# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Cyprinids >  Chain Loach

## anaconda

Anyone keeping Chain Loach?

Do they eat snails?

Mine are growing up nice and fat and so is my snail population  :Exasperated:   :Exasperated:

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## hwchoy

for snails, get a horseface loach.

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## anaconda

I read somewhere that for loaches you got to keep them in at least 3s before they are any good at eating snails

Any truth is that? Cause I only got 2 of them

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## hwchoy

if you get horseface, one is enough hor.

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## sheng

yo yo loach is good too. 2 in my tank = snail free tank

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## anaconda

My tank is only 2 ft lor. The horseface and yo yo will be quite cham liao if in my tank. Think a bit too small for them right?

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## hwchoy

then you practice 一阳指 haha.

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## sheng

mine is in 2.5ft tank. get those when they are small size. i get them when they are 1" plus at C328.

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## anaconda

> then you practice 一阳指 haha.


haha i practise yi yang zhi till my finger shorter by 5 cm already!!!

buay tahan already

Somone should start a snail killer fish rental service...make like mad

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## anaconda

> mine is in 2.5ft tank. get those when they are small size. i get them when they are 1" plus at C328.


Do the yoyo grow very big?

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## sheng

i dont know,may be u can do a check online

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## avant

> Do the yoyo grow very big?


i got them a few years back when they are slightly over 1". Now they are almost 4"  :Grin:

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## mickthefish

ive seen yoyo's up to 7inch SL, the chain loach i once saw at chester zoo must have been over 3 inches SL.
out of the two fish i prefer to keep yoyo's less aggressive towards the other tank-mates.
mick

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## anaconda

Gotta admit chain loach are bloody cute fishes the way they zap all around the tank

But my increasing shrimp bodycounts and no decrease in snail count is worrying

Guess my hunt for snail killer continues

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## joe

i was told they are also fin nippers ... anyone can confirm?

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## mickthefish

they are joe, they also go for the gills when other fish are eating suppose to get some bits that fly through the gills, but it looks like they are attacking the fish.
mick

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## joe

alrite no chain loaches for me tank  :Grin:   :Grin:

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## mickthefish

joe, have you tried botia dario they are most inoffensive for mixed tanks?.
mick

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## avant

I have a few _Botia dario_. personally, i feel that they are generally docile though sometimes inquisitive enough to nip at others.

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## joe

> joe, have you tried botia dario they are most inoffensive for mixed tanks?.
> mick


lemme go ransack the local fish shops again heheheee  :Grin:   :Grin:

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## anaconda

Extract from a site Loaches Online on Botia Dario or Bengali Loach (http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/botia_dario.html)

"Bengals are very social loaches, and physical with one another to the point of jostling and frequent nipping. They will tussle over food and hiding spots, but they don't injure one another. When offered Hikari sinking wafers - either the carnivore ones or the algae wafers - they will actually drag the wafers off in their mouths, and snap at the others if they come too close. In this way, they behave remarkably like dogs: food is paramount."

Wont this like mean they might nip during feeding? According to Loaches Online they are territorial

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## avant

well... i did mention in an earlier post that they do nip at times..  :Smile:

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