Kuhli Loach safe with Emperor Filter?

Hey all. I've had my 10 gal. up and running for almost a year now. I have a sand substrate and have been reading almost every thread on this fantastic fish. I haven't actually been to the fish store to check them out so I had a couple questions for the experts. First, how much do the striped ones usually run? And second, I am running an Emperor filter. The cover on these filters covers the outflow. Would this filter be safe left as is, or should I add something else to keep the loaches from trying to swim into it? Thanks for any help!

 

I have known people who kept kuhlI loaches, and none of them had experience with them swimming up the filter outflow. With your sand, they'd be much happier burrowing and grubbing for leftover foods than swimming up the outflow like yo-yos and candy stripe loaches do. Typically, the black ones at my LFS run for about 2 or 3 dollars (been a while since I last visited) and I never saw the striped variation (the place is huge I still have tanks to see and fishes to price and look at), but I'm guessing that the variation you're looking for is not much higher in price, lower maybe.

 

Wow!! That's awesome. I'll have to call around and see if anyone is selling the striped ones. If not...perhaps they can order a few for me. At the moment, I have a 10 gal...but come August I'm moving and will be setting up a 30 gal. I'll use the sand that I have in my tank now, plus new sand, and I'll also use most of the water from this tank. That should help the cycle process move along a little faster. You think the loaches can handle that?

 

Petco frequently has the black ones for $1.49 each. I paid $5.99 for my striped ones.
They are really cool little critters but I wouldn't put more than three in a ten gallon tank and that's all you'll be able to put in there. They really like a heavily planted tank.
Carol

 

I think 3 will be all that I buy...even when I move into my 30 gal. tank.

 

I think 3 will be all that I buy...even when I move into my 30 gal. tank.

Usually the more Kuhlis you have in a group the more you see their natural habits. In a 30 gallon you could have several more and still have other fish.
carol

 

Well then, that's even more good news. I read that they enjoy a heavily planted tank. Does that mean real plants or fake? Because I will have a lot of fake plants in the tank that they could hide in, as well as a volcano.

 

They will do okay with fake plants and some other stuff to hide under. They prefer live, though.

 

Live plants are more beneficial for your tank but as long as the fake ones are soft they really won't care.
Carol

 

And with the addition of these fish, I won't have to stir my sand bed anymore? They will take care of it all?

 

Depending on how deep the sand bed is. They will root around on the surface looking for yummys and are so cute when they shoot sand out their gills when they are looking.
I have never seen mine burrow down in the sand. I have seen them down in the gravel at the LFS but I think that is self preservation and stress.
Carol

 

Ok...I don't mind giving the sand a little stir every once in a while. I would add snails, but if I ever dose my tank with algae destroyer, they will die. I wouldn't want that happening!

 

If you dose your tank with algae destroyer it's possible your kuhlis will die also. Keep a handle on your Nitrates and excess light and you won't have to worry about algae
Carol