Kuhli Loaches Issues

So I recently purchased 9 KhulI Loaches. Acclimated slowly with drip method over the course of about 1 1/2 hours. Then netted them into the tank. They all seemed fine for about 4 days. Then slowly they have been just dieing off. I've never experienced a gradual die off like this.
Parameters are 0,0,10 and I waterchange weekly with Prime.
I only add Flourish and Excel as chemicals.
Temp is always at 78°
There's plenty of hiding places.

No other fish have shown any stress. No red gills. No glass surfing. I never saw anything wrong with the khulis and they were actively eating.

Are these fish just very sensitive? Why would they die after a handful of days?

 

I've had a kuhlI (I know I need more then 1, That's why I got rid of him) I had him for 6 months. I've here its a 50/50 chance if they make it but, I thing they just need a well established tank. How long has it been setup? tank mate?

 

I had a very similar thing happen to me when I first got into the hobby. I wanted to keep kuhlis and went to the LFS and all they had were 3. I bought those 3 and took them home. (I still have one of those. 1 went carpet surfing about a year ago and the other died just the other day) Then the LFS got a batch in and I went and bought 6 more. All 6 died within a week or less. I attributed it to me buying too many at once and causing a spike in nitrites. I got the tank back in order. Still had the original 3. Went back to the LFS and bought 3 more. All 3 died within a few days. Tried one more time and bought 3 more. Again, all 3 died within a week. I gave up and just kept the 3 I had.

About a year later I decided to try again and get them from a different source. I bought 5 of them from Trins Fish and still have all 5 of those. Since then, i've always bought my kuhlis from there. I don't know if it was a bad source issue or just something else but I never really understood the issue.

 

I just kept seeing one die everyday and was raking my brain trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. My other fish are flourishing and they have just been showing no signs.

I would order from trisnfish but they only have black Khulis. Which I'm sure won't school/group together. Their fragility kinda makes me wonder about trying them again.

 

Honestly sounds like a weak batch of fish. I always found them to be pretty sturdy once established.

 

Like others have said, it's probably just bad stock if your water quality is that good.

 

trins normally keeps the striped ones. They had some just the other day. I'm sure they will have them again in short order.

 

Kuhlis are oddly sensitive like that. Some batches stores get are just bad. I've had some geoups I've bought where everyone lived, and some where they all croaked over the course of a week. For no perceivable reason as they all go into a quarantine tank for observation and I monitor temp/ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and yet still lose them. I never see any visible injuries or spots on them either. I suspect some kuhlis just come from really sensitive stock.

 

Yea. Sucks. They are so adorable and fun to watch! I have one more, and now I'm sure he'll be fine but be alone til I get more. Might try getting another goup and see. Hoping for the best.

So you guys have recommendations for hardier Loaches for a 60?

 

Yea. Sucks. They are so adorable and fun to watch! I have one more, and now I'm sure he'll be fine but be alone til I get more. Might try getting another goup and see. Hoping for the best.

So you guys have recommendations for hardier Loaches for a 60?

Hardier? IMO kuhli's are the hardiest. But if it a cool water tank look into some hillstrem loaches

 

Or perhaps less sensitive. Kind of reminds me of the issues people come across with neons.

 

What is the temp of the 60 gallon? What is thetother stock?

 

A lot of your botia loaches are pretty hardy. Weather loaches are just about bullet proof as long as you aren't keeping the water above 76ish

 

The temp is 78. Though I'm sure I could bring it down a degree or two.
Stock is 1 Angel (soon to be moved cuz he's just a jerk), 15 Silver Tip Tetra, 4 Rummynose, 3 Keyholes, 1 Clown Pleco. As well as the 1 left surviving Kuhli

 

Chain store kuhlis come in very stressed and often are on gravel that scratches their skin and causes infections that kill them, they are weak when they come in most often and it is better to buy from an online source where they only get stressed from shipping and not being put in a tank with sharp gravel.

 

I will have to give someone online a try. Hopefully they come out better the second time