? At what rate the snail eating is supposed to be? Like 1 snail a day or like more than 10 a day? Am I just expecting too much of my little 2" loaches?

Sam Livingston

Unfortunately, despite what pet stores say, loaches don't usually eat many snails if ever. I have 11 loaches (2 yoyo, 3 golden dojo, 2 weather, and 4 khuli loaches). None has ever eaten a snail that I have seen. One of the very fat weather loaches eats the snails eggs everyday, so that controls the population. But to the snails who are already matured and moving around none has ever been eaten to my knowledge by any of the loaches. The perfect fish for devouring bunches of snails at a time in my experience have been puffers.