I love getting new loaches...it is exciting. Great pics
One thing I noticed is how long and narrow thy are. I would have guessed they were anguillaris based on the pictures I have seen, but in the LOACHES book it does say anguillaris has no barbels. Yours definitely do, but they seem to be slightly different than those I have seen in other kuhlis, being mostly on the bottom of the snout. This may be a good identification factor, as so many kuhlis are so similar it is difficult to tell them apart. There may be one slight difference alone and that puts them in a different species. I would like to thank you, Thomas, for giving us those facts and for posting the pictures of the tails. It is great to hear info that is truthful and straightforward.
There is nothing wrong with calling your loaches Pangios, because all "Kuhli-type" loaches are Pangios, but calling them Oblongas, or Anguillaris', or Darios is more specific, referring to the species and not the larger family. I have three dark little loaches I bought in a coldwater tank. They were in the tank with the golfish and weather loaches, but I knew right away that they were kuhlis. I still don't know if they are oblongas, cinnamons, or something else, but I guess it doesn't really matter as their care requirements are the same, thought it would be nice to know.
As far as Quarantine, everyone does it different. Some people treat for parasites right away to be on the safe side, though most kuhlis are sensitive to medications. If you want to treat them, I would reccommend reading more on this site about diseases and their treatment in loaches. Another way is to just observe them and make sure they are doing great. Be sure to take some time each day to really spend time with them and look closely at them to make sure they look and are acting healthy. Make sure they are all growing at relatively the same rate for their size, and are eating well. Look to see if there are any abnormal spots or stringy things clinging to them, because this could be a sign of a disease. The pictures really help because we can all see they look very healthy right now. Most loaches are wild-caught, so will bring with them whatever they picked up in the wild. I would reccommend about a month in the quarantine. I know it is tempting to put them in the main tank sooner, but this gives you a good window to make sure that whatever they may have been carrying has had a chance to become visible to you. I am looking forward to seeing updates of how they are doing
Good Luck!
soul-hugger
