Kuhli Loaches

[ilovemydragongoby]

So after 2 weeks in QT, I've added my 3 kuhli loaches to my 55gal. They are so cute. I wasn't able to get a good pic of them. They just like a blur in all the pics. But they are the striped ones. The lfs i got them at said they were "black striped kuhli loaches``. i`m hoping to pick up a few more of them soon.
right now they are about 1.5 - 2inches i think.
i`ll try to get a pic of them in the future. it seems the only time they come out are at water changing times.

 

[mgamer20o0]

lucky often i dont see mine for months.

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

i was speaking with someone who had an under gravel filter. and some kuhli loaches. after not seeing them ever, she tore down the tank. removed the undergravel filter and found literally hundreds of kuhlis. i guess they swam down there, couldn`t get out and had tons of babies.

 

[WhiteDevil]

they breed under things where others cant get, The kuhlli's you got are pangio kuhlli's the true kuhlli loach, there is no black banded kuhlli's.

I breed their cousins the black kuhlli loach or pangio oblonga's with great success with a UGF in place. Ive got over 30 new ones since shipping out a dozen two months ago.

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

that's crazy, i knew that they liked to bury under the substrate but i didnt know they would actually breed under there

 

[WhiteDevil]

They are not easy to breed in captivity, I have a few in a 15g with no UGF and not once in a year have they reproduced, but the tank with a dormant UGF plate always throws up new ones. I think the fact they can get under there and nothing else can helps the most.

 

[BigJim]

WhiteDevil,

Would you be willing to share some more information about khuli breeding?

Tank parameters?

Do you keep gravel on top of the UGF plates?

Do you keep the tubes in place?

 

[WhiteDevil]

My tank is as follows
39x2 T5HO
rated for 175g tank wet/dry
Ph is 5.8
A,N,Ni are all null

Plate installed, tubes can be used, or caps. I just made sure there was a tunnel under the plate so they could get in and out. When I had it set up I had the tubes with twin 660R marineland powerheads on there(clean water under the plate via sponge filter on PH) they used to swim in that current in the uplift tubes.

I kept them in place and functioning(tubes) but you dont have to, the current under there with the powerheads helps alot with mortality,Kuhllis dont fan their eggs and the current keeps fresh water flowing under the plate at all times

Set up a RUGF system and have fun. I bred them in a community tank with over a dozen angels, 6 dozen tetras, 3 dozen corydoras, half a dozen dwarf plecos and about 200g worth of plants. they had ample hiding spaces and the best part is the young kuhllis were able to grow out completely under the plate with no predator interference.

 

[BigJim]

5.8 pH? Was that a typo?

 

[WhiteDevil]

No not at all. They are in a tank with wild angels and rams, If the Co2 is off it bumps up to 6.3

Water source is RO and that is 6.5