Calvus and Loaches

[fishandcards]

Okay, so I have a 65 gallon (36X18 footprint) with calvus and soon to have Cyps in it.  I would like some scavengers to help clean up any uneaten food.

I was considering a small group of petricola.  However, the tank has a snail population that is incredible.  Would some type of loach be a possibility (maybe Skunk loaches - I know clowns would be too big)?  The tank previously had Kuhli Loaches in it, but they did not seem to put a dent in the snails.

I do like the snails because they do an awesome job of keeping the algae under control - just want the population cut down.

[linuxrulesusa]

First off, water changes/gravel vac are your best cleanup crew.

That said, skunk loaches love snails (see also zebra loaches and similar), but they really do better in softer water.   If you're doing tank bred fish, and not playing with water parameters, then the loaches will probably do OK.  My other concern is whether the loaches would spook the cyps, because I've had loaches tear around the tank and startle slower moving fish before.

Small group of petricola would be closer to a biotope tank and my preference personally. They do a pretty good job of scavenging the bottom but may not clean up all the snails.  Are they malaysian trumpet snails (cone shaped) or the bladder/ramshorn snails (vertical or angled spiral shape)?

[fishandcards]

They definitely are not river snails with the round shell....I think they are angled.

The other option to help with controlling the population is the piece of lettuce in a jar and taking them out in the morning.

I have pretty fine gravel and vccuming is a challenge - the gravel is light enough it goes into the hose and out the tank.  How do people vaccum sand bottom tanks?