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The Loach Forum Archives (2)
Re: Plants.....Until there eaten...........
Posted By: carmen <ccr67@uclink4.berkeley.edu> In Response To: Plants.....Until there eaten........... (john)
Date: Monday, 5 June 2000, at 9:14 p.m.
IME clown loaches (particularly the bigger 4" and beyond sizes) enjoy playing with plants. I think they do a little eating, but I'm susupicious that they are mostly goofing off. For instance, they will strip hygrophila polysperma little leaf by little leaf, but the leaves are often whole--not really eaten.
I have now gotten three large loaches to coexist with my hygro by means bribery. Hikari algae wafers (broken up), slices of zucchini (let it float--the clowns will struggle to pull it under water while biting at it--keeps them busy), and middle of the night feedings of pellet food with an automatic feeder will give your nocturnal friends something to do in the dark aside from pestering your vegetation. I think it's very important that you give them stuff to nibble on at night when they are most active and feeling vandalistic. With these tactics my hygro is thick and leafy again.
I've also noticed that they do not mess much with my crypto petchii. I had been under the impression that they weren't so fond of java fern, but someone else noted the opposite. They do not show any interest in my thick-leafed anubias.
(In desperation, you can build strawberry basket fencing around your besieged plants to keep out the clowns.)
Good luck!
Carmen
