khuli loach sleeps belly up ?

[Bohemia]

I have 2 khuli loachs which hide most of the time but when they do come out they dart around like crazy even breaking the surface then one often sticks itself into a plant for a few hours and the bigger of the two lays on the botton belly up looking like it's dead, this has been going on for about two weeks now.

PH and temp is a little high for khuli's 7.2 and 80F but will that cause this kind of activity ?

[Mark in Vancouver]

My Kuhlis will pause, and appear to be asleep, but never belly up. That's not right for Kuhlis of any species, IMO. I can't say what the problem might be, but I'm a little alarmed to hear about it.

Maybe someone will bring some light on this one...

[sophie]

bouts of superspeed swimming, even up to the surface of the tank, are pretty normal for kuhlis. Resting in plants is normal, too. When you say belly-up, do you meanliterally lying supine? because that's pretty strange... If you mean resting on its side with its belly showing, again, that's pretty normal. some of mine like to rest in a U shape, wedged between a plant and the tank glass, belly to the glass. Kuhlis are a Bit Odd. But I've never come across one that likes to lie flat on its back.

[Martin Thoene]

Sleeping belly up is not unheard of for loaches, but not specifically kuhlis. I would imagine it under something, but not just laying there supine.

Here's one of my Pangio anguillaris who seems to think inverted eating of algae wafers works for him.



....kuhlis are wack-jobs....anything's possible.

Martin.