Black Khuli Loach Needs Weight Watechers?

Neomeris

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I have three black khuli loaches in my twenty gallon tank. I have had them for a year, now. One (or maybe all of them- I can't tell them apart) is rather fat. It has the regular, sleek loach shape for the top half of it's body, and then for the bottom half, it seems to bulge outwards. The loache(s) in question seem healthy, and swarm around happily in the evening. Is this lach a female and swelling with eggs, or do I need to put my loaches on a diet?

Neomeris
 
I have three black khuli loaches in my twenty gallon tank. I have had them for a year, now. One (or maybe all of them- I can't tell them apart) is rather fat. It has the regular, sleek loach shape for the top half of it's body, and then for the bottom half, it seems to bulge outwards. The loache(s) in question seem healthy, and swarm around happily in the evening. Is this lach a female and swelling with eggs, or do I need to put my loaches on a diet?

Neomeris
Kuhli Loaches are notorious for overeating, though none of my kuhli loaches are "obese". If none of the other loaches are this fat, then you most likely have a female who is swollen with eggs.
 
Okay. Will the eggs survive and hatch? The khulis are in with guppies, platies, danios, and powder blue gourami. Should I move the khulis to my ten gallon breeding tank which currently holds guppies?
 
Okay. Will the eggs survive and hatch? The khulis are in with guppies, platies, danios, and powder blue gourami. Should I move the khulis to my ten gallon breeding tank which currently holds guppies?
Yes, you should move all the kuhlis into the breeder tank, then do a larger-than-normal water change the day before a large weather system moves through. The drop in pressure is an alert the kuhlis to start their natural mating season, as in their natural habitat they breed during the wet season. You'll notice the fish are swimming nervously up and down the sides of the tank, as well as all over the tank. In the dim early light, pairs begin to swim up and down together. Eventually, they'll twine around each other and splash along the surface of the tank. After a few false starts, bright green eggs will be released and fertilized while they are moving along the surface. The eggs will float for a bit, then slowly sink. They are slightly adhesive and will attach to leaves and roots of plants. It is suggested you have either java moss or java fern in the tank,as they are perfect egg nesting plants. Any eggs that reach the bottom will be eaten by the adults. At this time, remove the adults and let the eggs hatch in the tank. Are the guppies in the tank adults or babies? If they are adults, I suggest moving them to the larger tank.
Edit: The eggs will hatch after a couple of days, and the fry will start feeding a few days later. If you have mulm on the bottom of the tank,leave it there, this will be full of all kinds of protozoa that will provide an excellent first food for the fry. They will also eat much of the micro-fauna found on the Java moss and Java ferns, and a sponge filter. Add supplemental fish foods, such as specially made commercial fry foods that sink to the bottom. After four or five days, you can start adding frozen cyclops or micro-worms. After another week, you can start adding newly hatched brine shrimp, too. Do small daily water changes to help keep the water quality at an optimal level. The fry grow fast and will be nearly an inch long after six weeks. At this size, it's a good idea to move some of them to another tank for further growing, as a good-sized spawn can number several hundred fry, but sometimes not all will survive. If this is succesfull, then congrats! :good: You're one of the very few aquarists who have achieved an almost impossible task of breeding kuhli loaches in aquaria. Best of Luck! :good:
 
I am really into loaches and have never heard of any loach giving birth in a private aquarium, i would not be surprised if it is just a little big. I have a black kuhli myself and it is thin but its only a few months old, if it does end up being pregnent please let me know i would love to hear about it
 
Hundreds....of...fry.... OOOOOH NOOOO! I don't need hundreds of fry! How big of a storm does it need to be?
 
Hundreds....of...fry.... OOOOOH NOOOO! I don't need hundreds of fry! How big of a storm does it need to be?
Just a typical rainstorm. You don't have to keep all of them, and there is no guarantee they will survive past the egg or infancy. Keep the ones you want, and either give the rest to a friend or sell/trade/donate to your LFS, im sure they'll appreciate that
 
The monsoon season here is starting. From now 'till July it will be rain, rain,rain
 
Okay. Will the eggs survive and hatch? The khulis are in with guppies, platies, danios, and powder blue gourami. Should I move the khulis to my ten gallon breeding tank which currently holds guppies?
Yes, you should move all the kuhlis into the breeder tank,
At this time, remove the adults and let the eggs hatch in the tank. Are the guppies in the tank adults or babies? If they are adults, I suggest moving them to the larger tank.

What guppies are you referring to? The guppies in the fry tank are juveniles, and need homes. Catching loaches is easier said than done. They are greased lightning with jet packs, with too much caffeine. Moving them is a half and day project.
 
Okay. Will the eggs survive and hatch? The khulis are in with guppies, platies, danios, and powder blue gourami. Should I move the khulis to my ten gallon breeding tank which currently holds guppies?
Yes, you should move all the kuhlis into the breeder tank,
At this time, remove the adults and let the eggs hatch in the tank. Are the guppies in the tank adults or babies? If they are adults, I suggest moving them to the larger tank.

What guppies are you referring to? The guppies in the fry tank are juveniles, and need homes. Catching loaches is easier said than done. They are greased lightning with jet packs, with too much caffeine. Moving them is a half and day project.


:lol: I love your description of trying to catch khuli loaches, at times I think it would be easier to catch and hold an oily pig in a mud wallow, and the little devils aren't content with just being fast and slippery, able to squeeze through the tiniest gap, oh no these little cheats have to dive head first into the substrate too in order to avoid being caught. But I do love my khuli loaches, even if I hate having to try and catch the litlte beasties :nod: .
 
I think that khuli loaches should be in the Olympics for some event. I can see somebody posting on YouTube an "epic fail" vidio of someone trying to catch a loach.
 
I think that khuli loaches should be in the Olympics for some event. I can see somebody posting on YouTube an "epic fail" vidio of someone trying to catch a loach.

:lol: I think the video would end up being bigger than Ben Hur :lol: . They are mischevious little beasties but you can't help but love them :wub: . But if you want to experience real frustration in the loach catching world try nabbing a Borneo Sucker, man those things are faster than fighter jet in a tail wind, and suck on to the glass like limpets. But once again you just have to love them for their peaceful unassuming ways....just don't expect to catch them in a hurry.
 
I think that khuli loaches should be in the Olympics for some event. I can see somebody posting on YouTube an "epic fail" vidio of someone trying to catch a loach.

:rofl: I can totally see a loach Olympic event!

Olympic Loach Chariot Racing
loach1.jpg


Olympic Loach Hurdle Race
loach2.jpg


Olympic Loach Sumo Wrestling
loach3.jpg
 

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