Tropical Fish: Loach

Kuhli Loach

The kuhli loach ("coolie" is an often seen mistake) is a fascinating and hardy species that fits well into a small fish community aquarium. They like clean, clear water, and do best with aquarium gravel, such as fine sand, that does not have sharp edges. This approximately duplicates their natural habitat, which is the sandy beds of mountain streams or slow flowing rivers. They actually seem to do better in an aquarium that has a slight buildup of organic mulm or peat moss on the surface of the substrate.

They accept a wide range of water chemistries pH of 5.5 to 7.5 and hardness up to 200 parts per million (ppm) although optimum values seem to be more like a pH of 6.3 to 6.8 and a hardness below 80 ppm. Cool temperatures are preferred (70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit), but they will accept temperatures into the low 80s for short periods of time.

The kuhli loach will live for several years in an aquarium in which it is the only fish of its kind, but it seldom comes out in the open and cannot be enjoyed for its comical actions. If it is kept in small groups (I like to keep at least a half dozen together), the kuhli loach will be seen swimming in and around piles of rocks, under and over pieces of driftwood or around the stems of plants. It will be out looking for food, playing tag with its friends or simply "sunning" itself on a raised object  in short, it will act more like it would in the wild.

I don't want you to get the impression that they are schooling fish, because they aren't. They are simply gregarious and feel much more comfortable in the company of their own kind.

Feeding the kuhli loach poses no problems. They are very adept at locating bits of food in an aquarium, and are often included in an aquarium to ensure that there is no buildup of uneaten foods under rocks or wood.

They eat prepared flakes, freeze-dried foods and any small live foods that settle to the bottom, but have a real fondness for small worms, such as grindal worms, white worms or Tubifex. It is important to limit the amount of worms in their diets because worms are a rich, fat-filled food, and a balanced diet is much better for the fish.

The last item worth mentioning is that all "kuhli" loaches aren't necessarily real kuhli loaches. There are a number of very similar species in the genus Acanthophthalmus. The real kuhli loach, Acanthophthalmus kuhlii, is a 3˝-inch fish from Indonesia, Sumatra, Java, Malaya and Thailand. It has 15 to 20 dark bars on its flanks that almost circle the body, but stop at the belly. There are two subspecies (maybe three) that have variations in the length of the bars and narrow bands within the bars.

By Al Castro. Source: aquarium fish magazine

Compatibility: Larger Livebearers, Barbs, Danios, Gouramis, Rainbowfish, Loaches, some Cichlids of similar size, Plecos, and Scavenger Catfish.

Loach Care:

Loaches and hillstream loaches generally require a clean well-oxygenated tank, although they are not overly demanding of pH or hardness levels.

Preferred conditions for most species are acidic to neutral or slightly alkaline pH and fairly soft water, although moderate hardness is tolerated after acclimatization. Regular partial water changes are required to keep nitrates low and good filtration is recommended.

It is recommended to use a fine grade or rounded gravel, as loaches in particular like to sift through the substrate for food.

Loaches appreciate caves, holes, and other places to hide. Because they come from streams, They require water currents in the aquarium.

Loach Related Articles:

Breeding Kuhli Loach. The most disturbing aspect of my breeding adventures is that I have absolutely no idea what triggers the spawning activity. I know that it is possible to stimulate spawning with pituitary hormones, but I don't use them.

The Orange Finned Loach. Like many of the botias, the orange finned or also call red-tail botia has switchblade-like eye spines that can cause problems when trying to net them. It is better to capture them in some type of container instead.

The Clown Loach is an active schooling fish that is best kept in small groups (three to six fish). It will tolerate tankmates of other species, although docile species may become agitated by the constant activity of this fish.