# Loaches, aragaonite sand, and plant choices



## aquaticsnerd (Jan 29, 2011)

*flaming
I own 3 angelicus loaches (kubotai) and 3 clown loaches.
Here are some recommendations on plants/loaches:

Get something fast growing
Loaches like to root. Get tough plants
Get corys or the little loaches first prior to getting larger loaches. Large loaches are like bulldozers and can decimate plants in a few hours
Watch out for broad leaf plants. Loaches will make them look like they were in a war zone (holes in my swords)
No HC. I've tried it twice now. I even bought it were it was growing on the rock...
Give them a big place to hide and feed them well

Plant weights are your friend unless you like being a "pool boy" and cleaning the plant bits out everyday
The accepted planting method for glosso works, but not with loaches...use plant weights *J/D*

Here are the plants I have in my tank at the moment:

Glossostigma Elatinoides,
Hygrophilia Corymbosa 'Stricta
Cryptocoryne parva
Microsorum pteropus
Ludwigia Ovalis
Heteranthera Zosterifola
Echinodorus Parviflorus 'Tropica'
Sagittaria subulata 'Dwarf'
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Anubias Barteri 'nana'



All I can recommend for the moment as this is still an on-going engagement
*pc


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## Martini2108 (Jul 23, 2010)

I second the plant info. Loachs love rearranging the tank any way they can. Dojo loach's I've noticed will tear up any plant that isn't weighted down some way. Don't let this discourage anyone though loachs are great and very active/funny fish to own.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I have 5 clowns in one of my tanks, only about 5inches right now so not much re-arraigning


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

ics:


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## aquaticsnerd (Jan 29, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> ics:


Yup. I really didn't think I needed to show my tank trashed.


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Aragaonite sand is basically crushed limestone. This sand isn't commonly used in FW tanks because it makes the water very hard, with a high ph. It is ideal for Salt Water and Brackish water fishes. Some plants would love this environment, others would die. Carefully monitor your tank's ph and hardness. Keep in mind any FW fish purchased at a big box store is probably in a ph < 7.5 and low hardness and needs to be gradually adjusted to your water.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

aquaticsnerd said:


> Yup. I really didn't think I needed to show my tank trashed.


Sorry...sounded like a cool tank to me. Just wanted to see it.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

All sand won't change water hardness and ph, I use pool filter sand and play sand in most of my tanks, no changes and plants do well. But all sand will depend on the area that they come from as to what it was made from.


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## aquaticsnerd (Jan 29, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Sorry...sounded like a cool tank to me. Just wanted to see it.


No worries. I have a pic of my tank in my gallery.


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## aquaticsnerd (Jan 29, 2011)

Tank has been up since December and the pH is a constant 7.2 even with CO2. I'm glad this somehow became a thread about pH and the sand in my tank. I've edited the original post to remove the irrelevant information.


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