The subreddit for anything related to aquariums! Kuhli loaches are not commonly bred in captivity, but if you want to encourage it, feed them heavily and get a thick mass of … Then another Kuhli comes out of no where and crashes into this one. Sand is the preferred substrate for these fish, but small smooth gravel will also suffice." You need a cover or cover glass as the fish may accidentally jump. I've kept these fish, along with the Black Kuhli and another similar species, on light sand, black sand and an earth tone mixture, and they sure do look best on the black sand. Breeding Kuhli Loaches can be very challenging but it can be done by setting up a breeding tank with the following parameters. You will often see them burrowing and then blowing the sand out of their gills as they filter it for food. is not in any way affiliated with. None ever burrowed in the sand (although we did see them sifting through the sand occasionally. In aquaria with under-gravel filters, Kuhli Loaches may seek refuge under the filter plates. Any sharp stone or particle can seriously damage their barbs which can cause infection and feeding problems. You will probably rarely see them. The natural habitat of the kuhli loach is the sandy beds of slow-moving rivers and clean mountain streams. They are a social fish and are typically found in small clusters (they are not schooling fish but enjoy the company of their species), but are cautious and nocturnal by nature and swim near the bottom where they feed around obstacles. As a soil, you can use sand, because kuhli loach likes to dig into it and look for food to eat. Harsh substrate can injure the fish and cause inadvertent fractures in the fish’s scales. How many did you have? It can be rocks and pebbles, mud and peat, or sand. Freshwater Fish Diseases,Algae Issues,Emergencies, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada, is an independent enthusiast website owned and operated by Content on is generated by its users. Bright lighting is not really essential, since the plants mentioned don’t need a lot and the loaches actually like it a bit darker. Both species like to dig, Khuli's the most. For any freshwater aquarium setup where you need a cleaner fish, Kuhli Loaches are one of the top-recommended choices. They’re a part of the Cobitidae family. I use this sand by Quikrete in the Kuhli tank and also in my Clown Loach/Cory tank. ... Kuhli loaches spawning - Dornaugen beim laichen - Duration: 1:11. A forum community dedicated to Aquarium owners and enthusiasts. In an aquarium, the kuhli loach can be very reclusive and, when startled, will dart underneath tank ornaments or bury itself, if a fine gravel or sandy substrate is present. Some Kuhli loaches have very dark body usually black or dark brown and are known as Chocolate Kuhli loaches. Luckily, he's the most bold of the kuhli loaches and is often out in the front so I've taken some photos. Come join the discussion about collections, displays, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, breeding, health, behavior, housing, care, and more! They use it to feel and sence the food they find in the bottom.. Loading... Unsubscribe from m4fo0o? They both do a noodle dance and disappear into the rock work. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. What tankmates did they have? This will help us understand their nature and who their ideal tankmates are which will help in deciding how many of them you can put in your 10-gallon tank. Right now all four are asleep: one on top of the highest sand dune, another on top of the pre-filter, that is … they are also extremely social and need to be kept in groups. Personally, I prefer to use sand as my substrate for kuhli loaches as not only are they soft for these scaless fish’s skin, kuhlis love to burrow and sift through sand for food! Loach is love, Loach is life! Kuhli loaches are omnivores and love to feed on live foods. Press J to jump to the feed. Something else to keep in mind when setting up an aquarium for kuhli loaches, is that you can further reduce any stress by providing them with a soft substrate that they can burrow into. This snake-like creature is very slender and nocturnal. Kuhlis patrol the bottom part of a tank, and therefore should not be kept with other bottom dwellers that can be potentially territorial and aggressive. We're also here to help you if you need advice. One of the more popular choices for substrate is play sand, which is attractive, clean and best of all – cheap. It sat there for a couple of minutes after I took the photo. SpeikobraRote 24,555 views. They both do a noodle dance and disappear into the rock work. 1:11. This creates one of the only difficulties in placing Kuhli loaches in community environments. While they were first classified back in 1846, the Kuhli Loach has a very long history. kuhli loaches really do like a sand substrate. They have sensitive whiskers at their little mouths.. They are tropical fish and the temperature should be kept between 73-86°F. If the gravel is later disturbed, a hobbyist might well find themselves faced with fish assumed lost a long time ago. C'mon guys, even a pleco shows his face every once in a while! During the last few days of the experiment, two took to hiding under the pipe in the rocky gravel. Those plants are slow-growing but will do just fine for the loaches. Kuhli loach digging m4fo0o. They will keep the sand moderately stirred up, but I'd still rake your fingers through it once a week just to make sure it's not getting compacted down. The smooth substrate is a must as these fish love to burrow and can be injured if the substrate has rough edges. It makes their oranges and yellows pop and increases the contrast between the dark and light colour bands. they like some cover when the lights are on,that's why they're digging in the gravel. Breed overview and habitat requirements Common names: Kuhli Loach, Coolie Loach, Khuli Loach, Prickly Eye. Kuhli loaches are a very communal species of fish that dwell on the bottom of freshwater streams in their habitat of origin. get them a cave or something so they have a place to go. Diet and feeding. Then another Kuhli comes out of no where and crashes into this one. They are a social fish and are typically found in small clusters (they are not schooling fish but enjoy the company of their species), but are cautious and nocturnal by nature and swim near the bottom where they feed around obstacles. With a pH of 6.5 the water hardness should be lowered. Much other fish do not thrive in such a low pH range. The fish also inhabits in Sumatra, Singapore, Malaysia, Java and Borneo Islands.In the wild inhabits in slow forest streams with soft muddy bottom, the stream is usually flowing in the shade of thick tropical flora, where the light doesn’t get through and with