Striped kuhli loaches

[Rocky998]

I have a 20H and I'm thinking maybe I can have 4 kuhli loaches instead of cories along with peacock gudgeons and lambchop rasboras. What do you guys think? Ive heard they need an "aged" tank... Is this true?

 

[Boundava]

Yes they do. What is your substrate? I ask because they will hide in the substrate if they can so it should be something soft like small gravel (like a coarse sand) or sand. They also will hide in leaf litter (as well as eat any copepods that will feed off the litter). Just FYI you won't see them as much as corys. Also I would do at least 6 Kuhlis as they are social loaches.

 

[Colin_T]

As long as the tank has an established biological filter, you can put Khuli loaches in a clean tank.

 

[hansgruber7]

I put four kuhlis in my new tank (after cycling of course) and they have done perfectly well and are happy in there. They do a great job cleaning up any leftover food that gets to the bottom. Make sure they have places to hide. They are fun to watch. Super cool little fish.

 

[Rocky998]

Yes they do. What is your substrate? I ask because they will hide in the substrate if they can so it should be something soft like small gravel (like a coarse sand) or sand. They also will hide in leaf litter (as well as eat any copepods that will feed off the litter). Just FYI you won't see them as much as corys. Also I would do at least 6 Kuhlis as they are social loaches.

As long as the tank has an established biological filter, you can put Khuli loaches in a clean tank.

I have some black aquarium sand and I would have live plants and rocks everywhere. I dont think I can do 6 in a 20H so I may just stick with cories then. I dont want to have less than I should. Thanks!

 

[Rocky998]

I put four kuhlis in my new tank (after cycling of course) and they have done perfectly well and are happy in there. They do a great job cleaning up any leftover food that gets to the bottom. Make sure they have places to hide. They are fun to watch. Super cool little fish.

Ok. What tank size do you have?

 

[anewbie]

I've added kuhli to new tanks before; it really isn't an issue for them as long as the water is clean. A 20H isn't the best tank because it doesn't have a lot of surface area but you could probably put a few in. While they prefer large groups i've kept as few as 2 before (when i was a little kid and didn't know better); and they did fine; would hang out in the plants like monkey. I would recommend that you go with pangio shelfordii if you can find them as they are a bit smaller than pangio kuhli, pangio meyersi and pangio semicincta (the three other fishes frequently sold as striped kuhli).

 

[Rocky998]

I've added kuhli to new tanks before; it really isn't an issue for them as long as the water is clean. A 20H isn't the best tank because it doesn't have a lot of surface area but you could probably put a few in. While they prefer large groups i've kept as few as 2 before (when i was a little kid and didn't know better); and they did fine; would hang out in the plants like monkey. I would recommend that you go with pangio shelfordii if you can find them as they are a bit smaller than pangio kuhli, pangio meyersi and pangio semicincta (the three other fishes frequently sold as striped kuhli).

There will be other tankmates (the largest being 3 peacock gudgeons) so I dont know if the loaches will be stressed from that?

 

[anewbie]

I doubt stress will be an issue; these guys are pretty fast and robust. Those gudgeon wont' be able to catch em but do give them a place where they can hide if they so choose to do so. If you have a sponge filter for example you can set a rock under it to raise it a tad so they can hide under it; or a coconut shell works wonders...; flat piece of drift wood that is slightly elevated at one end is another option.

 

[Rocky998]

I doubt stress will be an issue; these guys are pretty fast and robust. Those gudgeon wont' be able to catch em but do give them a place where they can hide if they so choose to do so. If you have a sponge filter for example you can set a rock under it to raise it a tad so they can hide under it; or a coconut shell works wonders...; flat piece of drift wood that is slightly elevated at one end is another option.

Ok, thanks. I have 10 pounds of dragon stone just waiting to be used so I can make caves out of those. I also am going to be buying some anubias, java ferns, and definitely some driftwood. I do not have a sponge filter but I'm sure I can make something like that. I'm still wondering if I should just go with cories... But these loaches just look so cool. Its hard picking good fish for an aquarium...

 

[anewbie]

Cory really need to be in a group of 6 to 10; more so than kuhli (which prefer such a group). Realistically the only cory i would recommend is pygmy cory for two reasons. First they will take advantage of some of the height in the tank by swimming 1/3 to 1/2 height; and they are small. There are other small cory but imho they offer nothing over pygmy (other than looks). I find the kuhli more difficult to predict how they will behave. I have some in a tank and never seen them over 2 years; in the tank next to it they almost never hide go figure.... over the years it has been the same i can never predict their behavior...

 

[Rocky998]

Cory really need to be in a group of 6 to 10; more so than kuhli (which prefer such a group). Realistically the only cory i would recommend is pygmy cory for two reasons. First they will take advantage of some of the height in the tank by swimming 1/3 to 1/2 height; and they are small. There are other small cory but imho they offer nothing over pygmy (other than looks). I find the kuhli more difficult to predict how they will behave. I have some in a tank and never seen them over 2 years; in the tank next to it they almost never hide go figure.... over the years it has been the same i can never predict their behavior...

Ok. Lol. Sounds like an exciting aquarium life

 

[coriesinhawaii]

If you have the option to switch out to a 20 long you could have both. I’ve had 8 cories and 4 kuhlis in a 20 long for 8 months and they are all doing well. My kuhlis are the type you see a lot of in the tank but I’ve also had the kind you barely see and I agree with anewbie it’s pretty hard to predict. Best you can do to promote having them out and viewable is give them plenty of hiding places and keep them in groups.

 

[Rocky998]

If you have the option to switch out to a 20 long you could have both. I’ve had 8 cories and 4 kuhlis in a 20 long for 8 months and they are all doing well. My kuhlis are the type you see a lot of in the tank but I’ve also had the kind you barely see and I agree with anewbie it’s pretty hard to predict. Best you can do to promote having them out and viewable is give them plenty of hiding places and keep them in groups.

I would see about a 20 long... But I bought a 20H and I dont have the money (as a teen) to be able and just get a 20 long

 

[Byron]

My suggestion is to go with either the kuhli loaches or cories, but not both together. I know Ian Fuller does not advise keeping loaches and cories together, and admittedly this likely refers to the botine loaches (Botia and similar genera species which can be much more forceful over food and space) though maybe kuhli as well. The other thing is that I most certainly would not keep Corydoras pygmaeus in with loaches of any species including kuhli. I'm not thinking as much of aggression but more of just providing a quiet environment for the cories. I might be concerned for the pygmy cories in with the gobies for that matter.