Question about kuhli loaches

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Sharpchick

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
715
Location
Arkansas
I'm starting a 20 gallon long planted tank and have a question about adding kuhli loaches with one of the filters I have on the tank.

Tank has 15# each eco complete and gravel substrate. Planted with lots of stems now - anacharis, hygro, cabomba, pennywort (floating), two crypts and a piece of cholla wood covered with marimo moss.

I'm running two filters on this tank - a Tetra Whisper 20i, and a Lustar Hydro Sponge 2 (I run sponge filters on all my tanks for extra biological filtration).

The tank is two weeks old, and has 6 harlequin rasboras in it. Eventually, I'll add 4 more rasboras, and 10 neon tetras.

I'd love to add 6 kuhli loaches last, but I've read horror stories about how they get caught up in filters, and here's my dilemma.

The lip of the Tetra filter is underwater, as in this photo (circled in red). It can't be adjusted any higher on the tank.

73133-albums11460-picture50391.jpg


Even though they would have to swim against the current to get in there, there's plenty of room for a cute little 3 inch loach and his buds to do it.

Right now, I have the scrubber that came with the filter in it, and bio balls and a sponge. That has cut the outflow rate of the filter some, and I wonder if putting a piece of pantyhose over the outflow would decrease the flow too much.

Should I give up on the idea of the loaches, and top the tank off with a couple of honey gouramis?

Any loach owners around to discuss this?
 
Last edited:
My kuhlis almost never make it up to the top of the tank, the mainly just zip around the mid-bottom levels. I HAVE had issues with inhabitants getting in those whisper filters, but those were shrimp, not loaches. I think you should be OK. (y)
 
That's very good news. I think kuhli loaches in the right numbers are fascinating to watch. My LFS has a tank with a bunch of them in it, and since there are so many, they are pretty good at performing for their audience.
 
Easiest way to annoy the staff in your LFS is to ask for Kuhli's - they are a bloody nightmare to catch, even in a small display tank, I do love mine though.
 
Easiest way to annoy the staff in your LFS is to ask for Kuhli's - they are a bloody nightmare to catch, even in a small display tank, I do love mine though.

+1 I have four in my 29 gallon. They are not coming out until they kick the bucket( I'm not hoping they die btw). I'll add shrimp to the list of fish that are a pain to catch.
 
Back
Top Bottom