Black Kuhlie Loach Aka Java Loach Q

[moo0oo]

so i saw them at the LFS today and i was very attracted to them so i came home and did some research. apparantly they're not very often seen so i wanna snatch em up while i can before they dissapear, but i'm not sure if they can go into my tank... i have an 18 gallon tank with 2 golden apple snails, 3 adult fancy guppies (i breed them) and there's always 30+ fry in the tank, they are removed when they are matured, usually about 2 months. i would like to keep 2 or so out of the current batch. i have a few quick Q's:
will they eat my fry?
i have the standard aquarium gravel, is it absolutely necessary to have sand?
the only hinding places i have are some plastic plants. should i get an ornament for them to hide in?
will i need a cover on my tank; will they jump out?
are they really as rare as they sound?
how many minimum will i need and will they have enough room in my 18gal for 6 months approx untill i get my 6'x18"x20" aquarium? they will have pleanty of room then and i do plan on using sand with live plants and driftwood...
anything else i should know?

thank you so so so much! =]

 

[mikev]

will they eat my fry? Quite unlikely. I actually tried something like this: I have a few P.Anguillaris in a tank infected with Endler's....an overpopulation crisis. Kuhlis are not helpful at all. But if any Pangio eats fry, P.Oblonga is the most likely one to do it...they are more active than other kuhlis.

i have the standard aquarium gravel, is it absolutely necessary to have sand? it is better.

the only hinding places i have are some plastic plants. should i get an ornament for them to hide in? They may accept roots of plastic plants. A small cave-like decoration will make them happier.

will i need a cover on my tank; will they jump out? Not common, but may happen in a small tank. I had a couple of incidents with a different kuhli species in a 10g, but never in a larger tank.

are they really as rare as they sound? Not really, but healthy kuhlis are a problem to find lately.

how many minimum will i need and will they have enough room in my 18gal for 6 months approx untill i get my 6'x18"x20" aquarium? they will have pleanty of room then and i do plan on using sand with live plants and driftwood... 5+. They contribute very little to the bioload, so don't count them as 5*3"=15g, it is much less. Just keep up with water changes.[/i]


anything else i should know? Newly-shipped kuhlis often die (50% losses or so). Make sure that the store had them for at least a week before buying, this will improve your chances a lot. Make sure the fish at the store is not dying out. Quarantine if you can. Once settled, they are very hardy, but the initial week or two are difficult.

hth