# Planted Tanks, Loaches, And You.



## Gar (Mar 3, 2008)

Having browsed the internet for information on plants and loaches, I've come across one tidbit of information that is widely acknowledged by the planted tank community: *Loaches and plants don't mix.* While there are some exceptions, of course, this seems to be the general consensus. 

Many people advise against Dojo or "Weather" Loaches, given their tendency to bury into the substrate and dig up anything they can looking for food.

Other loaches and bottom feeders are lumped in here too, saying it is inadvisable to keep these frisky little bottom dwellers.

I, however, have had much success with keeping various types of loaches, along with a nice array of plants, in one of my aquariums. Species include *Dojo Loaches, Yoyo Loaches, Tiger Botia*, including other bottom dwellers such as *Panda Garra (Garra Flatvara).* 

The key, I've found, is to make sure that your plants are able to firmly establish roots before adding loaches; or, at least, make sure they're tied down with those flexible metal strips!

In my tank, I currently have *Ludwigia Repens, Water Lettuce, various Anubias, various Crypts, Rotalla Wallichi, Tropical Hornwort, Red Rubin Sword, Melon Sword, Amazon Swords, Java Moss, and Cabomba Carolinia.* 

Each and every one of these plants have established themselves nicely in the tank, and the loaches are thrilled to have plants to lay across, and tuck themselves nicely into.

I have had problems planting runners and such, but that problem is easily remedied by the handy metal weight. 

So I guess what I'm trying to get across here is, add loaches! You'll be glad you did. :3

*Disclaimer: My tank is at a set 75 degrees Fahrenheit, make sure you research your plants and fish first!*


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## kana (Oct 23, 2007)

I have a planted tank full of Pygmy chain loaches and they don't mess with my plants at all. I love their little personalities, plus they keep the snails away~


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## mott (Nov 23, 2006)

I have the same^^^ And I love em

They stay soooo small...


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## ColeMan (Mar 9, 2008)

i've kept kuhli loaches (Pangio kuhlii) and never had a problem...really never had a problem with any of the Pangio genus.


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## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Zebra loaches (botia striata) do great with plants as well.

Dave


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My personal nightmare experience was buying a yoyo loach to try and address a MTS population explosion- the yoyo dug up my entire tank and kept the red Fluorite substrate so stirred up that the muddy mess killed my plants by constantly coating the leaves and blocking the light. The secret may be not to mix loaches with MTS?

I've heard other ppl have no problems with yoyos or clown loaches- but mine are all now happily relocated into a fish-only tank where their constant digging up of ALL of my plastic plants is a source of ongoing frustration but no real harm...


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## plaakapong (Feb 28, 2008)

I've got Striata and Kubotai with crypts, vals, a sword, java fern & moss. They don't cause any problems. I'm learning that fish can behave very differently within a species, like us! The different personalities add to the fun, and frustration, of this hobby.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

lauraleellbp said:


> My personal nightmare experience was buying a yoyo loach to try and address a MTS population explosion- the yoyo dug up my entire tank and kept the red Fluorite substrate so stirred up that the muddy mess killed my plants by constantly coating the leaves and blocking the light. The secret may be not to mix loaches with MTS?
> 
> I've heard other ppl have no problems with yoyos or clown loaches- but mine are all now happily relocated into a fish-only tank where their constant digging up of ALL of my plastic plants is a source of ongoing frustration but no real harm...



Or the secret may be not to mix loaches with flourite. If you had eco in the same situation, you wouldn't have had the cloudy mess.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

I've had Burmese Loaches in my tank with Fluorite and they did fine. I think Lauralee got a Yoyo with a grudge against plants


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

legomaniac89 said:


> I've had Burmese Loaches in my tank with Fluorite and they did fine. I think Lauralee got a Yoyo with a grudge against plants


Or maybe he just liked to play in the dirt/mud.


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## ummyeah (Jul 8, 2007)

My clown loaches are MEAN! They uproot, shred, punch holes, and tear up all my plants. But they don't stop at plants, apparently they like tearing my angelfish's fins too. That's why they're going away. Anyone want them  ?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Actually, at the time, I think he was just after the MTS. It wasn't till he was in the tank with the clown loaches that he learned to dig for fun... it's just gravel in there (UG filter) so they suck up one piece at a time in their mouths and move it around where THEY want it :icon_roll At first only my biggest clown loach did it... then the other clown started... and now a year later the yoyo does too! Nutty fish...


