20 Gallon Tank Open top tank and kuhli loaches

Hi all,

I'm not too experienced with open top tanks... As I usually keep fish which are escape artists!

I had holes drilled in my perspex lid in my previous tank for pipe work and I had 4 kuhli loaches escape and found them dried up behind desk. They must of wiggled up pipe work.

Sadly I'm left with a single kuhli loach and my new tank is open top. I have left 5-6 inches of space between water level (doing paladarium type tank) and glass and sealed up pipework.

I really want to put in 15 or so kuhli loaches as i hate having single kuhli... Anyone else keep kuhli loaches in open top tank with success?

I think I should be alright is I also plan on having surface completely covered in floating plants....

Watcha think?????

Thanks.



Sorry this was meant for general discussion if someone wants to move it from advanced section. I'm new!!!

 

Yes, you can add some more of them. 14 more can/should suffice. As you said, you would be adding floater plants, I can suggest(elodea, duckweed, red root floaters, and some more plants that are like them). Good luck with this!

 

I have an open top tank with about 1-2" of space at the top, no escapees. YMMV. Video Link: My Kuhli's in their open tank

20g with 7 loaches 11 endlers and 7 corydoras and innumerable snails.

I've heard about them being escape artists and even seen videos of one who likes to sit on top of the filter out of the water, but climbs back in. I've heard they are reclusive as well. In my personal experience they are neither reclusive or seeking to escape.

 

Yes, you can add some more of them. 14 more can/should suffice. As you said, you would be adding floater plants, I can suggest(elodea, duckweed, red root floaters, and some more plants that are like them). Good luck with this!

Amazon frogbit are great too

 

I’ve heard they were escape artists but haven’t had any personal experience with it. My 20g tank is rimless and I’ve had 3 kuhli (just added 3 more last night) in there for a month with no issues. I don’t fill my tank up all the way to the top though. It’s about a cm to an inch from the top depending on evaporation.

 

Cheers! Iv had 3 escape in one tank. But I realized they wiggled up pipe and out hole in back of tank. Water level was very high. I'm going to order 20 kuhli's in few weeks. I have 3 inch gap and pipes are protected so should be no problem.

 

Cheers! Iv had 3 escape in one tank. But I realized they wiggled up pipe and out hole in back of tank. Water level was very high. I'm going to order 20 kuhli's in few weeks. I have 3 inch gap and pipes are protected so should be no problem.

Sounds like you have a plan. I don’t have pipes so I’ve no experience with that. My lfs told me that they no longer keep kuhli in their tanks because they went up the piping and all ended up in the sump - so it must be a thing. Good luck!