# Effect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question



## wes.pastor (Jun 23, 2008)

So, I'm Planning this new set-up from scratch. a 75G with a "natural substrate (Sand over Peat, Redart Clay and sand mix). I was in the intro with the basic Idea which is in further development. So I have a question. Kuhli Loaches - How will they affect the substrate? I will be planning a variety of hidiong places in the set-up as I was going to have about 3 - 6 of them.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*

Mine don't dig much, if at all, since they have plenty of hiding places. I use about an inch of Eco Complete over soil and they've never disturbed the soil. I've had them in there about 3 years now. Go for 6 of the kuhlis, they like to have friends and you'll have plenty of room in a 75G.


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## ngb2322 (Apr 9, 2008)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*

As long as they have hiding places, plenty of "lawn" type plants to fool around in, they won't really dig. Mine occasionally dig a bit, but its not destructive. Usually they dig to get at worms or food tho.


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## Deni (Jul 6, 2005)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*

Just out of curiousity, what would kuhli loaches do in a sparsely planted tank with maybe an inch or two of sand? I was wondering if it would end up as a sort of zen garden.


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*

wes.pastor - I don't notice my khuliis diggin around too much. My botias on the other hand tear through the substrate regularly, digging up my grass and making the tank cloudy (I recently put down AS and the tank was crytal clear until the loaches were added back in)

Deni - The khuliis are somewhat nocturnal and like to hide during the day. I think it would add some stress to the fish if they don't have anywhere to hide in a sparsely planted tank.


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## Deni (Jul 6, 2005)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*

Sorry for hijacking wes.pastor's topic. I probably ought to have started another one. But since I didn't... 

I thought they would hide in the substrate. I guess I misunderstood.


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## wes.pastor (Jun 23, 2008)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*



Deni said:


> Sorry for hijacking wes.pastor's topic..


No sweat, I believe the general Idea is to share information. Right now for me it's all accedemics. I will be journaling the over-all plan and its changes as time goes on. Right now the tank will ne be set-up until later this fall.

The plan so far:

• aquarium type: Glass 
• Gallons: 75
• dimensions: 
Height: 20" (Top to Bottom)
Width: 18" (Front to Back)
Length: 48" (Wide)
• Lighting: 270 Watts Fluorescent
• Co2 system: complete details: None
• Substrate: Natural (Sand / Peat / Vermiculite / Clay ) mix with white sand covering all. To a varied depth of 2 - 6 inches 
• Water temp: 78 - 80 degrees 
• Driftwood: how many pieces? How large?) 1 Medium Piece
• Planting preference: Light to Moderate

Filtration will be mechanical only from an Eheim 2215 which will provide water movement too.

I'm working on a plant list for now. When I have settled on the types of plants then I will look into the hood and lights parts right its 20% higher because of light fade the eye cannot see.

I want to see about 40 - to 70 plants some the same some different.

Back to the Kuhli question. I was hoping to use these as snail control. I want to keep snails in the tank but I don't want to have an army of them.8-[

I will start a new thread to show my set-up and construction as I actualy start collecting the equipment and stuff


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

*Re: Affect of Kuhli Loach on substrate question*

My kuhlis (perhaps with the help of bettas) wiped out the ramshorn snails and pond snails in their tank. I still have plenty of Malaysian trumpet snails and they don't seem to bother my nerites. It took a while for them to annihilate the ramshorn snails because the adult snails seemed to be able to survive, but no young snails survived to replace them as they gradually died. In a larger tank (mine is 20 gallons) I imagine that some snails would survive to keep a healthy but not overwhelming population.

The more hiding places you offer the kuhlis the better. My tank is very heavily planted and I offer a few driftwood hiding places plus a dense mat of Anubias nana petite I use as a foreground (a favorite kuhli playground). They can disappear at will and I think that helps keep them from burrowing into the substrate. They seem to favor the absolute tightest places they can squeeze into so be careful that the screen of your eheim intake is intact. I found a kuhli in my 2213 because one of the bars in the intake had been damaged and I didn't notice it.


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