How to go about quarantining kuhli loaches

I'm planning on getting some kuhli loaches for my tank. I've already got a quarantine tank running with sand, rocks, wood, and some plants. I'm nearly done quarantining cherry barbs in it, after which I will be getting some gourami, and after whose quarantine I plan on getting kuhli loaches.

I've been wondering about how I should go about quarantining the kuhli loaches. I know they like to have lots of places to hide, but if I give them that:

1. How can I properly observe them in quarantine? I understand that they are more outgoing if given more hiding places; but at the same time I can't see how I can properly observe all of them properly to make sure they're all healthy. I can't see how I can ever be sure that they're all still alive unless they all come out at the same time for me to count them all.
2. Catching them when I have to move them into the main tank will not be easy unless I take out everything out of the quarantine tank and dig through the substrate.

Is there a better way I can go about this?

 

I quarantine mine in 10 gallon with a few pieces of driftwood, without any substrate + I added 2 big almond indian leaves on the bottom. I just watched them - that's it. They were out and about all all the time. When it comes to catching them after quarantine it's gonna be a pain. I removed everything plus drained 80 % of water and it was still one of the most time consuming projects but you don't need to remove substrate. I was able to catch them once in sand but still removed all decorations + left water inside

 

I quarantine mine in 10 gallon with a few pieces of driftwood, without any substrate + I added 2 big almond indian leaves on the bottom. I just watched them - that's it. They were out and about all all the time. When it comes to catching them after quarantine it's gonna be a pain. I removed everything plus drained 80 % of water and it was still one of the most time consuming projects but you don't need to remove substrate. I was able to catch them once in sand but still removed all decorations + left water inside

Thanks. Catching the cherry barbs in my quarantine tank was a mission today - I image catching the kuhlis will be a lot worse :-D

 

Just remember kuhli loaches are 100 times more difficult to catch than barbs if they have hiding places so where ever they can hide remove it first. Also mine love to hide in coconut shells or under slightly raised sponge filters - both are cheap and easy to have in a qt tank (you can raise a sponge filter a little with a stone or whatever).
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The betta loves staring at the kuhli hiding under the sponge filter so be sure to add one of those.

 

Noooooo! Don't do it! lol. Keep a kuhli loach tank only. You can read my query under kuhli loaches I just posted. You can't easily treat your other fish with medicines while the kuhli's are in your tank. If you get something as simple as ick, raising the temp may kill the other's.

 

I can't agree. I treated my main tank with heat at 86 and 2 weeks later lost 1 kuhli. By that time they were looking very bad, covered in ick completely. I put them in quarantine tank and treated with full dose of Fritz Coppersafe for 3 weeks. Just after a few days there was a tremendous improvement. All made it till the end of treatment and they are happy nad healthy in my main tank now. I don't believe kuhli's are copper sensitive

 

I can't agree. I treated my main tank with heat at 86 and 2 weeks later lost 1 kuhli. By that time they were looking very bad, covered in ick completely. I put them in quarantine tank and treated with full dose of Fritz Coppersafe for 3 weeks. Just after a few days there was a tremendous improvement. All made it till the end of treatment and they are happy nad healthy in my main tank now. I don't believe kuhli's are copper sensitive

Really? That is one of the no, no's "they" say. What does Copper treat?

 

Copper treats parasites like ick

 

My kuhlis are virtually indestructible. I treated them for parasites, they survived. I treated them with salt. They survived. And they also survived when I put melafix in the tank- which I don’t recommend but I did and I still have them with me.