a lot of fallen leaves and snags in the water. they munch on the sand,eating whatever is on it and the sand exits the gills. Kuhli Loaches often … Kuhli loaches are very mobile fish, so it is best to keep them in spacious Aquariums of 50 liters. Among such a number of covers feels perfect.In th… My botias on the other hand tear through the substrate regularly, digging up my grass and making the tank cloudy (I recently put down AS and the tank was crytal clear until the loaches were added back in) The Kuhli Loach is usually nocturnal, only sneaking out during feeding time to eat food that falls to the substrate, then quickly returning to its lair. Sometimes referred to as a Coolie Loach or Leopard Loach, the Kuhli Loach (Pangio kuhlii) is a unique tropical fish that hails from freshwater streams in Southeast Asia in areas like Malaysia, Thailand, and Borneo. They natively live in a tropical climate and prefer water with a 5.5 - 6.5 pH-but will tolerate 7.0 pH in aquaria, a water hardness of 5.0 dGH, and a temperature range of 75 - 86 °F (24 - 30 °C). Sand would do, as rounded gravel will or the baked clay pebbles like ADA powder type or any other equal substrate are fine. Their maximum length is 3.2 inches. They do require intermediate care experience, however, as they’re a little more delicate than say, a goldfish. The natural habitat of the kuhli loach is the sandy beds of slow-moving rivers and clean mountain streams. Its body colorings are a kind of salmon-pink/yellow with dark brown to black stripes that half circles the body. Yeah, there's about 20 lbs. Sand is a desirable substrate in tanks that house freshwater invertebrates, cichlids, or burrowing fish like Kuhli loaches. First, let us find out more about Kuhli Loaches. The stomach is a sort of a whitish colour. There is lots of clicking and sleeping on your side to be had! Dont go over 2" or under 4" and you wont have anarobic issues. Drawbacks to Using Sand Sand isn’t the ideal substrate for every tank and imposes some limitations when used in freshwater aquariums. Loaches are carnivorous fish and love to scavenge in the sand for morsels of food. It is always fun to see them dig and poke out their little heads on the other side of the aquarium! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Because of this, it is common to not see a Kuhli Loach for days or even weeks at a time. These are peaceful little fish that hang out at the bottom of your aquarium, vacuuming up the plant waste, excess food, and other things that … Any light weight rounded (not sharp edged) substrate will do.. Very important is to have very fine gravel with very small granulation- khuli fish is known as digger and is all the time in contact with sand base. Hi. They burrow in the sand and filter it through their gills to extract food such as insects and other small creatures, as well as pieces of plant material. I've never had a problem with "kuhlis" hiding, especially the P. oblonga species featured in this post. Thanks guys!*w3. The small diameter of the sand grains prevents water from flowing through your substrate. So I'm getting some Ember tetras and I know they like darker substrate so Im switching my pebbles to either black sand or black gravel. Keep very dim light on low water levels. So keep the sand at 2"-4" and move it around every week and Ill be fine? What do Kuhli Loach Eat? It sat there for a couple of minutes after I took the photo. These creatures are considered to be one of many Old World f… Kuhli loach Scientific … Kuhli Loaches on Sand - Tropical fish forum at the Age of Aquariums - dedicated to promoting responsible fish-keeping internationally. The eyes on the Kuhli Loach are set in one of the stripes and therefore not easily … The other thing is they are nocturnal and will spend most of the time hiding. I'm looking to get a bunch of these noodlefish after I move in a few months, trying to figure out what's good/what's not so great. Kuhli Loaches require a soft substrate such as sand and fine gravel mix. Do Kuhli Loaches Breed in Aquariums? What kind of sand? The kuhli loach is a small eel-like freshwater fish belonging to the loach family. a 15 is probably too small for a proper group. The water should be soft, 0-5 dGH, slightly acidic, pH 5.5-6.5, with moderate lighting. Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question wes.pastor - I don't notice my khuliis diggin around too much. edit: re: sand on top of gravel. They feed on live worms such as … Females will lay their eggs using floating plants, and dense vegetation will also help promote spawning. Hence, the number of Kuhli Loaches that you can add to a 10-gallon tank will vary with the number of other inhabitants living in the same tank. This is because the shy Kuhli loach often likes to burrow within the substrate. The Kuhli loach, also commonly known as Coolie loach, comes from the Tropical waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Java and surrounding areas. Kuhli Loach Breeding. Honest truth i have 11 of them in sand and i watch them daily , i have never EVER seen them really dig in the sand , they will however wiggle in to anything they can like under ornaments , they can swim backwards and wiggle out like a snake so no worry of them getting hurt , your good either way you want to go , but IMO the sand makes them able to get in smaller … Possible explanations: There weren't many hiding spots, so we think they liked the rocky gravel because they could hide better and could burrow under it. Along the streambed, the substrate varies by area. Sand is preferable, as it will allow the loaches to exhibit natural sifting, feeding, and burrowing behaviors without potential damage to their soft eyes, skin, and whiskers. Kuhli loach habitat is in South-West Asia and India. They often do. If you have some sand in the tank you could add a colony of live Blackworms which all of the fish will adore searching for and scoffing, the cory's will suck them out of the sand and the loaches will burrow into the sand to find them. Join the shoal! Kuhli loaches are not picky eaters and will readily eat most kinds of sinking foods. Come here to enjoy pictures, videos, articles and discussion. Along with your standard filter, many aquarists agree that installing an undergravel filter when you have Kuhli Loach … They originate from Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula. Yes, they do like to burrow and they like their tunnels a lot, however, they also like climbing as high as they can. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In an aquarium environment, especially if the gravel is suitably finely grained, Pangio species can burrow into the bottom and there remain unseen for long periods of time, emerging to eat during the night. 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