10 new kuhli loaches hiding and I also don't know what to feed them

So I got 10 kuhlI loaches in the mail along with 16 neon tetras and there in a 20 gallon long together. Theres actually 21 neon tetras in the tank because I added 5 more to the tank that I had in another tank. The neon tetras are right at home but the kuhlI loaches are hiding in a pleco cave and are skittish. I don't know what they like to eat, I tried some sinking pellets. They didn't touch that stuff much. Anyone who owns kuhlI loaches or has experience with them please tell me what they like to eat and also tips for taking care of them. Theres also a gourami in there. A small opaline, it doesn't bother any of the kuhlis or neons.

 

KuhlI loaches are mostly nocturnal, so try feeding them at night.

 

Try feeding them right before bed, I had the same problem as you and when I started feeding them before Bed they ate more and overall improved once I did that

 

I have a pyscho loach that swims around like a mad man anytime I feed and five that I don't see until night time. Feed bottom sinking pellets that are made for omnivores. I have three varieties that switch around, and they eat them all. The more typcal loach behavior is hiding and only coming out after the lights are off, so you may want to feed right before or after the lights turn off, that way you don't have obese tetras and hungry kuhlI loaches.
Is your tank planted or with lots of decor? KuhlI are more at home when there are plenty of shade and hiding spots.

 

My loaches go crazy all day..mine never hide. But I do have live plants and places they can rest for a few minutes if needed. Mostly they are like little eels ALL.DAY.LONG. I get tired just watching them. I have 6 in my 65 gallon tank, and they usually just eat leftover food from the other fish, and occasionally I drop in an algae wafer.

 

So I got 10 kuhlI loaches in the mail along with 16 neon tetras and there in a 20 gallon long together. Theres actually 21 neon tetras in the tank because I added 5 more to the tank that I had in another tank. The neon tetras are right at home but the kuhlI loaches are hiding in a pleco cave and are skittish. I don't know what they like to eat, I tried some sinking pellets. They didn't touch that stuff much. Anyone who owns kuhlI loaches or has experience with them please tell me what they like to eat and also tips for taking care of them. Theres also a gourami in there. A small opaline, it doesn't bother any of the kuhlis or neons.

my kuhlI enjoys to eat sinking carnivorous pellets that I mainly feed to my axolotl and he also loves algae wafers! every once in a while as a treat I boil a cucumber for 10 minutes and sink it down with a fork. my kuhlI and snails LOVE that! I rarely see him eat but when I do it’s always been at night

 

They'll come out more eventually, they just need time. Mine are out during the day alot.

 

Frozen blood worms and brine shrimp seem to be a favorite along with Wardley shrimp pellets, Omega One freeze dried brine shrimp and tubifex worms. My kuhlis happily eat anything including more shrimp food than my shrimps! Time and more hiding spot will help bring them out of hiding. Try feeding them close to the cave so they are not far from cover yet far enough away from it where you can observe them eat.

 

They will eat anything and don't worry too much about not seeing them for weeks at a time. I have kuhlI in 3 different tanks ranging from 2 - well now 4 to 12 - count doesn't matter. The two I had (now 4) are always out going and look for me at feeding time - however I have 4 in another tank and i'm lucky to see two of them once every 3 months - the other two are not out going but I know where they hide. I kid you not if they see me looking in their hiding place the skiddle off to a new hiding place. The other 10 or 12 are in a larger tank - and I rarely see more than 1 or two and these guys are large - at least twice as thick as any kuhlI i've seen in a store (they are all over a year old) - for a while all of them came out and for 3 weeks glass surfed non stopped right in front of me. Every day 24 hours a day - up and down for 3 weeks then one day they stopped and that was that. I presume it might be seasonal so maybe they will come back out in 4 more months. Anyway i've had kuhlI in the past that I swore were dead and showed up months later - I never fed them in the past though I admit since the 4 in one tank are always looking for me I drop a pellet or shrimp pellet next to them which they quickly gobble down - the other 14 or 16 (total from other two tanks) I just ignore and assume they are finding food since they get bigger and bigger (the shy ones started as tiny little things less than an 1/8 of an inch diameter and barely an inch long - they are shy but they have some of the most amazing patterns - not your plain stripped sort and all 4 are different pattern). The things you discover when you tiny kuhlI become big kuhli. Anyway good luck but don't panic or feel you have to feed them. Just feed your other fishes and they will find scrapes - or drop a pellet in for them if you are super concern.
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All of my tanks are heavily planted with drift wood and other hiding places. I should also mention the general rule of thumb people state is kuhlI prefer numbers (5 or 6) but i've not seen a big difference in behavior from 2 to 12. I will note the very shy one are on white substrate so they might prefer darker substrate - I don't have enough sample points to say for sure but there are quite a few fishes that prefer darker substrate. There are also a lot of articles on kuhlI loaches as they are fairly popular. One tidbit there are something like 10 or 12 different types of kuhlI loaches from different regions. It is not clear to myself if there is a big difference in behavior based on the type and frequently the stores don't know what they are selling since they are mostly just referred to as kuhlI loaches.

 

They prefer to have cover and hiding spaces so they feel more comfortable. After they adjust and don't feel like there are any threats, they will come out.

I've got them in our 75 gallon community tank, and they always are out either swimming or just laying around on the plants or substrate.

Mine eat anything that sinks. I use flakes, pellets and wafers from Ken's Fish house brand of fish food.

Link
Fish Food

 

They prefer to have cover and hiding spaces so they feel more comfortable. After they adjust and don't feel like there are any threats, they will come out.

I've got them in our 75 gallon community tank, and they always are out either swimming or just laying around on the plants or substrate.

Mine eat anything that sinks. I use flakes, pellets and wafers from Ken's Fish house brand of fish food.

Link
Fish Food

Is the food from them cheaper? It seems like the same foods you can get on places like Amazon.

 

They carry all major brands with many times price equal to or better than Amazon. I'd rather support small family owned businesses like Ken's.

Also, Amazon doesn't carry his house brand of fish food....

That was the good I was referring too. His house brand probably has more options for pellets, flake and sticks versus the national brands. All of his ingredients are listed for each one, so its easy to select one that meets the dietary needs of specific fish, like Mbuba, Tropheus, bottom dwellers, South Americans, juvie, community, etc etc.

His foods do not cloud up the water either, like some other brands.

Ken's Pellets Link

Ken's Premium Flake

Ken's Sticks Link