Bottom feeders - dwarf orange Mexican crayfish or dojo loaches?

[Criscar]

Good evening, my pond is active at the top and mid water column, but I could use a critter or a few on bottom clean up, the snails do great for the algae but not so much for the fish poop and such. I’m fortunate to live in a warm mild climate, so have a few choices.
dojo/weather loaches seem cool and I hear are interesting pond fish, but I hear they are escargot lovers and the pond need the snails, I think. The dwarf crayfish also eat some snails but I don’t quite think as bad, and generally don’t harass fish too too much, but could possibly pinch at fins if the fish don’t give them a wide enough berth. My largest goldfish used to live in an aquarium with similarly sized bamboo shrimp and there was never an issue so I’m not that concerned at this point that they’d get eaten.

it’s a small pond so the numbers involved here would be quite low in any case.

 

[brokensword]

I've found my goldfish work the bottom very well, of course, I don't overfeed so they're generally hungry and go scavenging. As long as your choices can survive and thrive with your water temps over winter, I see this as a personal thing; maybe have more than one type just for variety? I used to have the large trapdoor snails but the fish eliminated most of them. Every now and then I take the smaller snails I see in my patio containers, and toss them into the pond but seldom see anything on my pond plants or on the walls. My fish are really good scavengers.

I've heard that you'll have a hard time seeing any crayfish, so bear that in mind.

 

[Faebinder]

Dojo loaches especially the golden ones are fun. Crayfish can go after your fish.

 

[Criscar]

I've found my goldfish work the bottom very well, of course, I don't overfeed so they're generally hungry and go scavenging. As long as your choices can survive and thrive with your water temps over winter, I see this as a personal thing; maybe have more than one type just for variety? I used to have the large trapdoor snails but the fish eliminated most of them. Every now and then I take the smaller snails I see in my patio containers, and toss them into the pond but seldom see anything on my pond plants or on the walls. My fish are really good scavengers.

I've heard that you'll have a hard time seeing any crayfish, so bear that in mind.

The crayfish are bright orange, so I think they wouldn't be as hard to see. I actually don't like the look of the orangey albino loaches, the natural colored ones are a lot prettier to me.

 

[Criscar]

Dojo loaches especially the golden ones are fun. Crayfish can go after your fish.

Mexican dwarf crayfish top out at under two inches long and have relatively small claws, so I'm not too worried.

 

[Jagsfan]

i was looking into getting dojo loaches but found out they are illegal in VA. Check your local regulations and make sure they arent in CA.

 

[Criscar]

i was looking into getting dojo loaches but found out they are illegal in VA. Check your local regulations and make sure they arent in CA.

thank you! they are still for sale in pet stores here so I think I'm good

 

[GBBUDD]

it’s a small pond so the numbers involved here would be quite low in any case.

Until they start to breed and there's no predicter to control the population. I'd probably lean toward the loach they eat snails as well

 

[Wayfarin]

The crayfish are bright orange, so I think they wouldn't be as hard to see. I actually don't like the look of the orangey albino loaches, the natural colored ones are a lot prettier to me.

You should really give the golden dojo loaches a chance. In my experience, they are more often available than the "wild" weather loaches and are sometimes sold at Petco for a relatively low price. You are unlikely to actually see the camoflauged, bottom-dwelling loaches unless they are yellow/orange, and their colors complement the orange goldfish and green plants very well (every pond should have some plants growing in it, even if it's just duckweed or hornwort).

Of course, golden dojo loaches might also be more appealing to herons because they cannot camoflauge as well, similar to goldfish. Both should have plenty of protection and opportunities to hide. Dojo loaches would do better with loose, soft substrates with small grains rather than solely gravel.

If you insist on wild-looking weather loaches, you could keep them together (dojo loaches are very social, and will welcome the company). Dojo loaches are more likely to swim around where they can be seen if they can "school" with others of their own species.

Dwarf orange crayfish are nice, but mature goldfish and dojo loaches might devour those.

Bladder snails, pond snails, and ramshorn snails are prolific breeders. A few dojo loaches are unlikely to actually wipe them out. Japanese trapdoor snails, if they are legal in your area, might be too tough for loaches to munch on.

 

[Wayfarin]

Dojo loaches are appealing pond residents. They don't eat fish waste, but they do clean up by eating dead things and old fish food on the bottom. They can be interactive and endearing fish.

Crayfish, along with aquatic isopods, amphipods, and insects, can break down fish waste as they forage for edible food in it, but only plants, algae, and beneficial bacteria can provide relief from ammonia.
Aquatic insects will most likely find the pond on their own. Aquatic isopods and amphipods can colonize on their own as well, but might need to be added from an established pond.

Isopods and amphipods complement the foraging activities of crayfish. Crayfish break down dead animals, dead plants, and organic materials (waste) into smaller pieces, and isopods/amphipods break down the small pieces into even smaller particles. Even smaller bacteria and microorganisms will do the rest of the work.

 

[Wayfarin]

Goldfish get huge, so the dojo loach would have my vote just because it is big enough to avoid becoming dinner. They are illegal in some areas, though, so remember that if they aren't available anywhere.

If there are enough of them, and they breed easily, then by all means add some Mexican dwarf crayfish as well. But they won't last long without mating, because things like goldfish, bullfrogs, giant water bugs, and even diving beetles and dragonfly nymphs could easily make a meal of them.