Kuhli loaches with only air-driven filters?

[loachmom]

Hello,

Would my kuhlis do well in a 36" tank with only two sponge filters, two corner box filters, and a bubble wall?

I ask because I've added cherry shrimp to the tank, and those types of filters are recommended for the shrimp.

Thanks

[janma]

Another shrimp/fry safe filter is the Eheim Aquaball, have personal experience with the. Highly recommendable.

[Laura]

I use aquaclears on my shrimp tanks, with a sponge cut and slid over the intake. A few shrimp make it into the filter, but not many. I suspect if you used a longer sponge that went further up the outside of the intake, then it would be pretty shrimp proof.
I suspect khulis would eat some of the babies, so make sure you have lots of hiding spots for the shrimplets.

[Martin Thoene]

Yes loachmom that would work fine IMO. Remember that kuhlis don't need loads of current, just good biological and mechanical filtration. With their minimal waste output that mix of filtration sounds good to me.

Martin.

[Graeme Robson]

Yes indeedy! Go for it loachmom!

[loachmom]

Thank you Janne, Laura, Martin and Graeme. I appreciate your replies.

I plan to work on adding the new filters today. We are really enjoying having shrimp. The children spend lots of time in front of the tank looking for them.
There will be lots of excitement here when babies start showing up.
We also found just one otocinclus who is in quarantine. Hopefully, I'll soon find more. He seems healthy, and I hope he lives a long time when I add him to the kuhli tank

I'll take your advice, Laura, and provide lots of hiding spots.

And, Janne, that Aquaball looks really nice. Maybe it will be my Christmas present..

Thanks again!

[Diana]

Ditto the sponge over the intake. Stuff grows on the sponges that the shrimp eat.
With enough air power to provide enough water movement the sponge filters will work, but I use HOBs on most of my smaller tanks with a sponge over the intake, and shrimp are getting started in any tank without shrimp predators.

[loachmom]

OK, I spent some time today hooking up all the filters and dragged my ever-patient husband along with me to the pet store to buy another air pump.
Everything is percolating nicely in the tank (the HOB is still on the tank.)

And, do you know what? I don't like it! It is so busy and cluttered looking.

I'm going to take it all apart, return the air pump (husband is smiling ), and find some type of sponge to place over the HOB intake.


Thanks again!