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## doxikota (Mar 20, 2008)

I have one Clown Loach and he mostly sits under my bubble bridge. He leaves my Angels alone as well as the other fish. He will fight for the algae wafers though. Will he/she eat my cherry shrimp? 

PB


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## TheCryptKeeper (Mar 9, 2008)

I have 2 yoyo loaches and 2 clown loaches and they don't mess with the plants either.. I think that the are great fish to have!


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## Gar (Mar 3, 2008)

Woo! Loach Lovers!

Get more loaches, gogogo!

My main planted tank is a loach/cooler water tank. :3


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## Lupin (Nov 21, 2006)

Loaches of the _Balitoridae_ genus are fine with planted tanks assuming these plants can withstand powerful currents. Obviously, you cannot setup a CO2 system considering these loaches need plenty of oxygen in order to thrive which cannot be accomplished without too much surface movements.

_Pangio_ are fine as well. They are far too small to disturb plants greatly. Gar, what size are these dojo loaches you tried? What about the tiger loaches? At the moment, I am trying the _Cryptocoryne crispatula_ with my tigers. They're 4-5 inches at the moment so it is too early to say whether they will be fine with plants or not. The only loaches that I have problems keeping with plants are the clowns and yoyos unless you keep _Anubias_ and Java ferns which are hardly bothered by these fish.

P.S. I do realize this was created 2 months ago but I have some questions here needing answers.


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## Gar (Mar 3, 2008)

My YoYos don't bother my plants at all. I think my Dojos are about six inches at the moment? They've gotten quite large - and still are very cute! The tigers are about four inches at the moment. I know their maximum size is larger so I may have to move them to one of my larger tanks at some point!

I have two clowns in my 60 and they don't bother the plants, either. I suppose it just varies from loach to loach. 

My tigers haven't bothered any of my Crypts - be it Lucens, Wendetii, or Retrospiralis.


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## newshound (May 9, 2005)

god need a place to begin
clowns get huge and will damage plants like any normal large fish would (pleco anyone!)
horseface loaches burrow almost all of the time so they will uproot everything!
almost all loaches need a group of 5 or more because they are social fish.
weather loach dojo are colder water fish than the average tropical fish and they also get large.
I have kept many loaches in a planted tank with few problems if they are fed well and with veggies.
BUT everything depends on the personality. I have a small striata that takes the eyes out of mid dwelling fish. One of my Kubotia (polkadot) would rip apart dwarf sag leaf by leaf.
My grrrr tank was "clear cut" in two months by a combo of eos, modesta, and robusta botia.
I would never try a planted tank with a larger loach (clown, modesta, yo-yo, tiger(helodes, berdmorei), etc). They just have too much power to go along with the large size.
Sidthimunki (sids, dwarf chain, zipper), striata, kubotia, histronica, dario are all great for the planted tank if the floor is relatively understocked with them.


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## Mori (Jul 23, 2003)

My yoyos were fine with plants in gravel. Maybe the rogue yoyo mentioned above just needed companions. They can be extremely active, but mine used most of their energy on each other.


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## TheCryptKeeper (Mar 9, 2008)

I have 2 dwarf bristle nose plecos's and 2 yoyo loaches, and 4 butterfly hillstream loaches and they don't bother the plants. my cories did though. so I gave them away.


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## newshound (May 9, 2005)

Torpedobarb said:


> I have 2 dwarf bristle nose plecos's and 2 yoyo loaches, and 4 butterfly hillstream loaches and they don't bother the plants. my cories did though. so I gave them away.


hillstream loaches and yoyo's need different types of tank enviros.
loaches online for all your loach informational needs.


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## Ravenmoon (Nov 18, 2009)

I think some of it really depends on luck of the draw when it comes to loaches. I've heard of some who have a variety of loaches who tear up all the plants in the aquarium or dig them up. I've successfully planted my aquarium without harm from the loaches. They are fairly active and like to chase each other, which can disturb the plants sometimes. You just have to make sure the plants are securely rooted or weighed down.


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