Thinking About Getting Some Kuhlis

Hey guys!

I'm planning on upgrading my Betta's tank to a 10 or 15 gallon tank in the next few months. I was looking for some bottom feeders to add and have narrowed it down to Corys and/or KuhlI loaches. I chose them because, even though they're fish that need groups, they have a relatively small bioload. The Betta's all bark and no bite, honestly, so I'm not too worried about the other fish being harassed to death.

I'm not all that familiar with Kuhli's so I had a few questions (most of these have actually come from researching and getting a bazillion different tidbits of information):

1) Are Kuhlis fragile or not? Some say they all die in the first week and some say they live for 10 years.
2) What's the minimum tank size? I've seen anywhere from 10 gallons to 55 gallons being stated as the "minimum". A lot of people say 20 gallons, but does that mean a standard 20 or a 20 long? Aqueon's 15 gallon tank is basically the exact same floor dimensions as their standard 20 (24"×12"), it's just like 4 or so inches shorter.
3) Do Kuhlis eat snails or not? I've seen mixed opinions on this and I have Nerites that I'd rather not have murdered lol
4) What's the actual group minimum for both Corys and Kuhlis? I've seen both 3 and 6 listed quite a lot and there doesn't seem to be a consensus.
5) Would having both Kuhlis and Corys put one group at a disadvantage since they're both bottom feeders?
6) What's a good substrate for both bottom fish and plants? I plan on having sand in there as well, but I heard that many aquarium plants don't do well in sand.

Thanks!

 

I’ll answer the ones I know the answer to
2: 20 gallon long
3: I don’t think so.
4: 5-6 is preferred, more is better. But fish can’t count
5: You can’t have both in a 20 long, unfortunately.
6: Sand is the best, KhulI loaches don’t have scales.

 

I've had 4 kuhli's and 5 sterbaI corys for a little over a year, and they get along very well and I make sure there's enough food to go around. As for quarantine, I didn't do preventative treatments as I didn't have much in the DT other than some barbs. Only lost 1 kuhlI in QT. As for substrate, that was a problem for me in the beginning as well, and I went with about 100lbs of this for my 75G: . As for plants not doing well in sand, that's a lie. I have a higher tech tank, and the plants are growing well. (pogostemon erectus, few crypts, amazon sword, s repens, lobelia cardinalis, limnophila hippuroides, blyxa japonica). The heavy root feeders get a root tab, and stems get EI dosing daily. Best of luck!

 

I've had 4 kuhli's and 5 sterbaI corys for a little over a year, and they get along very well and I make sure there's enough food to go around. As for quarantine, I didn't do preventative treatments as I didn't have much in the DT other than some barbs. As for substrate, that was a problem for me in the beginning as well, and I went with about 100lbs of this for my 75G: . As for plants not doing well in sand, that's a lie. I have a higher tech tank, and the plants are growing well. (pogostemon erectus, few crypts, amazon sword, s repens, lobelia cardinalis, limnophila hippuroides ). The heavy root feeders get a root tab, and stems get EI dosing daily. Best of luck!

What size tank is the cories and Khulis in?

 

1)Yes, they are fragile depending on how you handle them.
2) A 20 gallon long has more width while a 20 has less width which means you are limited.
3)They are the only loaches that don't eat snails, so you are safe there.
4)Cories and kuhli's need at least 6 of each.
5)You can't have either species in a 10 or 15 gallon.
6)Aquarium plants don't do bad. They aren't as good as gravel but since kuhli's have no scales they are more sensitive.

 

emmysjj, they're in my 75G DT

 

Kuhlis are sensitive to water quality, and being added to a tank.
They need a good footprint, which is why a 20 long is the best choice.
Kuhlis usually don't get big enough to eat most snails, they won't try to eat them anyway.

I haven't ever kept kuhlI loaches, but my brother did, and his loved burrowing in the sand, which is why you need a fine grain substrate, not a gravel.

 

1. According to my LFS, fish distributers have had some issues with kuhlI health recently, which could be contributing to why they are considered "sensitive". They reason many are dying in the first few days/weeks is because they are sick to begin with. I didn't have any issue with my kuhlis since I got them healthy from a neighbor who was tearing down his tank. If they are healthy, they aren't particularly more sensitive than other fish.

2. They are active little dudes at night. So I would agree with the 20 gallon long as a minimum.

3. I wish kuhlis ate snails, that would help with my pest snail invasion! But alas, they do not so your nerites are safe

4. I heard four as a minimum when I first got my kuhlis, so I got four and hardly ever saw them. They hid all the time until I added 8 more and now they swim around constantly. The more you have, the more you'll see them.

5. I also have corys with my kuhlis. As long as you feed them the right amount, they shouldn't have any trouble getting enough food.

6. Sand for sure. Kuhlis can't do this in gravel.


They are masters of burrowing in the sand. Just add fertilizer tabs for your root feeders and they'll be fine.

Good luck and happy fishing!

 

Thanks guys!

Sadly, it looks like I'll have to stick to just the snails for my betta, I don't have room for a 20 long.

 

As for question #1, I recently learned that there are about 10 species of kuhlI loach, each with it's own unique pattern type, from solid brown (which are usually hardiest in my experience) to plain stripes, to intricate. Some species are fat, some are skinny, and females are generally fatter, so sometimes it's hard to tell how many of which kind you have. I've got a mix, and sometimes they all hang out together, other times they seem to hang out according to size.