Chain loaches true or false

[Androo]

I was talking to someone yesterday about snails, and they said chain loaches will eat snails, may eat shrimplets if he can get them but won't eat the adults. Is this correct? Iv always been under the idea that loaches and shrimp don't mix at all...

[jayc]

Not true.

While they might not be able to fit an adult into it's mouth, they will hunt and nip at the shrimp's legs to the point of death. The loach (any loach) will then tear it to bits to make the shrimp fit into it's mouth.

[Androo]

That's what I thought aswell

[Wraithie]

I have 1 chain loach who decimated the snail population in my edge (what i bought him for). I'm confidant that he would end up eating adults as per what Jayc was saying, bit by bit!

[northboy]

Food is Food and shrimp are at the top of everyone's list, including mine. In a nutshell NO, someone may have had an individual that did not eat shrimp but that is the exception not the general rule.

What works for one person may not work for you, because every fish is different within species. I hate the generalisation that this fish will do this or that, no two are the same. There you go on my soap box AGAIN.

Bob

[BlueBolts]

I hate the generalisation that this fish will do this or that' date=' no two are the same. There you go on my soap box AGAIN. Bob[/quote']

Next time, just before I put my hand in a great white's jaw, I'll ask him the question "Are you one of those sharKs that would bite my hand off" LOL, sorry in one of those moods :-)

[jayc]

I think some still go by the generalisation that "if it can fit in it's mouth, it's food. Otherwise it's safe".

But prey doesn't need to be small enough to fit in the predators mouth to still be prey!

People forget that the predator, the loach in this case, can take small chunks off first. Even if the fish is unfamiliar with shrimp in the first few days or weeks or even months, (esp if the fish has never seen shrimp before), it might one day taste a moulted shell or a leg, and whammo, it's behaviour changes forever.

People forget fish can adapt, and change behaviour.

I've read a post from a shrimp keeper in another forum, where his cardinal tetras ganged up on an shrimp and ripped it to bits. Damn those little piranha wannabes, they look so small and placid.

[Wraithie]

Damn those little piranha wannabes' date=' they look so small and placid.[/quote']

If you look closely they can be pretty scary!

[northboy]

As I said before, who don't like Shrimp AKA Prawns

It never ceases to amaze me that people I meet at the markets think fish only eat fish flake??? and not each other, it is what they eat in the wild, each other.

I had a group of Wenerii roll a female shrimp over and eat every egg she was carrying, they must have damaged her because she did not last the night and Wenerii have tiny mouths, they too must have had piranha in them.

Bob

[jayc]

http://www.petshop-zoomania.com/Tetras,Rainbows,Killi/Tetra%20Congo%20teeth.jpg

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30792

[northboy]

Dam it he takes great photos.

Bob