How to catch Kuhli loach?

I'm going to be getting 6 or 7 KuhlI loachs in a couple weeks.
Was just thinking though how the heck do you get them in the net without hurting them?

 

Two nets. One stationary, and use the other to herd them into it.
Either that, or a whole lot of manual dexterity.

I always apologize to the pet store people when I go to buy loaches. You can tell the new ones by the fact that they look at you quizzically when you say "I need some kuhlI loaches. I'm really sorry." ;D

 

I always apologize to the pet store people when I go to buy loaches. You can tell the new ones by the fact that they look at you quizzically when you say "I need some kuhlI loaches. I'm really sorry." ;D

LOL I've got such a good repore with my LFS (been going there for YEARS...they are like family and we send birthday and christmas cards back and forth ) they actually hand me the net whenever I ask for loaches or similarly hard to catch fish and say "good luck, let us know how many you get!".

Thinking about it, I should probably own stock considering how much $$$ i've spent there over the years. Too bad they don't trade publicly, i'd own about 70% of the shares

But back on track. To answer the original question, the 2 net idea is the best and least likely to cause damage to the fish or to other things in the tank. I've got heavily planted tanks and if I were to chase my kuhlI with a net it would look like a typhoon just went through.

 

LOL @ SirDarkSoul I got lucky when I bought mine and they had literally just arrived and were still in the shipping bag so I just said ill take them all.

Yeah the 2 net theory is the best, that and a lack of substrate, cause if you chase them too much they will just find a soft spot and dig in.

 

I use an old clear glass milk bottle.
I place ground shrimp in it and lay in on the bottom.
Once the loaches swim in, I lift it out.

 

Dino wins.
Trapping them is way smarter than trying to catch them.

 

I love that idea dino. Now will a store actually do that is the question.

 

"I need some kuhlI loaches. I'm really sorry." ;D

I thought the lady at the LFS was going to curse me when I wanted to get the last two (very small) yoyo loaches in the tank. They kept wedging themselves into a groove in the filter intake, so she'd poke them out with her finger then ZOOM off they went.

 

Mine was the one and only black kuhlI in quite a large tank

 

How big do the different colorations of Kuhli's get?

 

I use 2 nets 1 stationary 1 to chase them toward it or put food in the net and when a couple of them swim in I just raise it up.

 

That's fine as long as they aren't barried I guess.

 

I think that most of the common strains of kuhlI loach reach from 3-5 inches long.

Loaches Online has some excellent information on the different species of kuhlI loach:

 

thank you elodea