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Live plants with loaches
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 3:33 pm
by Bob2019
Wanting to moving over to a planted aquarium (after 7 years of plastic) and with the loaches digging, sifting and random behaviours asking for some advice best plants.
350 l, 120cm tank.
Nicrew LED Planted Tank 24hr lighting (it cycles through sunrise, daylight, sunset, moon and nightlight)
1400 canister filter
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 20, freshwater master testing
RO water used at a % to lower hardness for Loaches
Smooth wood, rocks and pebbles with sand.
Temp 20c with expected daily and seasonal fluctuations
Currently have:
3 Weather Loaches
6 Leopard Danios
6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
3 Platy Variatus, recent additions, no fry yet, that's a whole extra subject
Now I've ordered Java Moss on mesh to start growing on the wood and 'tree' formation and have planted a random mix of £2 plants from the lfs, putting the pebbles around the bottoms. All seem to be surviving but wether they live!
So what plants do folks have success with, with Weather Loaches? Bearing in mind this tank set up and lighting?
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 4:41 pm
by ReeferRob
The problem with Weather loaches is their propensity to dig. If you can place rocks around the roots you might do OK with them.
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:09 am
by Dojosmama
My dojos don't dig. They hide beneath the huge Anubias I have in their tank. They use the dense leaves for shelter. I don't have sand in my tank with the dojos. Instead, I have smooth, rounded pea gravel, and they don't dig in that, but could, because it's still loose enough and small enough. And it doesn't have any sharp edges to hurt them. But for some reason, they just don't dig. Probably a good thing, as I do have live plants.
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 1:19 pm
by Erik
Bob2019 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 3:33 pm
Wanting to moving over to a planted aquarium (after 7 years of plastic) and with the loaches digging, sifting and random behaviours asking for some advice best plants.
350 l, 120cm tank.
Nicrew LED Planted Tank 24hr lighting (it cycles through sunrise, daylight, sunset, moon and nightlight)
1400 canister filter
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 20, freshwater master testing
RO water used at a % to lower hardness for Loaches
Smooth wood, rocks and pebbles with sand.
Temp 20c with expected daily and seasonal fluctuations
Currently have:
3 Weather Loaches
6 Leopard Danios
6 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
3 Platy Variatus, recent additions, no fry yet, that's a whole extra subject
Now I've ordered Java Moss on mesh to start growing on the wood and 'tree' formation and have planted a random mix of £2 plants from the lfs, putting the pebbles around the bottoms. All seem to be surviving but wether they live!
So what plants do folks have success with, with Weather Loaches? Bearing in mind this tank set up and lighting?
Hi Bob for loaches most plants are fine except avoid plants with broad leaves, they tend to punch holes in them.
You can see what I had in there fairly clearly , pool filter sand is a great medium for loaches as it is soft on the barbels for digging, you just have to use root tabs as sand is inert.
Carolinea Cabomba was always my favorite as it grows fast but does suffer with loaches.
Here is a pic of my 70G loach and rainbow tank I had many years ago. It unfortunately suffered a catastrophic co2 malfunction (rip)
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 9:34 pm
by NancyD
Wow! That was a great tank, Erik!
Bob, I'd go with java ferns & anubias on rocks or wood. I'm not a moss fan, too invasive. I had trouble with clowns especially with swords a crypts. I haven't kept dojos, I think they're not big veggie fans (other than peas) or leaf botherers, but more diggers in a mellow way, they just get big & can't help it.
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 2:34 am
by Bas Pels
I have them with Crypocoryne, Sagittaria, Hygrophylum, Echionodorus
I never do anything special for the plants, but the soil is not just sand,
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 10:31 pm
by Pissedbno1
I have a huge dojo loach in a planted 55 gallon aquarium and the only plants that have survived him are the ones with the largest root system and larger leaves. I use planted substrate and the plants are really growing wild in there. One thing to make sure of is to bury whatever plant you choose really deep. That way they don't float to the top after your loaches digging.
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 5:23 am
by emmaorabelle
They are with Crypocoryne, Sagittaria, Hygrophylum, and Echionodorus in my possession.
The soil is not only sand, though, so I never give the plants anything extra.
bluey game
Re: Live plants with loaches
Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 9:04 pm
by shoostoill
Plant Anubis and firmly arrange small to medium boulders around and over the roots to prevent loaches from getting
basketball stars to the base. This worked well in a 75 gallon tank with redtail botia, skinknloaches, and yo-yo loaches (along with a few acara).