Kuhli Loach

Right folks,Ive gotten the bug again to go an get a few fish so Ive decided to break my tradition and try something other than South American. While the tank I'll be adding to is predominately South American Im thinking of adding some Kuhli Loach'es to this set up.
Existing tank is as follows.
I prefer to keep most of my fish under 3 inches, the Kuhli Loach can go to 4 inches but Im not overly sure how long it will take for them to go to that size, but thats another days work. Im always slow to add fish to my tank as the tank is perfect at present (Although I lost a ram recently)! I'll be adding them to the 160 litre tank.(which has some live plants present on a sand substrate).
Present inhabitants.

1. Angel
1. male guppy
5 neon tetras
7 rummy nose tetra
1 dwarf gourami (My first break away from South American fish!, gorgeous specimen also)
1 female golden ram
1 female blue ram (will be getting a male ram soon to accompany the other 2)
1 black molly (bred in another tank and is slow to grow over past year so I kept him!,lovely velvet look to him)
1 panda cory
4 sterbai cory
1 Ancistrius
1 L144
2 Bamboo filter shrimp
2 small shrimp (didnt know I had them until recently,they are never seen,once in a blue moon when I change the decor or something!).

I dont think Im overstocked though. I mean alot of them occupy different areas of the tank and the plants provide alot of cover for them to have their own areas. Whats your thoughts on adding say 3 Kuhli Loach's to this set up. Anyone able to give me some advice of these fish.


Gavin

They are best added to a mature tank,which obviously yours is.I think you'll be grand with them,as long as the angel dosnt think they're a tasty earthworm!
People probably keep less,but I wouldnt add anything less than 6,they're a loach afterall and really do prefer to be kept in numbers.I would forget the much talked about(and wrong imo)stocking levels of 1inch per gallon,or whatever they say,when it comes to these fellows,having said that,they do like good water conditions,so I presume you have good filtration anyways.

i'd tend to agree with Acara here watch the angel with these, but they are super little fish get long but not too fat and tear up and down the tank all the time, def go for a group to see them in the best effect min 6 but since they are so slim dont think it'll affect perameters too much.. enjoy them and good luck catching if ever you need too fast buggers these are, and can tend to bury a little... shouldnt affect plants though and have an effect like a good earthworm would have in a garden, preventing dead spots in substrate

Sounds good then! As usual Im getting my water change done now before heading to the fish shop! Mst get 2 endlers also, will hold off on the ram for another week.
Think I'll get 4 Kuhli's but will see what the price of them is.
Gavin

Ended up with only 2 of them, they were impossible to catch and took a fair while and at €8 each so abit steep to say the least. Also got some endlers but will put them in another tank as my angel would have lunch on them! Also got a male Blue ram to keep my female rams company!!
Presently acclimatising them all.
Gavin

Good luck gavin hope they settle in well for you, how long do you acliminatise them for, do you use the drip method?
Any pics of tank sound a very attractive setup

Cheers GB

I float the bag and then add some water from my existing tank to the water in the bag over a period of time. Normally takes about an hour but depends on the fish really. I never put any of the shop's water into my tank and I always bin the bags afterwards rather than re-use them.
So I suppose you could say its abit of a drip method! I'll try and get some pics possibly tomorrow as Im leaving lights off tonight on the tank to help them settle in. The kuhlis were gone within seconds to a hiding spot, one in the bogwood, the other behind some plants! Would of preferrred to have gotten more of them but for the price of them.At least gives me a trip in the future for more of them! The endlers are flying around in the other tank!
Gavin

use the same method myself Gavin for adding fish, seems to work fine. Play the lotto tomorrow and hopefully you can buy all the fish you ever wanted:laugh:

GB

€8 each sorry mate you were robbed blind seen them here in limerick retailing at €2.50 to €3.50 each that was mega steep:ohmy:

Yeah my thoughts exactly, esp when a torpedo barb in the next tank was going only for €10. I felt pretty robbed getting them for €8 each. Cork is the reason for that, no competition to get the price down I personally feel. I mean to get 2 of them isnt even ideal, Id want to have 4 or 6 of them even to see them behave properly but its too expensive to get that many to be honest at that price.
Actually that price is ridiculous, and its a Cork shop and a sponsor here too. Wonder does the Dublin store sell them for the same price?

Gavin

Well havent seen them much at all, I agree 2 isnt ideal but will pick up a few more as the weeks go along. Anyhow here is one of them hidden amongst my Bogwood and Java fern.

Gavin



I couldnt resist putting one in of my gourami also!

Lovely plants v.healthy and great colours on that gourami. Well done. I have 2 pieces of bogwood with java fern and I love them! They're indestructable!!

Cheers Trimax, I agree about the bogwood, essential or most tanks I think! The Jave fern is brill,it just grows and never needs any trimming or anything. Mine houses some shrimp that I didnt even know were in there! Hope the kuhli's wont put an end to them!

Gavin
Good luck with the Kuhli Loaches,great fish I used to keep them years ago and the only problem I ever had with them was their ability to swim down the under gravel filter uplifts... ,if you had to strip out a tank you were always guaranteed to find one or two under the filter plates.(never seemed to do them any harm tho....

Lar

Well finally got a few more! I got 5 today so Ive 7 in all now, still cant find any of them though in the tank!!!! If I look closely I can see one or two in the bogwood,when it gets dark I'll have a look in the tank then!

Gavin

They will come out once the light are gone off in the tank.
If you ever have to treat the tank with meds only use 1/2 dose. That includes melafix.

i hav 5 kuhli loaches... id say when they settle in u will see them going crazy up and down the tank..! all mine come out at feeding time.. escpecially for bloodworms!!

They were all out and about this morning! Crazy looking to see all 7 of them pop out of the bogwood and java fern as soon as some pellets zip past them! Its funny,will get a video of it in the next few days.
Gavin