Favorite Loach

[Katy]

Happy New Year!

So far (oh dear!) we have:

5 B. Kubotai
2 B. Rostrata (thanks for the ID help!)
4 P. Kuhli (one may be a myersi, not sure)
2 P. anguilaris (we think)
6 B. Striata
12 Y. Sidhimunki (I think that is how many -- they are hard to count!)
1 Schistura cf. balteata

They are all very cute and fun.

I love Mr Sumo for his color and his quirkiness, and how fast he is at feeding time

The striata are so cute with their little pink mouse-noses

The Kubs are beautiful, and have so much personality!

So far, the kubs, striata and rostrata all kind of hang together, and all like to come up to the glass and look right back at me.

Until the end of October I thought fish were just kind of pretty critters that swam back and forth looking nice. I never knew wha tindividuals they could be!

[cloudhands]

We started out with kubotai and kuhlis (I've kept kuhlis before and always have liked them). I thought the Kubs were cool in the pet store, and they're so much cooler at home. They always have a lot of personality, and they get more beautiful as they grow.

As we added more species, mostly I didn't think they'd be as interesting as the loaches we already had. The sidthimunkis in the pet store sat like lumps on the bottom, and in the small Q tank they were just a bit better. But in bigger tanks when they feed or get curious, their frisky, feisty, current-surfing schooling ways are quite wonderful.
The striata were also not themselves in the Q tank. Though some were a bit grumpy and territorial, they didn't seem to show much personality at first. Now, finally in the big tank, they are showing a lot of unique personality, each fish maybe even more individuality than the kubs. And of course they are beautiful too.

The sumo was interesting and beautiful at the pet store, and is one of the most interesting and beautiful fish in the tank. I love the way he assumes authoritative possession of a round smooth rock, or perches in a plant, or darts and weaves at feeding time like a dragon in the sky.

Still impossible to pick a favorite species.

[Joe Khul]

What?
Pangio Kuhli Loaches (all breeds)

Why?
When I was very young, my cousin and uncle introduced me to my first Pangio Kuhli Loaches and I have been hooked ever since.

Do I?
Currently I have one pangio kuhli (Joe) and 9 either Pangio doriae or Pangio anguillaris.

Why?
Because Pangio Kuhli's are hard to find around here due to poor quality stock. I can have as many Pangio oblonga as I can purchase and keep due to large quantites stocked at my LFS. This is where I find my PDs or PAs due to stock "contamination" from the source. I continue to hunt down the illusive Pangio Kuhlis though.

Setup?
55 gallon with 2-4 inches of fine gravel, two HOB filters rated for 75 gallon setups, 1 hunk of mopani wood, numerous artifical plant (been having issues trying to keep live plants, but have not given up!)

Stock?
9 Yasuhikotakia sidthimunk
9 pangio anguillaris or Pangio doriae
1 Pangio Kuhli
9 black neons
9 rummy nose
9 blood fins
1 green corie (she dislikes others of her own kind)
1 clown plecostamus

That should cover the survey


Happy New Year!

[Donna]

Striped Kuhlis, of course Mine have a shelf to hide beneath, deliberately fashioned to resemble the inside of an undergravel filter (every kuhli's favorite haven). Plus, I can easily peer in and see them.

[mickthefish]

i'm with Mike O, Y caudipunctata are my favourites.

mick

[plaalye]

Hey Mick! The only y. caudipunctata I've ever seen were in your vids and they always stood out! Maybe time for another look? And don;t forget the snoring dog!!

[piggy4]

If I had to pick one it would probably be Botia Dario

[Joe Khul]

Donna,
How did you install that shelf and what were your construction materials? Do the Kuhli's have access to the top side of that shelf?

A very ingenious way of keeping your kuhli's happy!

A side note to my post up the thread; I stopped at my favorite fish-only store and found that they had 6 Kuhli's. I picked up 3 of them and will hopefully have the last three in my tank this next weekend.

[Donna]

The shelf is nothing fancy -- just a hunk of plexiglas about an inch shorter than the tank measures from front to back, and it's raised up on some water bottle lids filled with sand, positioned about half an inch from the side, front and back of the tank, and held in place by the heavy rock on top. Plus I gave them an Indian Almond leaf for Christmas, and they're loving that.
This gives the kuhlis the run of the whole tank, plus this cozy hide spot, which is where I feed them after the lights go out in the evening.

[Joe Khul]

Thank you Donna! I think a re-design of my current setup is in order! A lovely picture of your whole set up btw. I like your choice of background.

[Joe Khul]

Hey Donna,

One last question; Where did you get the indian almond leaf from? I have been looking for one for ages and have not be able to locate one.

Thanks in advance!

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Where did you get the indian almond leaf from? I have been looking for one for ages and have not be able to locate one.

Here in Rio de Janeiro you have those trees in every street. Almond leaves fall on the ground in huge quantities every day - a very common tree. I can get them for free in vast ammounts if needed. Problem would be sending to the US...

[Donna]

http://stores.ebay.com/Amys-Ketapang-Inc?refid=store

Amy's great, fast and inexpensive, and the leaves are washed, clean, and beautifu, and the kuhlis LOVE them.
The ones I had were grade A+ large, but I just ordered a bunch of grade A small ones, because one of my angelfish got caught temporarily beneath a sunken leaf, probably in an attempt to snitch some of the kuhli's food. (He's fine, and despite what they'll try to tell you, yes, I do feed the angels.)

[sarahrah89]

Thanks DONNA! I LOVE the glass plate idea, and will be incorporating it in my new tank upon purchasing. Since you seem to be the Sherpa of Khulis around here, I was wondering if I could get some more advice from you. But first I will contribute to the actual forum topic:

Fav loach: CLOWNS! I LOVE them, and I wish so badly to have a tank filled with them someday, but I simply don't wish for such a large tank right now. Maybe a few years down the line, but not now. They're so gregarious with their personalities, and the way they "dance". Khulis and Dojos are a close second/third.

I just bought my first two Khulis, after researching them I discovered they would work well in my tank. Upon letting them free in my tank I came across a future issue........... how to clean my gravel!? Theyre just little string-thin babies right now, and I haven't seen them since letting them swim into the abiss (HA! Its only a 20 gallon until the new tank comes.). I'm definately going to do the glass shelf thing, and I'll start feeding them in subdued lighting to see if I can catch a glimpse. But I have an undergravel filter right now (upgrading to different filter along with new tank) and I'm pretty sure theyre under there, seems like a good bet. Also... how do you clean fine sand gravel?

So...... any advice for a newbie Khuli owner?

P.S. My tank currently houses the following tank mates: A betta couple, mystery snail, shy little blood parrot cichlid named Mr. Sissypants, 2 geriatric cherry barbs, and a few guppies that I feed to the Oscars in my 75 G.

[SgtMajWiggles]

Dario, I think. I love my clowns but they are less showy. I also really like my sewellia lineolata - I got a male and 2 females last month and they are looking really nice - I'm really hoping for fry!!!