Are kuhli loaches known to eat hydra?

I have recently leant thatI have hydra in my tank(a lot).
As I understand it 'most loaches eat hydra. Which suggests not all. And I haven't seen anything saying that KL do.

I was planning in getting kuhli loaches later down the line anyway but are kuhuli loaches actually known to eat them?

When I kept them before they were very shy and I can't imagine them being bold enough to eat from along the glass to get the hydra.

Any thoughts or observations?

My alternative is try a different type of loaches this time. My ideas include a hovering zebra loach or rosy loach.

 

I have never heard of any loaches eating hydra. Only snails and certain worms.

This is similar to algae eaters. Remember: Whatever fish or animal you put in to eat something to get rid of, there is NEVER a guarantee these animals will actually eat it and if they eat it there is none they eat all of it. Until then you just add to your tank's bioload and the animals may knock your tank's balance off and cause more problems.

Do all the other ways of removing hydra not work in your case?

 

I have never heard of any loaches eating hydra. Only snails and certain worms.

This is similar to algae eaters. Remember: Whatever fish or animal you put in to eat something to get rid of, there is NEVER a guarantee these animals will actually eat it and if they eat it there is none they eat all of it. Until then you just add to your tank's bioload and the animals may knock your tank's balance off and cause more problems.

Do all the other ways of removing hydra not work in your case?

My other options are:
1. to get a pond snails (I don't want it in my tank long term though)
2. Or a molly, which againI don't want long term but I do have the option to move it to my sister's tank long term.
3. Get a loach (which I did want anyway, just once my monte carlo carpet had established)
4. Or try dog worming stuff. Which would be my last resort.

I was going to try number 2 as my new nerite snail isn't doing much in there so I'm not pinning my hopes on him. If molly didn't work I was going todo idea number 3. But I'm thinking to mix the order now and hence wanted to check specifically if I stood a chance with the khuli loaches.

 

I had tons of hydras in my tank, and now they're gone. One thing that I've changed was reducing feeding from twice a day to once.

 

I had tons of hydras in my tank, and now they're gone. One thing that I've changed was reducing feeding from twice a day to once.

When you say they are all gone, as in they've just died just by reducing the feed and nothing else?

The day I discovered what they were (Wednesday) I starved them for that day then fed them only tiny amounts Thursday and yesterday. I've been feeling awful and not sure my shy honey gourami is getting enough food. And I see the fish scavenge all day. Which they never used to do.
And you didn't get any new fish/snails to eat them V1K ?

 

My other options are:
1. to get a pond snails (I don't want it in my tank long term though)
2. Or a molly, which againI don't want long term but I do have the option to move it to my sister's tank long term.
3. Get a loach (which I did want anyway, just once my monte carlo carpet had established)
4. Or try dog worming stuff. Which would be my last resort.

I was going to try number 2 as my new nerite snail isn't doing much in there so I'm not pinning my hopes on him. If molly didn't work I was going todo idea number 3. But I'm thinking to mix the order now and hence wanted to check specifically if I stood a chance with the khuli loaches.

1-3 will not specifically dart off and start feeding on hydra, which is not the main food source for any of them. So you would add fish (or snails) that need food, which you will most certainly provide for your other fish and they will eat what you offer instead of the hydra, which in turn will eat all the food particles in the water.

The dewormer is your best bet besides cutting down on feeding.

When you say they are all gone, as in they've just died just by reducing the feed and nothing else?

The day I discovered what they were (Wednesday) I starved them for that day then fed them only tiny amounts Thursday and yesterday. I've been feeling awful and not sure my shy honey gourami is getting enough food. And I see the fish scavenge all day. Which they never used to do.
And you didn't get any new fish/snails to eat them V1K ?

Actually, foraging (not scavenging, those are two different things) all day is what fish SHOULD do. Keeps them occupied, reduces stress and aggression.

 

When you say they are all gone, as in they've just died just by reducing the feed and nothing else?

The day I discovered what they were (Wednesday) I starved them for that day then fed them only tiny amounts Thursday and yesterday. I've been feeling awful and not sure my shy honey gourami is getting enough food. And I see the fish scavenge all day. Which they never used to do.
And you didn't get any new fish/snails to eat them V1K ?

It took a few weeks for them to disappear. I didn't add or remove anything else. Besides reducing the food, I also favoured sinking food over floating ones, so that less food gets into water. I don't know if a gourami would nibble on something like pleco tab? Also as MacZ said, foraging is something the fish should do, and if they weren't, that alone can be a sign of overfeeding.

 

1-3 will not specifically dart off and start feeding on hydra, which is not the main food source for any of them. So you would add fish (or snails) that need food, which you will most certainly provide for your other fish and they will eat what you offer instead of the hydra, which in turn will eat all the food particles in the water.

The dewormer is your best bet besides cutting down on feeding.


Actually, foraging (not scavenging, those are two different things) all day is what fish SHOULD do. Keeps them occupied, reduces stress and aggression.

Noted. I'll check my dogs' dewormer and continue on the reduced feeding. Thank you!

It took a few weeks for them to disappear. I didn't add or remove anything else. Besides reducing the food, I also favoured sinking food over floating ones, so that less food gets into water. I don't know if a gourami would nibble on something like pleco tab? Also as MacZ said, foraging is something the fish should do, and if they weren't, that alone can be a sign of overfeeding.

My gouramis love the pleco food. The pleco doesn't touch the sinking pellets then the dwarf gourami will get very possessive over it! Drama