Kuhli Community Tank

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Cyberkat
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:47 pm
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

Kuhli Community Tank

Post by Cyberkat » Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:27 am

Hi everyone!! I am having to move some of my fishies around between my 40g breeder & 20g high and had a question or two regarding my Kuhli's. My 40g breeder will be stocked with 3 GBR (which I will be re-homing very soon), 4 long fin Danio, 5 Peppered Cory, 2 Laetacara Dorsigera & 4 Kuhli loach. I would like to add anywhere from 2-6 more Kuhli to my 40g. How many more Kuhli can I safely add to my aquarium?? I know their bio load is low but the Kuhli are longish little guys and I don't want to get carried away and overstock my aquarium a great deal. I'm really hoping that with the bio load being so low I can add the extra Kuhli to my tank (my HOB is good for up to 70g); I'd really love to have a total of 10 of these guys in this tank!!

A while back I had a Kuhli and a Cory both in a quarantine tank and I saw them play together. I am curious to see if anyone else has ever witnessed this type of behavior before? It was really cute to watch them play and I'm thinking that the bottom of my aquarium may well turn into a playground if these guys all start playing together!! :lol:

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Kuhli Community Tank

Post by Diana » Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:03 am

Kuhlies are so lightweight for their length that it does not count like any other 4" fish as far as bio load. You can safely stock more than you might think (compared to most other 4" taller, fatter fish) without a problem.
Bioload is based on the mass of the fish, not the length. Length is easier to look at, though. But fish use oxygen, produce ammonia and CO2 and so on based on their whole 3 dimensional body, not just the one dimension of length. When you are comparing bioloads produced by 2 fish that are the same shape, just different sizes you can say something like this: Well Fish A is twice as long as Fish B, so it is also twice as high and twice as wide. So fish A has 8 times (2 x 2 x 2) the bioload of B. But when the fish are different shape (Like Kuhlies compared to almost anything else) that math does not work out the same.
My Kuhlies might be the same length as my younger Clown Loaches, but the Clowns are probably 3 times as wide, and 4 or more times as high. There is no way I could stock my Clowns like I stock the Kuhlies. The Clown Loaches, the same length as the Kuhlis need 12 (3 x 4) times as much consideration for oxygen, ammonia, CO2 and so on.

Yes, I have seen them (Cory and Kuhlie) playing.
I have the black (brown?) Kuhlies and Bronze Cories in a 40 gallon breeder.
The Kuhlies like making loops, mostly around the north end of the tank. Up a corner, loop near the top of the water, then down the north face. The Cory was doing a sort of mirror version: Up in the same corner, but make the look across the west face (front of the tank). About the same size loop, too. They took turns.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Cyberkat
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:47 pm
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

Re: Kuhli Community Tank

Post by Cyberkat » Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:17 pm

Thanks Diana!! So from what you said my 40g breeder should be ok with a total of 10 Kuhli's along with the other fish, right? I can't wait to find some more locally to finish stocking my aquarium!!! I have never seen two different species of fish actually play with each other, so it took me by suprise when I saw the Kuhli & Cory playing; I loved it. I'm curious, what is your ratio of Kuhli's & Cories in your 40g breeder? Do you know by any chance what months Kuhli loaches are usually available at pet stores? I seem to always get "they're not in season" as a reply when I call around looking for them; I never knew fish had seasons!!!

starsplitter7
Posts: 5054
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:04 pm
Location: Tampa, Florida

Re: Kuhli Community Tank

Post by starsplitter7 » Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:32 am

I have seen my Kuhlies and cories dancing together. :) They are adorable.

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Kuhli Community Tank

Post by Diana » Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:31 am

I am not sure what season Kuhlies are available. But yes, they are not in the stores year round.
I have 5 Bronze Cories that I have had almost forever. They bred once, and I just let nature handle it. 3 became 5.
I am not sure how many Kuhlies I have in there. They are the wrong color for me to be able to count, and it is a tank with a lot of hiding places. Not many, perhaps half a dozen?
There are some other small catfish, and some Platies in there. The other cats keep eating the Platy babies, so I recently moved all but one Platy (could not catch him).
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Cyberkat
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:47 pm
Location: Texas Gulf Coast

Re: Kuhli Community Tank

Post by Cyberkat » Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:59 am

Wow, it's only been 48 hrs and I am seeing more of my Kuhli's now than I have in months! Having the Cories really seem to help the Kuhli's so they're not as prone to hide all day. Can't wait to see what happens once I add more Kuhli's. :)

starsplitter7
Posts: 5054
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:04 pm
Location: Tampa, Florida

Re: Kuhli Community Tank

Post by starsplitter7 » Sat Sep 22, 2012 4:01 pm

I have a super active, friendly, easy going hoplo cat in one of my tanks. She is the all-clear fish for the loaches, and when she's swimming about, everyone comes out to play. I think the cories make the Kuhlies feel safe and comfortable.

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