Clown Loach "back to basic 101"

[apuppet]

So, about 2 weeks ago,  i've purchases a clown loach to fix my ramhorn snail problem ( ramhorn are brown snails that shell spiruals outwards, i think).   Aside of being shy and timid, this fish is so Lazy, not once, have i seem him/her eat a single snail. 

My understanding of clown loaches, was that its "Loves" snails, and are a safe efficient biological way of removing them.  I observe him approach an snail to investigate, but then wander away.  I've seen snails wander up to him while he's on his side "daydreaming", when it crawls onto his fins, he would wake up and see what that was, then switchsides, and sleeps again.. .   Not once, did i see him eat them. im sure he's eating something, since he's not dead after 2 weeks. but it aint snails.  (which reminders me of my missing fishes).   

is there a way i can "Train" him to eat snails?  ie/ purchase another Clown Loach to mentor him?  starve him with snails?   He seems okay within my planted tank.  but does not "click", which documentation indicates that he would then be happy.  fyi, the clown loach is about 3 to 3.5" long, so, i think he's still young, but eating snails should be as easy for him as swimming.

sorry for the rant.  but its drives me livid, when im squishing snails against the glasses, while i observe him napping.

[DavidJohnson]

Clown loaches are naturally nocturnal so it is quite likely he is out and about and catching snails at night.  They also prefer to be in groups and not being in a group just makes it more likely that he won't be active during the day.  As for clicking, my clown loaches don't click very often.  My zebra loaches do and they only really do it at feeding time and it appears they do it to help break pieces of the food tablets I drop in so I wouldn't be too worried about your clown loach not clicking.  But again, he probably isn't completely happy being the lone clown loach in the tank.

[RoxyDog]

Depending on what size your tank is, I'd trade him up for 3 (at least) little guys about 1-1/2" instead of keeping just 1.  I'm not sure about the "lazy" thing, but a group of loaches is rarely lazy. 

[PaleoFishGirl]

I had 3 clown loaches at one point and they *never* ate snails.  Luck of the draw, maybe?

Fish can go longer than 2 weeks without eating, so if he's not eating snails I suggest you feed him something...

[DavidJohnson]

Depending on what size your tank is, I'd trade him up for 3 (at least) little guys about 1-1/2" instead of keeping just 1.  I'm not sure about the "lazy" thing, but a group of loaches is rarely lazy. 

I agree.  My 4 clown loaches are often out and about.  They do lounge around from time to time but they also play a lot.  The more you have the less nervous and more playful they will be.  If you have a small tank you could try a group of zebra loaches or chain loaches.  They should eat snails too and stay fairly small.

[Shrimpy]

My clown loach only eats snails at night. 

[NjOyRiD]

my clown loach and my 3 skunk botias eat snails at night, during days, they are all hiding

[apuppet]

my clown is eating flakes and even the odd white worms, but mostly he's tasting the gravels and sniffing into crevasse, i've seen him avoid snails and even sniffs around the snails.   is there a way to train him to eat ramhorn? or perhaps he perfers other types of snail?  also, anyone here selling a few 1-1/2" clown loaches? im willing to trade!