Do you want an interesting addition to your freshwater aquarium? Kuhli Loach, an oddball fish, is the perfect choice for this purpose. It adds variety to your fish collection. Some people may freak out by the similarity of their appearance with snakes, but I find them very cute, just like little eels.
Kuhli Loach is a peaceful fish. You can understand more about it by comparing it to an owl. Yup, that’s right. We can call this fish the owl of the tank. It stays up all night while looking for food in the aquarium.
It is recommended that experienced aquarists should keep this unique fish. However, this brief guide will help you keep Kuhli Loach, even if you haven’t been keeping pet fish for years.
Ideal Habitat
You can locate Kuhli Loach in South East Asia, Sumatra, Malaysia, and Borneo.
This fish prefers to stay in the slow-moving shallow waters of the forest streams. This means you should replicate such a water flow in the tank to make Kuhli Loach feel at home.
Tank Size
The minimum size of the tank for Kuhli Loaches should be 20 gallons.
- The rule of thumb is to add 3 to 5 gallons of water per each Kuhli Loach that you add in the tank.
Tank Set-Up
Temperature: Kuhli Loach is a tropical fish. So, the temperature of the tank should be kept between 73 to 86 Fahrenheit.
pH: The waters in Kuhli Loach’s natural habitat are acidic, so keep the pH of the water in the tank between 5.5 to 6.5.
Water hardness: The water should be kept soft. Ideal digits for this are 0 to 5 dGH.
Plants: Their natural habitat have a lot of vegetation. Hence, keep plenty of plants in their tank. Java Fern and Cryptocoryne are two of the plants you can use. Also, add peat moss to recreate leaf litters.
Decorations: You can add rocks and driftwood as decorations. Kuhli Loaches like hiding spots.
Tank Mates
Kuhli Loaches have a peaceful temperament. They are best suited to other small and non-aggressive fish. Below are a few of the fish that you can keep Kuhli Loaches with.
You should avoid keeping your innocent Kuhli Loaches with fish like Cichlids, Arowanas, Angelfish, Chinese algae eaters, and Tiger Barbs. Blue Gouramis, Red-tailed sharks, and Bettas are also no-no’s for being tank mates of Kuhli Loaches.
- Can you keep Kuhli Loaches with other Kuhli Loaches?
Yup, definitely. Keeping them in a group of around 6 helps them come out of their shell. They can be very shy on their own.
Diet
Luckily, Kuhli Loach is an omnivore. That means you have a variety of food options to feed to your little eel-like fish. Here are a few items that you can feed them.
- Daphnia
- Artemia
- Bloodworms
- Micro worms
- Grindal worms
- Fish flakes
- Pellets
- Vegetables
- Plant material
Feeding routine: Kuhli Loaches should be fed several times a day. However, the amount of food should be just as much as they can consume in 2 to 3 minutes.
Care
These fish not only require a clean tank but also good oxygenation.
Cleaning: You should change 25% of their water once every week. Also, clean the walls of the tank and the decorations properly.
You should keep the lid of the tank secure because Kuhli Loach can be a little adventurous to jump out of the tank if given the chance.
Conclusion
To wrap it all up, I would once again suggest that if you want versatility in your freshwater fish tank, add Kuhli Loaches. They will not only win over your heart, but everyone else’s too, whoever takes a look at them.
With proper care and commitment, they can be your pets for a long time.
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