Should I Be Worried About The Last Kuhli At The Pet Shop?

Finn (not a pun)
  • #1
So I’m planning on getting some kuhlis for my aquarium.
I’d originally planned on 3 of them, but when I got to the pet store, I noticed there were only four available in the tank.
I was only browsing to see what they had in the first place so I can prep my tank properly, so I haven’t bought them yet. But I’m worrying about how that fourth little kuhlI would fare on its own at the pet shop if I go with my original plan and just get three.
Though at the same time, I worry that I’d be overdoing it if I get all four.
It’s my first time having an aquarium since...well, childhood, and I don’t want to go too far out of my depth.
But really, how unreasonable can one more kuhlI be? It’s not like I don’t have the space. And wouldn’t it be easier on the loaches’ new-tank-stress if they had some familiar fins around?
Would it be worse for the little guy to be left alone at the pet shop without its buddies?

Maybe I’m just a bleeding heart over here, but hey, it’s worth asking.

I’m buying from a local shop that’s pretty small, so I don’t know how often they re-stock their fish, let alone their loaches. I don’t know if they’d let it stay all alone or if it’d get some more friends of its own kind relatively quickly.

I say “of its own kind,” because the pet store kuhlis are housed with some cherry shrimp, and a group of small schooling fish who I’ll admit I wasn’t really paying enough attention to to get their species name.
So for all I know, the little guy could be perfectly fine without its brethren.

What do you guys think?
 
PhoenixPhire
  • #2
What size is your tank? Finn
 
BottomDweller
  • #3
What size is your tank?
Kuhlis are schooling fish so need to be kept in groups of 6+ but more is better. You are right that one would be sad by itself though the shop would probably get more in soon. I think you should get all 4 and then more when they next get them in as long as your tank is large enough for them.
 
Finn (not a pun)
  • Thread Starter
  • #4
Right now I’m working with a 10g, but I’m planning on getting a 20 gallon as the fish grow. The shop kuhlis are about an inch long each right now, so they’re pretty tiny.
 
PhoenixPhire
  • #5
As long as you're upgrading then I think it should be fine.
 
goldface
  • #6
Buy them all. Don't let your head explode overthinking this
 

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