Coolie loaches… caught out of the rocks… how big, do they ever breed in aquaria???

[Magnum Man]

Bought this gang when they were very tiny… I didn’t get a big group I think 3-4… this tank has big pebbles, and I didn’t see them for a long time, but lately I’ve been seeing them a lot more… they are not fitting as well in the gaps, between the rocks and sometimes need to come out and pull a “U” turn and go back under… and maybe because they are bigger, they come out more during feeding, rather than waiting for the feed to sift down

Anyway, is this as big as they get??? And do they ever breed like in tanks??? They seem pretty solitary for a fish that’s recommended in groups… when I see more than one at a time, they are often on opposite sides of the tank

 

[Fishies4Ever]

The kuhli loaches don’t usually school they sometimes shoal a bit. The purpose of getting a little group is so they feel more comfortable and come out more. It does look like they are full grown (3-4 inches). It is very difficult to breed kuhli loaches and would take a lot of work and would most likely be unsuccessful but you could try. If you could kuhli’s prefer a sand substrate so they can dig and those large stones are difficult to get into and can harm the fish. If you can’t change the substrate they will probably be ok but sand would be better for them.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Agree with the above, a sand substrate is a must for kuhli loaches.

"Use a soft, sandy substrate since this species likes to dig and tends to spend some of its time completely buried. When coarser gravel is used it may become stressed or damage itself, and feeding behaviour can be inhibited."

Pangio semicincta – ‘Kuhli’ Loach (Acanthophthalmus semicinctus, Pangio kuhlii) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[Magnum Man]

they are polished pebbles, no sharp edges ( I actually thought with the pebbles, they would stay in the Java ferns... as there are a lot in that tank ) but they came in tiny , & disappeared into the rocks... they still literally swim in the gaps between the pebbles... but every once in a while.. they run into a gap they can't go through, & quite easily back up, sometimes to above the rocks, before they dive back down into a different gap... they still spend as much time cruising the gaps between pebbles, as they would if it was fine sand... assume they eat all the food that has been falling in the gaps since they arrived, now that they are bigger, they have started to come out & compete with the cory's at feeding time, finding food that lands on the surface of the rocks, but they still spend the majority of the time cruising the gaps out of sight