Clown Loach proof plants?

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Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:38 pm

Clown loach safe plants?

Hi all!
I have recently added a Clown Loach, ~6”, to my previously very well planted tank.
While my other Clowns were very well behaved, never uprooting or nibbling on my plants, this particular Guy seems to have a hatred for all things green and an intense desire to kill. (Plants.)
He doesn’t punch holes in them, and he doesn’t eat them. He just chews them to pieces and leaves them to clog the filter. He doesn’t uproot them either. The roots are still firmly planted, only void of any stems/vegetation.

I thought of returning him from whence he came, but can’t bring myself to do so.
(I’m afraid he’ll wreak havoc on the next tank he’s taken to, and his life will be a never ending cycle of new homes and retuned trips to the LFS.)

Anyway, the list of plants he’s devoured so far includes Jungle Vals, Anubias, various Crypts, and as a last resort try, Java Fern.

He has not yet showed any interest in Marimo Moss Balls.

So, the question is, am I to resign myself to a plantless tank, or are there any plants that are truly Clown Loach proof?
I was thinking of trying Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes) or some other floating plant, and just hoping he doesn’t look up.

Anyone who can help, I’d be most grateful.

monicalovefish
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by monicalovefish » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:58 pm

Hmm. I have a planted tank but haven't had those types of issues. I have Carolina Cabomba (though they all seem darn similar). You could try that one and see how he does with it. I also have water sprite which tends to fall apart and float to the top so it's not that big of a deal..just shove it back down. Could he be unusually hungry? I'd find something to spike it down and I'd put a big piece of cucumber to see if he devours it. It could be he's needing some sort of nutrient. It might distract him long enough to get him settled in. The only other plants I have are Ludwigia and a variety of crypts. I did look at Aquariumplants.com and they had the ferns in the herbivore section. It could be you basically picked a pretty tasty variety. Grin. I'd plant heavily so that there's a BIG variety and maybe he'll not spend so much time tearing everything up. Also, plant the stuff that grows fast!

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Diana » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:00 am

If distracting him with vegetables that he can eat does not work, I do not know what will. Usually Java Fern, Anubibas and a few others are safe from fish that eat plants. But from fish that are simply tearing them up? I dunno.
I had a couple of Angels tear up Cabomba, but nothing else.

Vegetables to try:
Pretty much everything we eat.
Raw: Cucumber, fruit like apple, strawberry, melon, banana, kiwi, watermelon... just about any soft thing.
Lightly cooked: Zucchini and all other summer squash, almost any vegetable that is cut thin enough. Most leafy vegetables. Most frozen vegies.
More cooked: Harder vegetables like carrot, yam, pumpkin, winter squash, broccoli stems.

You can boil or steam most things, but they can get mushy fast, so pull them out when they are still on the firm side.
Baking makes the foods last longer in the tank than boiling. Sweet potato, yam, squash... any of the harder vegetables.
Most of the frozen vegies can be simply run under the tap, hot water. Just barely defrosted is OK.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

celticchrys
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 11:51 am
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Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by celticchrys » Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:05 pm

Also, try offering algae wafers regularly to see if he likes those. Mine does well with Java fern, java fern windelov, rotala, wisteria, moneywort, crypts, etc. Never Aponogeton; eats the base of the stems every time.

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redshark1
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Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Great Britain.

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by redshark1 » Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:49 pm

Those plastic ones seem pretty tough :wink:

Or, decorate your tank with other materials and buy yourself a tank dedicated to plants, as I have done!
6 x Clown Loaches all 30 years of age on 01.01.2024, largest 11.5", 2 large females, 4 smaller males, aquarium 6' x 18" x 18" 400 ltr/90 uk gal/110 US gal. approx.

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Diana » Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:40 am

Multiple Tank Syndrome hits us all, sooner or later....
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:38 pm

monicalovefish wrote:Hmm. I have a planted tank but haven't had those types of issues. I have Carolina Cabomba (though they all seem darn similar). You could try that one and see how he does with it. I also have water sprite which tends to fall apart and float to the top so it's not that big of a deal..just shove it back down. Could he be unusually hungry? I'd find something to spike it down and I'd put a big piece of cucumber to see if he devours it. It could be he's needing some sort of nutrient. It might distract him long enough to get him settled in. The only other plants I have are Ludwigia and a variety of crypts. I did look at Aquariumplants.com and they had the ferns in the herbivore section. It could be you basically picked a pretty tasty variety. Grin. I'd plant heavily so that there's a BIG variety and maybe he'll not spend so much time tearing everything up. Also, plant the stuff that grows fast!
The thing about it is that he doesn't seem to actually eat any of the plants. Just bites them into tiny pieces and lets them clog the filter.
He eats just about anything that I put in for dinner. I don't think he's hungry, I think he's angry.
Before he destroyed the plants, the aquarium was HEAVILY planted. I've been prepared for nibbles at the softer plants, but I really though the Anubias at least would be safe...

Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:42 pm

Diana wrote:If distracting him with vegetables that he can eat does not work, I do not know what will. Usually Java Fern, Anubibas and a few others are safe from fish that eat plants. But from fish that are simply tearing them up? I dunno.
I had a couple of Angels tear up Cabomba, but nothing else.

Vegetables to try:
Pretty much everything we eat.
Raw: Cucumber, fruit like apple, strawberry, melon, banana, kiwi, watermelon... just about any soft thing.
Lightly cooked: Zucchini and all other summer squash, almost any vegetable that is cut thin enough. Most leafy vegetables. Most frozen vegies.
More cooked: Harder vegetables like carrot, yam, pumpkin, winter squash, broccoli stems.

You can boil or steam most things, but they can get mushy fast, so pull them out when they are still on the firm side.
Baking makes the foods last longer in the tank than boiling. Sweet potato, yam, squash... any of the harder vegetables.
Most of the frozen vegies can be simply run under the tap, hot water. Just barely defrosted is OK.
I do feed Zucchini/squashes in that aquarium, as there are several Bristlenose Plecos who enjoy them. Not every day though.
Perhaps I'll try some more.

Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:43 pm

celticchrys wrote:Also, try offering algae wafers regularly to see if he likes those. Mine does well with Java fern, java fern windelov, rotala, wisteria, moneywort, crypts, etc. Never Aponogeton; eats the base of the stems every time.
Yeah, I feed Algae wafers daily. Lots of them. My Clowns have always enjoyed them.

Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:46 pm

redshark1 wrote:Those plastic ones seem pretty tough :wink:

Or, decorate your tank with other materials and buy yourself a tank dedicated to plants, as I have done!
Nooooooo! (Sob.)
Right. See this is what I’m afraid of. I abhor plastic silk plants. All of my aquariums have been focused on the plants as much as if not more than the fish.
I do have other decor. Rocks, driftwood, caves, etc. But it just looks so blah without any plants. (And I don't think I can afford to cover my entire aquarium with Marimo Moss Balls. Those suckers are pricy!

Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:48 pm

Diana wrote:Multiple Tank Syndrome hits us all, sooner or later....
I've had that sickness for years now. I have 6 tanks running now...

Aquella
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:18 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Aquella » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:51 pm

Well, thanks all for your replies!
I guess I'll just keep trying random plants and hope I can find at least one that he doesn't destroy.
Or I'll get creative with stonework and other such indestructible objects.

monicalovefish
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:33 pm

Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by monicalovefish » Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:31 pm

Hopefully, your clowns won't do what one of mine did to a Marino ball...sorta took it apart piece by piece. It was pretty funny. Honestly though, if you distract via food - might work.

I've got a tank load of fish and they devoured a whole cucumber over TWO days! It was nuts. I cut the raw cucumber so it was a huge trunk (about two inches thick) and stuck a fork into the bottom of it and let it sit at the bottom of the tank with the raw side up. Oh, I also remove the green skin too...don't like that waxy stuff. Anyway, you'll see all your loaches devouring if not all with their mouths into it at the same time. It's pretty funny actually. I usually find myself removing a large tunnel looking cucumber by the end of the day as they eat everything except for the harder outer shell. My ghost knife even gets in on the action and the Balas dive down into it when the clowns leave for a bit. It's pretty cool to watch.

Glostik
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Location: Dallas, TX
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Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by Glostik » Sat May 05, 2012 1:48 pm

I have 45 clowns and my big ones do the same thing when they are angry or hungry.

They clip the stem off right by the roots. They also would puncture my marimo balls and flatten them.

I would suggest feeding them some more and adding some vegetables for them to nibble on. Ive just recently moved them to a 400G and the only plants in there are giant anubias with floating roots.
400G Loach Tank - 150G Sump
150G Loach Tank - 37G Sump
75G Planted Shrimp Tank
20G x 2 - Planted Shrimp Tanks
10G Quarantine

andyroo
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Re: Clown Loach proof plants?

Post by andyroo » Sun May 27, 2012 6:34 pm

Aquella,
Sounds like he/she's bored. Better to eat the plants than start picking at the sealant silicone seams...
Put in a couple of powerheads -Koralia 3 seem to get the job done- mounted in a bunch to generate an area of high current, maybe across the front glass, and some tubular hides- PVC or bamboo tubes work well.
That and the different foods mentioned above and you might see improvement. Sorry, can't do better than "might"
Snails might also help- the tougher the better to keep his/her attention. Mysteries, MTS or nerites, for example (if the budget can handle).
A
"I can eat 50 eggs !"

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