Serpent loach a good snail eater?

[decoy50]

I’ve had a crazy snail outbreak in both my 10 & 20gal planted tanks and I’m looking for a smaller loach to tackle the problem. LFS has serpent loaches and I like their look. Anybody had any experience with them eradicating snails?

I use zig zag or yoyo loaches for larger tanks, but I’d like something I can keep long term in a 10/20. Thanks

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

Never heard of serpent loaches (then again I don't know too much about loaches; M MultipleTankSyndrome 's pretty much the local loach expert- he'd probably be able to provide a much better answer to your question); I had to look up what they were, and a brief online skim says they will eat very small snails. I'm not sure if they'll make a considerable impact on the snail population short-term, though.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

I've never had serpent loaches, but they are unlikely to eat snails they can't swallow shell and all. The loaches specialized in eating snails (like yoyo loaches) have a pointed snout to reach inside the snail shell and shuck the meat out, whereas serpent loaches are blunt nosed and therefore are not as efficient as snail eating.
As Fallen_Leaves16 mentioned, only being able to eat small snails may not have a considerable impact. Even moreso if those small snails are trumpet snails, due to their hard shells.

What are the dimensions of the 76 liter, by the way? Is it a long tank of 76x30x30cm?
If it is, you could get a group of dwarf chain loach. Mine have eradicated my 110 liter of pond and ramshorn snails - as their snout indicates, they are specialist snail eaters.

Not sure what a zig zag loach is, do you mean ladder loach? Golden zebra loach?

 

[decoy50]

Sorry I meant zebra loach - I should use scientific names anyway. Any other recommendations that I could try? I’ve only seen dwarf chains at a LFS once and they were $25ea. I’m trying to avoid an online order if possible

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

No species recommendations I can think of to suit that criteria. You might want to try a snail killing chemical or a snail trap baited with cucumber.

 

[Midwater]

Chain loaches will eat snails more readily than zebra loaches, but I don't recommend any loaches in tanks that small.

 

[Deadeye]

In a small tank you can look into assassin snails, they do their job quite well.
I’d also suggest a dwarf puffer, but they would make it hell for tankmates.