Dying Kuhli loach

[Justikanz]

IMO, khulis are not effective snail eaters... More like scavengers...

[GaspingGurami]

When I got my last batch 3 years ago, they were very sensitive and any small fluctuation to temperature or water parameters caused a bout of ich and the resultant casualties.

After getting acclimatised, they are now one of the hardiest in my tank. They have now come through all kinds of conditions: Hot 32degree water to cool 24 degrees; from non-co2 injection UGF tank to 80+ ppm (I see them lingering uncharacteristically at the surface and only then realise the high CO2); accidental overdose of H2O2 (fins started to bubble and burn); fert dosing accidents; overfeeding; underfeeding;and many other misadventures that took the lives of many others, but they prevailed.

Take heart. I've gone through many of them before I got this lucky good batch. Most of them from the LFS are already in bad shape to start with, and I have once taken a bag of 5 of them home to arrive with 1 dead, so don't be too discouraged with the deaths. I love these little creatures and have kept them since 1975, I don't try to feed them, letting them forage for leftovers, but having dirty gravel helps. I've once had a bunch of them stay under the UGF plate for months. I thought I lost them, till I applied a siphon to clean up the UGF months later. They probably survived on just munching mulm.

Here's a link to loaches online for more info on khulis.
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/kloach.html

[diki]

Justikanz, I do agree with u on this. They seems to ignore snails. But even got fish food drop in front of them they sometimes just ignore them.

GaspingGurami, I have seen posts from other forumers that once they are acclimatised, they can be very hardy. Even a bro (Kenkht) told me they can survive in almost all the environment he has for his fishes. (even use them for cycling his tank before his shipment comes) I also got worried whenever I see them turn pale. Kenkht recommend lower Ph and more hidding space for them. After I got the shallow tank from him, they are now in this tank with some hidding place and low Ph (add ketapang leave into the tank). Hopefully they can recover to become healthy. I will not be dishearted and will continue to keep them until they all die on me.

Thanks for all the bros that have advised me on the cute fellas.

[K11]

This Khuli loach, will it attack shrimps like the malayan and cherries in a planted environment? Uproot foreground plants like glosso or rooted plants?

[Justikanz]

IME, they are quite good diggers BUT seems like they prefer NOT to dig, if there are some mulm for them to play and hide in... They like to hide in moss clumps too...

I had 1 with my shrimps... Didn't know it is there before adding the shrimps... So far, think the adults are ok... No idea about the babies... But won't be surprised if it eats my cherry shrimplets...

[K11]

Intend to get six or so of this khulis for my 2ft planted wif glosso foreground which i jus added 100 malayans and 10 yamatoes thinking of adding another 50 cherries so some concern whether this khulis will be a potential trouble maker for my tank. Or six is too many for a small tank like mine?

[XnSdVd]

too many... I'd get about 3 if I were you.

[diki]

Just some update.

Got 2 kuhli loaches left, living in the shallow tank with female guppies. They usually tends to hide below the 2 driftwood that I have placed in the tank with a plastic mesh waiting for Singapore moss to grow out of it. They should have get used to the environment now and living well. : )

IMHO, cherries are rather small and might be bullied by yamotos and maybe malayan (mine quite like to snatch food from each other and some up to medium size yamotos already). However, looks like cherries are the only one able to spawn in the 2 ft tank as I still have 0 success with malayan in a 1 ft setup.

Kuhli loach are shy fellas so don't think they will bully the shrimps in a 2 ft tank. Provide them plenty of places to hide (driftwood or few handful of java moss should be ok). Since yamotos might nip on the fins, so need to watch out.

[K11]

Ok, think i will try it out wif 3 then, my tank is quite heavily planted, got driftwood for them to hide.

Saw one of the malayans carrying eggs, black color. don't know if it can get spawned...

Well got to watch out the yamatos.

[Quixotic]

This is a good read, Practical Fishkeeping of January 2006 issue has a 3 page article on the Kuhlis.

[XnSdVd]

I think the ex-gratiola guys had some success in getting malayans to spawn in their 6ft. There were about 50 fry from the 10 adults in the tank. Think wackytpt or tanvincent would know how.